JONATHAN ROSS the fact that he was a man to be impli citly trusted, clever, incorruptible, well balanced and gifted with professional acu men, sound common sense, and religious principle. He was a man to whom people, especially women, went in trouble, for counsel and advice not strictly professional. They felt sure that no hope of gain or personal advantage would control his action. They had such confidence in his integrity and judgment that they trusted him as a friend without fear that he would betray their confidence. The confidence of the community led to many positions of public trust; from 1858 to 1868, he was treasurer of the Passumpsic Savings Bank, and it is worthy of note that during his fiduciary control the corporation never lost a dollar. In 1862 and 1863 he was state's attorney of Caledonia County. In 1865, 1866, and 1867 he represented St. Johnsbury in the General Assembly, serving effectively on the Judiciary and other committees. For four years before 1870, he was an active and influential member of the State Board of Education, and in the latter year was re turned by Caledonia County to the State Senate, while in 1869 he was a member of the last Council of Censors. As an advocate Jonathan Ross was clear and convincing; there was nothing ornate or flowery in his style, but his overpower ing earnestness carried conviction to court and jury alike. Many things which younger attorneys, and perhaps a majority of the public, are prone to consider the crowning glory of an advocate, were no part of his professional creed. Pettifoggery and chi canery were to him odious, and if causes were not to be won by careful preparation and straight-forward trial upon their true merits, in the light of the law, as he in terpreted it, they were to be lost regardless of the effect upon his professional reputa tion or the wishes of his clients. Honesty of purpose was the keynote of his career, in whatever capacity he might be serving; no false notions of duty to his client ever
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caused him to swerve from his higher allegi ance to the eternal principles of right and justice, and he ever exemplified the fact that one may be at one and the same time a successful lawyer and a consistent Christian gentleman. December i, 1870, while serving as sena tor from Caledonia County, Jonathan Ross was elected sixth Associate Judge of the Vermont Supreme Court, in place of Wil liam C. Wilson, who removed to Minnesota. While the judges of the Vermont Supreme Court are elected biennially by the legis lature, political considerations never enter into their choice, and since 1880, death and resignation have been the only causes of removal. The majority of the members of the Bench are appointed by the Governor,, to take the place of predecessors who have died or resigned, and the legislature never fails to reelect the appointees of the Gover nor, who usually takes into consideration the wishes of the Bench and Bar in filling vacancies. The court consists of a chief judge and six associate judges who rank in order of seniority. Judge Ross was gradu ally advanced until 1890, when he was elected chief judge upon the retirement of Judge Royce, and this position he held un til his resignation in January, 1899. His term of service, therefore, covered well nigh a generation. The judge of the Vermont Supreme Court has no sinecure. All judicial work in the state, except probate business and the petty cases brought in justice courts, must be done by the seven judges. In each of the fourteen counties of the state, two terms of county court must be held annually and in the more important counties often last upwards of two months. The same seven judges are the Court of Error, which now meets thrice annually in Montpelier, and are also collectively the Court of Chancery, each judge being also a chan cellor. Into this round of hurried activities Judge Ross was plunged at the age of
