History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men . o order; and,after reaching his majority in 1799, attended everyannual town meeting but one, and nearly every townmeeting held in Beverly, until 1854, a period of fifty-five years. It may well be inferred from this list that his was apre-eminently busy life, especially as it was his uni-form habit to do thoroughly to the full measure of hisability whatever he undertook to do. For manyyears, as justice of the peace, he had probably nine-tenths of the business of Beverly and the smalle
History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men . o order; and,after reaching his majority in 1799, attended everyannual town meeting but one, and nearly every townmeeting held in Beverly, until 1854, a period of fifty-five years. It may well be inferred from this list that his was apre-eminently busy life, especially as it was his uni-form habit to do thoroughly to the full measure of hisability whatever he undertook to do. For manyyears, as justice of the peace, he had probably nine-tenths of the business of Beverly and the smalleradjacent towns, and his office became a well-knownand frequented court-room. At the same time, hisintimate knowledge of the laws actually in force madehim a safe and wise counsellor, and he was constantlycalled upon for his opinion and advice, which wasalways given gratuitously, and always with the pur-pose of settling disputes and superseding the greater part of his service in the Legisla-ture he was chairman of the Committee on Accounts,and in that capacity it was his wont to audit the. -/L^-7. BEVERLY. 729 entire accounts of the State, and to report againstevery charge that was not reasonably fair, fully author-ized and legally due. In his care of the poor he keptthe almshouses under constant supervision, while themerits, claims and needs of outside pensioners weremade the subject of careful enquiry. He took greatinterest in the public schools, and the teachers andpupils found in him a judge of their work equally dis-criminating and kind. These various offices he bore,not because he sought them, but because they soughthim. His public life lay chiefly within the periodwhen fitness was deemed the prime qualification for apublic charge. He would not have lifted his fingerto obtain the highest place in the government of theState or the nation, and had he been elected to thehumblest post of civic duty, he would have acceptedit, and have put into it the best wor
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherphila, bookyear1888
