Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 06.pdf/95

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The Green Bag.

at the old John Street Theatre, in April, I 786. He produced a second comedy, " May Day, or New York in an Uproar." He wrote many poetical pieces, contributing largely to the " Farmer's Weekly Museum " at Walpole, N.H., and published a series of papers entitled, " An Author's Convenience," in the " Portfolio " for 1801. He had great facility in verse, and an abundant fund of impromptu humor. He wrote a comedy in three acts, "The Georgia Speck, or Land in the Moon," ridiculing speculation in the wild Yazoo lands. This was repeatedly performed in Boston with success. He wrote in two volumes, " The Algerian Captive, or The Life and Ad ventures of Updike Undcrhill." He wrote for nearly all the leading periodicals of the day, and his pen was often plied to correct and embellish manuscripts designed for the press. His instructions to juries were often pub lished, and were specimens of elegant com position and evidences of his great profes sional knowledge. After his judicial services ended, he re sumed his practice at the Bar, which was pecuniarily more profitable than his services for the State, but after the year 1820, he gradually retired from business, and died in 1826.

anniversary of the battle of Bennington, Aug. 16, 1778, read a poetical essay, his class-mate, Noah Smith, delivering an ad dress. He pursued his legal studies with Theodore Sedgwick, the eminent patriot and jurist of Massachusetts; he was admitted to the Bar, and in 1779 marrying Pamela Farrand, came in 1780 to Windsor, and soon became a freeholder, residing in one of the most elegant residences in Windsor. He quickly became eminent in his profession. No one in this State ever rose more rapidly in the legal profession than Mr. Jacob. He was counsel in substantially all litigation in and near Windsor County; at the end of his second year in Vermont, his name ap pears as counsel in forty-six cases in that county. He was counsel in the second and third cases reported by Nathaniel Chipman, in the second volume of reports issued in this country, and was successful in both. He appeared against such lawyers as Bradley, the Paines, Buck, Marsh and Hutchinson, men eminent in their profes sion. He was active in the extensive litiga tion growing out of the conflicting Vermont land titles. He represented Windsor many years, was clerk of the House of Representatives and State attorney in Windsor County for a long time. He was the incumbent of this office at the time of the riots in 1786, when a mob Stephen Jacob passed his youth among attempted to interrupt the sessions of the the Berkshire Hills. His father, Richard, court; he was with the militia called out to was a man of substance and sent his son for oppose the mob, and in the melee was education to Yale College. He graduated wounded. He was a member of the first Council of Censors in 1785, whose impor in 1778. Among his distinguished class mates may be mentioned Xoah Smith, tant acts resulted in marking the line above noticed, Joel Barlow, Minister to between the legislative and judicial depart France, Oliver Wolcott, Secretary of the ments. He was one of the commissioners Treasury under Washington and Governor to treat with New York, as to the contro of Connecticut, United States Senator Tracy, versies with that State. In 1791 he was appointed the first United States district Chief Justice Swift, and Judge Miller of Con necticut, besides others who as members of attorney in the Vermont district. He was Congress or great political leaders were a member of the Governor's Council for several years and a member of the Con prominent at the beginning of this century. He came to Vermont, and at the first stitutional Convention of 1793.