Today in Johnson City History, Saturday, October 25, 2025

John Adams writes in his diary and news from The Comet

Wednesday, October 25, 1775: Two hundred and fifty years ago today, John Adams wrote the following in his diary; as usual the original punctuations and spellings have been preserved.

Octr. 25th. 1775. Wednesday.

“Mr. Duane told me at the Funeral of our late virtuous and able President that he, Mr. Duane, had accustomed him self to read the Year Books. Mr. De Lancey who was C[hief] J[ustice] of N. York he said advised him to it, as the best Method of imbibing the Spirit of the Law. De Lancey told him that he had translated a Pile of Cases from the Year Books, altho he was a very lazy Man.