, ▁and ▁President ial ▁Commission er ▁to ▁Sam oa ▁ ▁Ide ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Bar net , ▁Verm ont ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 4 4 , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁Jacob ▁and ▁L odo iska ▁( K n ights ) ▁Ide . ▁ ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁D art mouth ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁v aled ict or ian . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁law , ▁first ▁with ▁Benjamin ▁H . ▁Ste ele , ▁and ▁later ▁with ▁Jonathan ▁Ross , ▁and ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁bar ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁He ▁pract iced ▁law ▁in ▁St . ▁Joh ns bury , ▁Verm ont ▁from ▁until ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁partner ▁of ▁Wend ell ▁Phill ips ▁Staff ord . ▁Among ▁the ▁pros pective ▁att or ne ys ▁who ▁studied ▁law ▁in ▁their ▁office ▁was ▁William ▁H . ▁Taylor , ▁who ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁Verm ont ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁ ▁A ▁Republican , ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁Ide ▁was ▁State ' s ▁Att orney ▁for ▁C aled onia ▁County . ▁From ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Verm ont ▁State ▁Senate . ▁ ▁President ▁Benjamin ▁Harrison ▁appointed ▁Ide ▁President ial ▁Commission er ▁to ▁Sam oa ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁The ▁formal ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁post ▁was ▁American ▁Land