Away Back In Thirty-six

The fourth clerk of this county was Jonathan E. Field, who was elected In 1836, receiving 1,564 votes to 1,017 for Welling A. Glover, or a majority of 547. Mr. Field was a brother of Stephen J. Field, who still holds the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme court. Hon. John 'J. Robison, in looking' up the past county clerks a few years ago, wa unable to find out much of anything about him, so the following írom a genealogical record of the Field family, owned by the editor and publisher of this paper, will te of Interest : 'The fourth son in our home was baptized'wlth the name of the great New England divine, Jonathan EdNvards. Born July llth, 1813, he wae. Bix years old when the family removed to Stockbridge, where he was fitted for college. He entered Williams in 1828, and graduated in '32 with the second honor of his class, studied law in the office of his brother David Dudley Field, in New York, Siezed witih the ambition of young men in those days to strike out into new paths and make a career in some new part of the country, he removed af. the age of twenty, to Michigan, wliich was then very far west, and the next year (1834) was admitted to the 'bar at Monroe, and conimenced practice at Ann Arbor, which was then quite a new settlement, but is now one of the most beautiful towns In the west, the seat of the Michigan üniversity. In 1836 he was elected clerk of the courts of Washtenaw county. He was one of the Secretariei? of the Convention which ïramed the constitution of the state preparatory to its admission into the Union. But his ambitious career wat, checked by that which was the ecourge of all the new settlements, chills and fever, from which he suffered so .much that, after five years, he was obliged to abandon his western home. He returned to New England, and settled in Stockbridge, where for nearly thirty years he continued the practice of his pro.'ession, holding a very honorable place at thee Berkshire bar. In the town he was invahiaUle as a citizen For his enterprise in projecting improvements for the general good. It was to his public spirit and energy that the village 'is indebled for the introduction of 'ar. abundant supply of pure water 'froin the springe oh the side of ono of the neighborlng hills. which conduced not only to the comfort, bul to the health of the town. TUI then the people had been dependent upon wells, and there had been almost every year a number of cases of -a fever, whioh was someümes called in the neighborlng towns the Stotkbridge ïever. But scarcely liad thi abundant supply of pure water been introduced when it entlre'y dlsappeared. In 1834 he was elected a member of the State Senate for Berkshire county. The same year he was appoimted 'by (ov. Washburn one a Conimissitm to prepare and report a plan 'for the revisión and eonsoHdation 'Of the statutes of Masaachuseiis. il is associatea in that Oommiesion were Cliief Justice AVilliams and Judge Aiken. Orig-iually a democrat in politics, yefc when the war broke out he forgot everything in his devotion to the Union ; and in 1863 he was elected by the republicans to the state senate, and was chosen its piesident - a position in which, by bis dignity, his impartiaHty, and his courteous manners, he rendered himseli o popular with men of all partie.s that he was threo timos olected to that office- or as long as he continued in the senate - an honor ïever hefore conferred on a member of that body. Such was the personal regard for him, that on one occasion, in the beautiful Bummer time, the members of the senate came to Stockbridge to pay tiim a visit, and were received ■vith true New England hospitaüty. Nov did this continuance of honors excite surprise, for never has the -jenate or indeed any public body, a more admiiable presiding officer, or one who commanded 'a more thorough and universal respect ; so that when he died. April 23d, 1868, there was an universal feeling oí regret vmong tbose with whom he had been aspociated. The Spvingfield Eepublican, in announcing his death, gave a tele.' sketch of his public career, and, alluding to hls singular distlnctlon which had been conferred upon him, of being three times elected president oí the senate, added : 'The same genera' esteem he enjoyed among the t.rethren of hls profession, and in the community. Active and pubHcsplrited 'avs a citizen, he wl'.l be greatly missed in the affairs of the town and county, as well as of the state ; while as a kind friend and courteous gentleman, 'he will be truly mourned liy .11 who knew him.' "