IC)2
��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��cCHiraged most young men, fell upon the family. Business reverses over- took the partners in the mill, and in February the boy's father di -d sud- denly, leaving a widow and eight children, six of whom were younger than James, in destitute circumstances. This threw the care of the others largely upon him, and compelled him to abandon his purpose of going to Plymouth and return to cloth making. He did not however lose sight for a moment of the object he had in view, and procuring books from Mr. Thomp- son, he read law for a year at such limes as he was not compelled to work at home, when he entered the office of Hon. Joseph Burrows, then a practicing lawyer at Holderness.
In 1849 the family moved to Fisherville, in order that the younger children might have employment, and he completed his studies in the office of Judge Butler, from which he was admitted to the bar in 1851. A few months later he commenced practice at Hillsborough Bridge, whiiher he went a perfect stranger without repu- tation, money or business. But he had courage, self-reliance, energy, and ability. He knew how to live within a small income until he could make a larger. He had learned how to wait, and he was willing to work, and little by little he gained acquaintances, friends, and clients, who gave him a lucrative practice, sought his counsel, followed his leadership, and established his reputation as the most popular and influential man in the town, and one of the best lawyers in the state.
In 1856, 1857, and 1858, he was chosen by an almost unanimous vote to represent Hillsborough in the legis- lature, where he, from the first, occu- pied the position of leader of his party. In each of these years he was a member of the judiciary committee, and in the last received his party's nomination for the speakership. At this time he acted with the democracy, and continued to do so until the war of the rebellion, when he felt that all loyal men should unite to save the
��union and maintain the national au- thority ; and having been nominated for councillor by the democracy of his district upon a peace at any price platform, he declined the position, and improved the opportunity to sever his connection with the party to whose doctrines he could not assent, and from that time he his been an ardent, active, reliable republican.
When the eleventh regiment was being recruited, he tendered his ser- vices to the governor of the state, and was assigned to duty as quartermaster on the staff of Col. Harriman.
In this capacity he served through the battles about Fredericks'.v.irg, the military operations in Kentucky, and the Mississippi river expeditions for about a )ear, when he was prostrated by the malaria of the southern swamps, and compelled to re-;igi and return to his home in Hillsborough. D.iring his absence in the field and da.- illness succeeding his return, his b.isinesshad drifted to other hands, and on recover- ing his health he decided to begin anew in a wider field, in Manchester, to which city he removed in 187 1, and formed a partnership with Hon. Henry H. Huse, wlvch still exists.
Manchester gave him a cordial welcome. Her mill opcraives and other mechanics gr.ee I him as an honored graduate uf their school, who in his after triumphs hid mver forgotten the hard road by which he had jour- neyed to success. Her lawyers and clients were well acquainted with his professional abilities. Her soldiers recognized him as an old companion in arms, and her politicans as an ear- nest republican who could and would be a tower of strength in every cam- paign. Under these circumstances he did not have to wait for business or political preferment. Soon ater open- ing his office he was appointed city solicitor, and in 1874 he was elected to the legislature from Ward 3. Two years later he was chosen senator from the Manchester district, and in the same year was elected to the Constitu- tional Convention. In all these posi-
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