lofty summits between which flows the Androscoggin River with its many tribu taries. Nature there is on a grand scale. It required hardy and brave pioneers and settlers to subdue the unbroken forests and convert into rich intervales the dense and tangled undergrowth where now rich mead ows make the homes of their thrifty dwel lers. It is the birthplace of strong and independent men, — the Grovers, Kimballs, Twitchells and Chapmans, who have be come prominent as soldiers, teachers, legis lators, physicians, lawyers, and merchants. Cuvier Grover was a most reliable brigadiergeneral in the Army of the Potomac and division commander under Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley; Lafayette, the first rep resentative in Congress and then senator from Oregon; and Talleyrand, a distinguished professor in Delaware. The Twitchells were also soldiers. Two of them, A. S. and Major A. B. Twitchell, served with credit in the Seventh Maine Battery. The Kimballs and Chapmans were also soldiers and mer chants. Robert A. Chapman, of Bethel, was distinguished for his standing as a mer chant and business man, — qualities in herited by his descendants, — and for his fine address and impressive manners. When the farmer's boy had outgrown the common school, he went to Gould's Acad emy in the adjoining town of Bethel, where, under the tuition of Prof. N. T. True, an inspiring teacher and remembered for his memoriter instruction in Latin and Greek, he fitted for college. He made rapid prog ress, for he was a good scholar, and taught in the public schools. He entered Bowdoin College in 1860, having as class-mates who have attained distinction in the law,— Frederick H. Appleton of Bangor, James McKeen of the New York Bar, Charles F. Libby of Portland, and Joseph Bennett of the Boston Bar. Prof. Chas. Jewett of Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y., and John C. Harkness, President of Dela ware State Normal University, were mem
bers of his class and distinguished men. His class, which was graduated in 1864 with thirty-three members, furnished seventeen for the military service in the civil war of the rebellion, among them Lieut. Foster, who was mustered December 13, 1861, into Co. H of the 13th Maine Regiment of Infantry, as second lieutenant. This regiment be came a part of General Butler's command in taking New Orleans, and served in the Department of the Gulf. He was promoted first lieutenant, and also served as provostmarshal under General Banks. Upon his own application he was relieved from the latter position in order to take part in the Red River campaign. When he returned from the war, he be gan the study of the law in the office of Hon. Reuben Foster, in Waterville, Kenne bec County, and completed his course of study at the Albany Law School, where he took his degree, and began practice in 1865 at Bethel. His position at the bar was sure and solid. His ability and reliability were soon recog nized, for in 1867 he was elected county attorney for three years, after which he was re-elected and continued in that office until he took his seat in the Maine Senate in January, 1874. He was re-elected to the Senate the following year, after which he devoted himself to his profession until March 24, 1884, when he was first appoint ed Associate Justice of the Supreme Judi cial Court, succeeding Hon. W. G. Barrows, who declined a reappointment. In the Senate he was chairman of the committee on legal affairs, and advocated, among other measures, a change in the system of taxation of railroads and telegraph com panies. During the ten years of practice before his promotion to the bench, he had a good ly clientage, and he appeared upon one side or the other of nearly all the important cases in his county. His success at the bar depended on strong and not showy quali-
