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��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��he became so successful, and which was most singularly adapted to the peculiar qualities of his mind. He read his profession at Exeter, with Messrs. Bell and Tuck, — two eminent lawyers, — until his admission to the bar in 1846, when he began its practice in New- market. Of his life as a young lawyer, and his struggles to gain a foot-hold in his profession, — of which every law- yer who begins poor knows well the meaning, — many of the solid men of Newmarket to-day, who were his old- time friends and associates, well re- member. Like every young poor but pushing man, he had his opponents, who, as a class, are only too ready to trample beneath their feet noble aspi- rations, and withhold merited reward. But William B. Small was not a man to be plowed under. Though poor and unaided, he gained the confidence of clients and the respect of the com- munity, by fair and upright dealings evinced determination to succeed, until he was above the average lawyer, when he did not lack for friends. At the time when most needed the world withholds its aid. It yields only when compelled to. In his office early and late he was to be found, working far into the night upon his cases, always bringing to every subject his best efforts and presenting it to the court with that care and preparation which would obtain a favorable verdict if possible to be obtained.
While it is only by hard labor that success is attained in any calling, it is doubly true in that of the law. It is not success simply to live by any vo- cation, but to reach an eminence above the average of its followers, — in short, to be an artist at his work. He devo- ted his whole attention to the study and work of his profession, and kept his hands clean from the soil of dis- honor. Generous and charitable, he assisted every young man within his reach, needing aid, who would assist himself; but he could not tolerate in- dolence in any form. Rising step by step he reached that place in the ranks of his profession where he could
��command tribute, shunning the sharp practices and pettifoggery that too often stamps the village lawyer as a " land-shark." Working long and pa- tiently, he won distinctions and honors of which any man might well be proud. For over thirty years he enjoyed un- interrupted prosperity in the practice of his profession, never deviating from the cardinal principles of rectitude and honor so deeply rooted dining his early struggles for independent and successful manhood.
His professional life held up the model lawyer, not as a commodity to be purchased at the highest bid, but as the officer of justice and right, the defender of the oppressed, and the ad- vocate of truth, interested always to advance the cause of all true reform, and promote the peace, good order, and prosperity of the community. The name of such a man lives many generations after he is gone.
Mr. Small was a liberal and promi- nent supporter and constant attendant of the Congregational Church in New- market, to which he was devotedly at- tached, though not a member of any church organization. He was a stal- wart friend to all enterprises tending to uplift the common people and bet- ter their condition. By them he was raised to the position of power, — a fact which he did not forget. He was an ardent supporter of the cause of pop- ular education, for he knew well its value. He was a member of the edu- cational board of his town for many years, and secured the enactment by the Legislature of a law granting to School District No. 1, in the town of Newmarket, the privilege of independ- ent action in the election of its officers, to the great advantage of its schools. Later, he was one of the foremost lead- ers in bringing into operation the grad- ed system in the public schools, by which such satisfactory results have since been attained, and the establish- ment of the Newmarket High School, — objects of pride to the intelligent and patriotic people of the town.
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