The Supreme Court of Vermont. brought when a child to Manchester; had a common school education, studied law with Judge Skinner, settled and remained in Rutland. He was born May 4, 1791, died May 6, 1865. Mr. Kittredge, who succeeded Judge Pierpoint, resided in Fair Haven. He was born in Dalton, Mass., Feb. 23, 1800, graduated at Williams College, studied law in North hampton, Mass., resided and was admitted to the Bar in Kentucky, and for six months was in a law office at Ravenna, Ohio. He was admitted to the Bar in Rutland County, in December, 1824, and thereafter resided in Fair Haven. He held almost all of the local and county offices, and was lieutenant gover nor. His abilities were respectable and his standing and character high. Abel Underwood, in the second circuit, was a prominent lawyer at Wells River. His only judicial service in the higher courts was the circuit judgeship, from 1854-7. These are the only persons who served as circuit judges besides those who were judges in the Supreme Court. Luke P. Poland first saw the light of day among the foot hills on the westerly side of Vermont's greatest mountain, Mt. Mansfield, and resembled it in his grand and rugged character. He came to the Bar with but little education. He worked while young in a saw mill and for a short time in a country store; was in the district schools and for a few weeks at Jericho Acad emy. After teaching a term or two, he entered the office of Mr. Willard of Morristown, and so well did he improve his time that he was admitted to the Bar the second month of his majority, the first admission in Lamoille County, then just organized. He practiced at Morristown with his tutor, afterwards alone, and in twelve years, at the age of thirty-three, was elected judge, taking the place of Judge Davis of Danville. He served two years, until the change in the judicial system, when he became circuit
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judge and continued as such until 1857. He was then elected first assistant and Chief in 1860, and so continued until 1865, when, upon the death of United States Senator Collamer, he was appointed his successor by Gov. Paul Dillingham. He was one of the best " all round judges" that ever served in the State; was dignified and courtly, saw at once the question at issue, had a clear perception of the testi mony as it was given, and the jury readily understood his instructions. In the trial of cases, he enforced great order without waste of time in any way, and rapidly dispatched business without seeming in the least to hurry. He was one of the best triers of fact that ever sat in court, and was unequaled as auditor or referee. In the Supreme Court, his opinions were generally written during the session of the court and are therefore not as finished as some of the productions of judges who were inferior to him in every respect. He gave as a reason for this that, while it might be desirable in many instances to make fuller examination of questions and refer to authorities not at hand at the time, owing to his defect ive education, he could write a matter at first fully as well as he could if he attempted to revise it. He served as senator until March, 1867, when he entered the lower house in Con gress and remained there until 1874. He afterwards served a term in 1882-84; he represented St. Johnsbury, and also the town of his former residence, Waterville, to which place he retired after his main services of life* were over. As a legislator he had no peer. His services in Congress were valuable and notable in many instances, especially the revision of the statutes of the United States, and the Arkansas imbroglio; I think, with out doubt, he was the most useful and prac tical legislator ever sent to Washington from this State; after his congressional life was over, he said he regretted he ever left the Bench, that judicial service was as pleas-
