86 BRYANT. BRYANT. the adjoining city of Somerville, where he still resides. Mr. Bruce was mayor of Somerville in 1877, '80 and '81, and a member of the state Senate in 1882, '83 and '84, being president of the Senate the latter year. Since his retirement from active political life, he has given his time and energies to the more important cases which from year to year come before the Legislature. His long and varied experience while a member, his wide acquaintance with public men, his sagacious reading of human nature, make him a powerful ally and a formidable antagonist. He has the reputation of be- ing successful in nearly every cause in behalf of which he has appeared before a legislative committee. Mr. Bruce was married in Groton, in 1870, to Clara M.. daughter of Joseph F. and Sarah (Longley) Hall. BRYANT, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born at East Andover, Merrimack county New Hampshire, February 25, 1825. His mother was of revolutionary stock, and of one of the oldest families in town. Mr. Bryant availed himself of the limited educational advantages offered by the dis- trict school of his native place, subse- quently attending for a portion of a term the high school at Franklin. His ambition for study was greater than his means for its gratification. His first commercial transaction was in borrowing enough money at the age of fourteen to defray the expense of an entire term at Boscawen Academy, giving his note therefor, which he paid with interest at the end of three years. Drifting about a term at a time among the various acade- mies in the state, at Concord, Claremont, Gilmanton and New London, he entered New Hampton, and then perfected his collegiate equipment, so that he entered the sophomore class at Waterville College, Maine, a year in advance of his fellows. At the academies and in college he de- veloped an intense passion for debate, and took a leading part in all the lyceums at home and the societies connected with the various institutions of learning he at- tended, to which he undoubtedly owes much of the freedom and ease that have since characterized his oratorical efforts. At twenty-two he entered the office of an eminent law firm — Nesmith & Pike — at Franklin, and after something less than two years' hard study went to the Harvard law school, from which he graduated in 1848 ; was admitted to the bar of Grafton county at the November term of the same year, and having opened an office at Bris- tol in that county, in November, 1848, upon his admission, entered upon the active practice of his profession. At twenty-five he was elected one of the commissioners of the county of Grafton, and held the office for three years, being chairman of the board two years. At twenty-nine he was appointed prosecuting attorney for that county, and discharged his duties with marked efficiency. In 1853 he removed from Bristol to Plym- outh ; and from that time he was en- gaged on one side or the other of nearly NAPOLEON B. BRYANT. every important cause there tried by the jury. In 1 S55 Mr. Bryant removed to Con- cord, and entered into partnership with Lyman T. Flint. Mr. Bryant prior to 1856 had acted with the Democratic party, in whose faith he had been reared, but in that year he supported, by voice and vote, the nomination of John C. Fremont, effectually speaking in all the large towns, and in nearly every county in the state. In 1857 he represented the city of Concord in the New Hampshire Legislature, was re-elected in 1858 and '59, serving as speaker the last two years. In i860 he was at the Chicago convention as
