USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 22
USA > Vermont > Essex County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 22
USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 22
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CHASE, CHARLES M., editor and proprietor of the Vermont Union, (published at Lyndon) from its first issue in February, 1865, died at his home in Lyndon, November 1, 1902. Mr. Chase was born in Lyndon, No- vember 6, 1829, his father being General Epaphras B. Chase, and his- mother, before marriage, Louisa Baldwin of Bradford. Mr. Chase attended the old Caledonia County grammar school of Lyndon, the St. Johnsbury academy, and the Kimball Union academy at Meri- den, New Hampshire, going from the latter place to Dartmouth col- lege, graduating in the class of 1853. He was an active man in college life. During three of the four years he was president of his class.
Mr. Chase was married June 15, 1864, to Mary E. Wells of Sycamore. Illinois. Seven children were born to them, of whom five are now liv- ing: Everett B., John B., George 1., Jennie W., and Nellie L.
The following sketch of his life is from the "Dartmouth College Sketches and History of the Class of 1853," by Moses T. Runnells, class secretary, published in 1895:
"From the fall of 1853 till the spring of 1856 (except the summer
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of 1854, which he spent in Madison, Wisconsin), he was in Cincinnati, Ohio, teaching music in the city, and at Farmer's college, and the Ohio Female college, five miles out. Also read law with President Allen of Farmer's college, and passed one summer with his uncle, Alphonso Wood, A. M. [D. C., 1834] studying botany. Next removed to Sycamore, Illinois, still teaching music and reading law. In 1857
CHARLES M. CHASE.
was admitted to the bar, and in 1858 entered into partnership with Jacob A. Simons, Esq. [Simons & Chase], continuing until 1862. Was police magistrate in Sycamore from 1858 to 1862; edited the DeKalb County Sentinel during the year 1858; was the leader of a band at Sycamore for several years, and took the same into the Thirteenth Illinois infantry, en- listing for three years, but was dis- charged after three months' service,
under General Fremont's order re- ducing the number of bands in that department. Was Kansas corre- spondent of the Sycamore True Re- publican and Sentinel during the summer and fall of 1863. During his residence at Leavenworth he was employed by Governor Tom Carney as city editor of the Leavenworth Daily Times; had charge of the City Musical association, embracing most of its prominent singers; taught music in the churches; had charge of the largest choir in the city, and was for a time teacher in Leaven- worth college. In June, 1864, re- turning to Lyndon on a visit, he prolonged his stay till February 10. 1865, when he issued, as editor and publisher, the first number of the Termont Union, a weekly newspaper which he has continued at Lyndon for nearly thirty years without inter- ruption. The Union, it is claimed. was the first paper in the United States which adopted the practice of giving localities, within the scope of its circulation, special heads of their own, or of grouping all items con- cerning a town or village under its own name.
"Was Democratic candidate for representative to congress, from the Second Vermont district, in 1866, and again in 1868; also delegate to the Democratic national convention at St. Louis, in 1876. Was admit- ted to the Caledonia county bar in 1866: was for a time notary public, and twenty years justice of the peace.
"He is a liberal supporter of the Congregational church and society at Lyndon, and in 1869 began to labor for the establishment of a first- class graded school, to take the place of the old Lyndon academy, estab-
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lished in 1831. As the result, a new school building was erected, at a cost of $13,000; the old school dis- trict was enlarged and incorporated. For fourteen years he was president of the school board of six members.
"For many years has been in the habit of making annual trips to dis- tant states, and by his correspond- ence has given the Union some- thing more than a local reputation."
Mr. Chase was a member of Cres- cent lodge, No. 66, F. & A. M .. of Lyndonville, Haswell chapter, of St. Johnsbury, and Farnsworth post, G. A. R. of Lyndonville. Since 1880 he had been a director in the National bank of Lyndon, which was estab- lished as a state bank in 1855, his father being the principal factor in its organization and holding the po- sition of president until his death in 1867. Mr. Chase was one of the organizers of the Citizens' Savings Bank and Trust company of St. Johnsbury, was its first vice-presi- dent, and succeeded J. G. Hovey as president, serving in that position several years and then resigning.
As a musician he had remarkable ability. He composed and had pub- lished numerous church hymns and also "The Vermont Union Polka," "Girl Baby Polka," and "The Ver- mont Union Waltz."
John B. Chase, who succeeds his father as editor of the Vermont Union. was born September 24, 1872. He graduated from the Lyndon academy and graded schools in 1890, and from St. Johnsbury academy in 1891. After several years of service in the Union office he worked two years as associate editor of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian, three years in the same position on the Bradford Opinion, and also, a shorter time, on
the Bristol News, and the Windham County Observer of Putnam, Con- necticut.
GLEASON, JOSEPH THOMAS, of Lyndonville, was born in Lunen- burg, Vermont, June 18, 1844. He is a lineal descendant, in the eighth generation, from John Howe, the immigrant who settled at Sudbury, Massachusetts, and was one of the petitioners, in 1657, for a grant of the town of Marlboro, Massachu- setts. Howe was a descendant of John Howe, Esq., of Warwickshire, England, and a near kinsman of Sir Charles Howe of Lancaster, Eng- land, who flourished during the reign of Charles the First. Joseph Gleason, the paternal great-grand- father of Judge Gleason, served in the Revolutionary war. He died in 1805, aged seventy-eight years.
His son, Joseph Gleason, born January 2, 1774, married September 11, 1800, Abigail Howe, and died in 1844. He was one of the pioneer settlers in Lunenburg, and served as deacon of the Congregational church many years. His son, George, spent most of his life in Lunenburg, was one of the solid men of the town, captain of a company of mili- tia. deacon in the Baptist church, and married Sabrina W. Thomas, a relative of General Stephen Thom- as, and granddaughter of Joseph Thomas, a lieutenant in the Revolu- tionary war. Deacon Gleason died May 26, 1895, aged eighty-five years.
Judge Gleason received but lim- ited educational advantages in his youth, but being of a studious dis- position and a great reader he ac- quired a large fund of practical knowledge. In December, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Eighth Vermont Volunteers, but was re-
16
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jected by reason of his youth. In August, 1862, he entered the service in Company E, Fifteenth Vermont, and took up his march for "Dixie." At one time being ordered to the hospital on account of illness, he re- fused to go and marched with his
study of law in the office of J. P. Lamson, Esq., of Cabot. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar, entered partnership with O. F. Harvey at West Concord, and remained nntil 1828, when he came to Lyndonville, being the first lawyer in this village.
JOSEPH T. GLEASON.
regiment to Gettysburg, serving with honor until discharged at the expiration of his term of enlistment. During his army life he contracted disabilities from which he never re- covered fully. On his discharge he returned to the farm and remained until about 1874, when he began the
He has built up a large and lucrative practice, steadily increasing from year to year, and has the reputation of so advising his clients as to pre- vent lawsuits.
His integrity and ability was re- cognized by the county in 1888, when he was elected assistant judge
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of the county court, which position he filled with credit. Judge Gleason is a staunch Republican, has been chairman of town committee twelve years and of the county committee four years, and has held many of the principal offices in town. le is vice- president of the National bank of Lyndon, a member of Crescent lodge, No. 66, Free and Accepted Masons, of Lyndonville, and of Pal- estine commandery, Knights Tem- plar, Caledonia council, and Haswell Royal Arch chapter of St. Johns- bury. He has served two terms as grand patron of the grand chapter, Order of the Eastern Star of Ver- mont, and is also a member of Farnsworth post, G. A. R., of Lyn- donville, of which he has been ad- jutant and commander. Since com- ing to Lyndonville the judge has been a leading spirit in the inaugu- ration of the many improvements which have contributed so largely to the growth and prosperity of this model village. In 1880 he drew up the charter for the incorporation of the village. In 1894 he drew up an amendment to the charter which provided for a water system. In 1896 he drew the second amend- ment, having for its object the elec- trie plant. In all of these he met with much opposition from some of the conservative element, but sue- ceeded in getting them all embodied in law by the legislature of Ver- mont.
On the return of Judge Gleason from Montpelier after his success with his second amendment he was met at the railroad station by a large crowd of people, headed by a brass band, and given an ovation long to be remembered. In all these mat- ters the results have demonstrated
the wisdom of his action. In theol- ogy he is Congregational.
On September 9, 1884, he married Mary S. Aldrich, daughter of Ros- well and Laodicea (Holbrook) Ald- rich. They have one daughter, Louise M. Roswell Aldrich, the father of Mrs. Gleason, was born at Lebanon, New Hampshire, Decem- ber 16, 1800. January 25, 1825, he married Laodicea Holbrook of Wa- terford. He died at Guildhall, June 1, 1895.
Judge Gleason serves as an illus- tration of American possibilities. Coming out of the war without a dollar and broken in health he achieved success by his own inherent qualities.
WEBSTER, JOHN P., the subject of this sketch, was born in Fairfax, Vermont, August 8, 1844. The Webster family came to America from Wales. James, the great- grandfather of John P., lived in Connectient. His son, Alanson, was born in that state, March 6, 1287, and when a young man, in company with his sister, came, on horseback, from Connecticut to Sheldon, Vermont, where he was married and settled in life, but after- wards moved to Fairfax. Alonzo A., the son of Alanson and the father of John P., was born at Sheldon, Jan- uary 15, 1817, and moved with his father to Fairfax. He married So- phronia Purmont of Georgia, Ver- mont. In 1850 the family moved to Illinois. After two years they came back and bought a farm in Lowell, Vermont, lived there four years, then in Troy three years, then in Irasburg eight years. They had four children, two boys and two girls. Mrs. Webster died at Sutton in 1889, and Mr. Webster died at
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Lyndon in 1896. John P., the old- est boy, was educated at the common schools, with one term at the North Troy academy. He followed farm- ing until 1868, when he went to Dorchester, Massachusetts, to work for Thomas Payson on a stone quarry and in a store for five years, then worked in a store in Somer- ville three years, then by reason of failing health went to Colorado and stopped on Dr. Sanborn's ranch for a few months, then went to Minne-
JOHN P. WEBSTER.
sota for four years, teaching school in winter and working on farms in summer. In 1880 he came to Lyn- donville and operated a store for sev- eral years, was constable and collec- tor from 1888 to 1897. On October 8, 1897, he was appointed postmas- ter by President Mckinley and has held the position ever since, having been reappointed on January 4, 1902, by President Roosevelt. When in Dorchester Mr. Webster became a
member of the Odd Fellows, which connection he still retains. He is also a member of Crescent lodge of F. & A. M. In politics Mr. Webster is a "straight" Republican.
On July 27, 1880, he was mar- ried to Clementine Foss, daughter of Seldon Foss, of Barton, Ver- mont. One child was born to them, which died in infancy.
KIMBALL, REV. JOHN, of Lyn- donville, was born in Hiram, Maine, March 4, 1859. His grandfather was one of the early settlers of the town, coming there from Rochester, New Hampshire. He was educated in the common and high schools of his native town and St. Lawrence university, Canton, New York. He taught several terms of school. He graduated from the divinity school at Canton, New York, in 1883.
At school he was interested in de- bating and was one of the debating team of his school for two years in the intercollegiate debates. He preached his first summer vacation at Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and the next summer vacation at Yarmouth, Maine. He first settled at Turner Center, Maine, over one of the oldest churches in the denomination. He stayed here three years, and then for one year took the mission churches at North Anson, North and West New Portland, Maine. From here he went to Boston to attend special lectures and take lessons for six monthis at Professor Curry's school of elocution. His next settlement was at Bethel, Vermont. While here he preached at Gaysville and Stockbridge. During this period he was married to Miss Olive M. Bul- loek of Mardin, Pennsylvania. The next settlement was Orono, Maine. Mr. Kimball was compelled by ill
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health to resign this pleasant pas- torate at the end of the year.
About a year later he accepted a call back to his first parislı, Turner Center, where he stayed ten years. During this time the church grew in numbers and influence; over seventy members united with the church and over fifty children were chris- tened. Mr. Kimball took great in- terest in the affairs of the town and especially the school interests. He was a member of the school commit-
REV. JOHN KIMBALL.
tee, and for two years superinten- dent of schools for the town. Ile also served as a member of the build- ing committee in erecting a beauti- ful high schoolhouse. lle resigned from here in the fall of 1899 to ac- cept a call to the city of Titusville, Pennsylvania. He went without see-
ing the place or people, and in the fall of 1901 he accepted a call to Lyndonville, Vermont.
VAIL, THEODORE NEWTON .* born in Ohio, belongs to the Morris county family of Vails in New Jer- sey. descendants of John Vail, a Quaker preacher, who settled in New Jersey in 1:10. The family has always been one of position and influence. Lewis Vail, civil engi- neer, grandfather of Theodore N. Vail, early went to Ohio and was a pioneer in the building of canals and highways. Stephen Vail, an uncle, founded the Speedwell Iron Works, near Morristown, New Jer- sey, at which was built most of the machinery for the first steamship which crossed the Atlantic ocean, sailing from Savannah, Georgia. Here, also, Morse perfected and first successfully operated the magnetic telegraph, Stephen Vailand his sons, George and Alfred, supplying Morse with the money, and AAlfred the me- chanical ingenuity. Alfred Vail in- vented the dot and dash alphabet, which has always been used in tele- graphing. William P. Vail of this family was a leading physician and church worker in northern New Jersey at Blairstown, and George Vail represented his section in con- gress, and was one of the lay judges of the New Jersey court of pardons.
Davis Vail, son of Lewis Vail, and father of the subject of this biog- raphy, born in Ohio, came East at an early age, was connected with the Speedwell Iron Works, and married Phoebe Quinby, daughter of Judge Isaac Quinby of Mor- ris county. By this marriage,
* The foregoing sketch of Mr. Vail is taken from "America's Successful Men of Affairs," an encyclopedia of contemporaneous history published by the New York Tribune, 1895.
THEODORE N. VAIL.
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he became related to three notable brothers-in-law, General Qninby, a graduate of West Point, a leading mathematician, professor of mathe- matics at the Rochester university, and general in the Civil war; Dr. William Quinby; and Dr. Augustus Quinby, all sons of Judge Isaac Quinby. After marriage, Davis Vail went to Ohio, remaining there several years. His son, Theodore, was born during the stay of the family in that part of the country. When the lad was about four years old, Davis Vail returned to the East and was again connected with the Speedwell Iron Works. In 1866 he removed to lowa, where he operated a large farm.
Theodore N. Vail was educated in the old academy in Morristown, and then studied medicine with his uncle, Dr. William Quinby, but, having learned telegraphy at the telegraph office in Head- ly's drug store in Morristown, he left medicine and went to New York, where he became man- ager of a local office, being after- ward attached to the staff of J. C. Hinchman, then general superin- tendent of the metropolitan and eastern divisions of the United States Telegraph Company. He went West with his father in 1866, and engaged in farming, but in the fall of 1868, went yet farther West and was made operator and af- terward agent at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, on the Union Pa- cific railroad. Pine Bluffs was at that time the principal supply point for wood for the Union Pacific, which had not then been completed.
In the spring of 1869, Mr. Vail received an appointment as clerk in the railway mail service between
Omaha and Ogden, and in August, 1869, he married Miss Emma Righter, of Newark, New Jersey. He devoted himself with great dili- gence to the improvement of the railway mail service, then in its in- fancy, and his good work in perfect- ing charts for the distribution of the mails, and especially his services in forwarding the mails during the long snow blockade of 1870, called the attention of the department to him, with the result that he was as- signed to duty between Chicago and lowa City in the railway post-office. On this line, the entire distribution of overland mails was made prior to the establishment of railway post- office cars on the Union Pacific railroad. When the railway post- office was established on the Union Pacific, Mr. Vail was assigned to duty as head clerk.
In March, 1873, the department called Mr. Vail to Washington and assigned him to duty in the office of the general superintendent of rail- way mail service, where he was charged with special oversight of distribution of the mails and ar- rangement of "schemes" or charts of distribution. During this period, the questions of the compensations of railroads and carriage of mer- chandise in the mails were being agitated in congress, and the depart- ment placed upon Mr. Vail the re- sponsibility of preparing the post- office statements, statistics, and answers to congressional inquiries. His intimate knowledge of the ser- vice, energy, and capacity were re- cognized in June, 18:4, by his ap- pointment as assistant superintend- ent of railway mail service. In 1875 he was assigned to duty as assistant general superintend-
VIEW OF RESIDENCE FROM NORTH LAWN.
=
THE NORTH LAWN.
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ent, and when, in February, 1876, Mr. Bangs resigned to go into other business, Mr. Vail was appointed general superintendent. He had thus reached the highest grade in this branch of the federal employ- ment. Mr. Vail was the youngest of the officers of the railway mail service, both in years and in terms of service, and when the final ap- pointment was handed to him by Marshall Jewell, postmaster-general, the latter said that his only objec- tion to Mr. Vail was his youth.
As general superintendent, Mr. Vail established upon a firm basis the civil service policy, which had been initiated by Mr. Bangs. The superiority of the results attained under the rules adopted for the rail- way mail service were recognized by all the civil service commissions in Washington, to the extent that until very recently the employés of the railway post-offices were not in- cluded in the general civil service laws and regulations. Mr. Vail es- tablished the system of six months' probationary appointments which have since been so generally adopted. It was during the incum- bency of Mr. Vail that a reduction took place in the pay of the rail- roads for mail transportation. In the controversy which followed, some of the railroads threw the postal cars out of their trains. Within six months, however, rela- tions were reestablished with all the leading lines and increased car and train service obtained. Thereafter, more cordial relations existed be- tween the post-office department and the railroad managers.
An incident of this time may be referred to. Senator Beck, of Ken-
tueky, was much interested in hav- ing the southwestern mails go over Kentucky routes, and made many efforts to induce the postmaster-gen- eral to order them so sent. Being referred by the head of the depart- ment to Mr. Vail, Mr. Beck accused Mr. Vail of being under the influ- ence of certain railroads. In an in- terview with Mr. Beck, Mr. Vail ex- plained the situation and gave the reasons which governed him. Mr. Beck left, apparently not satisfied. Soon after, however, when a propo- sition to reduce Mr. Vail's pay was pending in the senate, Senator Beck took occasion to compliment Mr. Vail very highly, and in a five min- ute speech, said that if there were an honest and efficient officer in the employment of the government, Mr. Vail was the man.
After the invention of the tele- phone and its reduction to practice, the American Bell Telephone Com- pany was organized by Gardiner G. Hubbard, father-in-law of Prof. Alexander G. Bell. Mr. Hubbard had been engaged against the post- office department before congress on the question of merchandise in the mails and was chairman of the commission appointed by congress to investigate the methods of pay- ment to railroads for mail trans- portation. Believing Mr. Vail to be the right man for the place, he tendered him the position of general manager of the American Bell Tele- phone Company. Believing in the future of the "toy," as it was then termed, and against the protest of all his friends, he accepted the posi- tion in 1818 and devoted himself to the work with his accustomed zeal and ability. The task was at times discouraging. The public were slow
THE RESIDENCE, WITH ITS EXTENSIVE LAWNS, IS ON THE BIGELOW FARM.
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THE FARM, WITH ITS BUILDINGS, IS ON THE OLD FLETCHER-SANBORN FARM.
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
to recognize the great value of the instrument, and strong opposition was manifested by the Western Union Telegraph Company, which denied that Professor Bell was the inventor, and set up opposition ex- changes at every point. Mr. Vail introduced the methods which have proved so successful and have re- sulted in the American Bell Tele- phone Company's phenomenal growth. A settlement was finally effected with the Western Union Telegraph Company, after years of fighting and negotiating, in which the Western Union conceded every point of importance.
Mr. Vail established the long dis- tance telephone service, against the opposition of all his associates in the company. The first line which was built to New York was called "Vail's sideshow." He also introduced the use of copper wire in telephone and telegraph lines, since so generally adopted, having in this matter the assistance of Mr. Mason of Bridge- port, whom he induced to experi- ment with drawing copper wire in such a way as to give it the tensile strength necessary to withstand the stretching from pole to pole.
In 1888 Mr. Vail retired from the telephone business, after having occupied the managing position for ten years. He has since traveled most of the time abroad and has in- troduced the telephone in many countries. Farming in Vermont now occupies a part of his time, and upon his estate of 1,500 acres, called the "Speedwell Farms," he raises French coach horses, including some of the finest in the United States, Jersey cattle, Shropshire and Dorsett horned sheep, and Welsh ponies. He is a member of the
Union League, New York, and Ath- letic clubs of New York and the Union club of Boston. He has one son, Davis Vail, a graduate of Harvard college and law school in Cambridge, and a prominent ath- lete.
SPEEDWELL FARMS, the resi- dence of Theodore N. Vail. The farms include nearly the whole of Speedwell hill-sometimes called Vail hill-and are made up of the farms originally settled or subse- quently occupied by Pierce, Car- penter, Smith, Sanborn, Fletcher, Bigelow, Parks, and others, all prominent and well-known citizens. It also includes the "Hall" meadow, just north of the road connecting Lyndon Center and Lyndonville.
When Lyndon was settled, the valleys were avoided, the settlements and the roads all keeping to the hills. The road over this hill, pass- ing through Speedwell Farms, was the original county road, and one of the first stage roads through Lyn- don,-the "teaming" route for all freight between the North and the South.
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