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Jolin P. Palmer, of Svvampscott, a leading citizen of that 

 town, having served for many years as Chairman of the 

 Board of Selectmen, also, on the School Committee, was a 

 prominent member of this Society, and for many years 

 chosen a trustee, being a member of the Board of Trustees 

 at the time of liis death. He owned and managed a large 

 farm in Swampscott, and was constant in his attendance at 

 all of the meetings of the Board of Trustees, as well as 

 those of this Society; always ready and prompt in attending 

 to all of the duties assigned him. At the time of his de- 

 cease he was President of the Swampscott and Marblehead 

 Farmers' Club, which he organized two years before, and 

 much of the success of the club was due to his constant 

 care for its best interests. 



He was a genial man, social in his nature, as well as one 

 of the most determined and persistent of men, in gaining 

 any object, which seemed right to him. No obstacle ap- 

 peared insurmountable to his indomitable courage. The 

 farmers of Essex are indebted to his persistent efforts in 

 making Salem Turnpike and Beverly Bridge free of tolls ; 

 and, in consequence, every other toll bridge and turnpike 

 in the State. He experienced what appeared to him a 

 hardship and injustice, l)y the tolls exacted in teaming his 

 farm produce to Boston market, and decided they ought to 

 be abolished, and he worked upon public opinion and the 

 legislature until it was done. To be confronted by the 

 "perpetual charter," granted to those corporations (as they 

 claimed), was nothing to him. He proved to them that 

 whenever a charter granted to a corporation, ceased to be 

 a benefit to the people, the same power that granted it had 

 the power to revoke it, which may serve a profitable hint to 

 other corporations. 



The same persistant effort which he made in behalf of 

 other important public enterprises resulted in the same suc- 

 cess, and we are happy to place on record an acknowledg- 



