Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-10-24
No. 43.

nc returned 10 tnlS CITY, having been entirely
successful in his mission abroad.
Meanwhile, the operations of the two Express
firms, and especially the services rendered by
them in the conveyance of news between New
York and Boston, had elected daily commenda-
tion from the newspapers ofthe two cities. The
effect was not only TO help them in public esti-
nation but to increase their emulation. Never
was there competition between two rival es-
tablishments carried on with more zeal, yet un-
objeclionably, than that between w. f. Harm
den & Compony and Adams & Company, dur
ing the FIST ten years of their history. The
principals themselves were, prr-eminently, men
Of action.
VIM. F. Harnden had not reached tha merid-
ian Of life. He was dapper little man, wide
awake, rcRtless, smart, brim-full of vitality and
thoroughly devoted to his business lie was a
native Of New England
His partner, Dexter Brigham, Jr., was young
man OF more than ordinary tact and enterprise
We well remember, that at the age of fifteen he
was more Of man" than many at twenty. He
was native Of Westboro, Massachusetts, Prior
to going into the Express business he had been
a civil engineer and a conductor upon railroad.
His education was good his temperament bold
and sanguine, and his ambition immense. While
serving as conluc or of the Boston and Wor-
cester Railroad passenger train, he was once
thrown from the train by an accident and aght-
| ing, head-foreniost, on a heap Of stones, was be-
lieved tn be fatally injured. II would have kill
ed any ordinary man, and Brigham, though he
recovered so as in after years to execute a world
of business, often suffered temporarily, from the
effects of that conclusion upon his brain.
| The members Of the competing firm were
still more remarkable for energy and zeal, if pos
sbc Than Harnden & Company. We believe
them tie have possessed more mature Judgment,
| also.
| Alvin Adams native Of the green hills
of Vermont lie had had considerable mercan-
tile experience in Boston, and had suffered as
much as any man from severe business disasters,
/ vet without having (whaI would have been to
him far more bitter than pecuniary mislortunes)
any mpuation upon his integrity.
There has been published, quite recently, a
biography of the late Boston millionaire, Amos
Lawrence, under the title 1--WE beieve) Of" The
Poor Boy and The Merchant Prince" with a
view to the en- engagement of youth TO do well,
and perseyere in well-doing. Mr.. Adams would
not thank us TO institute any comparison between
his humble career and the lives of the illustrious
brothers, Amos and Abbott Lawrence, nor shall
we attempt anything of the kind but neverthe-
| less, it is our opinion that biography of the
eminent pioneer expressman would hlly succeed
the little work above named, and be no less in
structive to the rising generation. We have
not space enough in this department Of the Bank
ors' Mdga-ine to do that biography Justice.
Suffice it for us to say, that Alvin Adams went
from the country, an orphan boy to seek his for
tune in Boston. Accustomed only 10 rural
scenes and pursuits, city sights filed him with
wonder As he rulged through Marlboro (now
Washington street, for tie first time, and, to
his unwonted eyes, the noise of the carts and
| ,b.,h hnstla ~ tro1a onpaarp1 almost
ing, little did he, with all his golden dreams, i'm
agine that he, himself, would at some future day
be the owner Of more wagons, and the proprie-
tor Of a larger and more important business up
on thai same thoroughfare, than any merchant
among them ALL
With such destiny in reserve for him, young
Adams, nevertheless, accepted the humblest EN-
plOyment He had "put up" at one of the best
OF the Boston hotels. The Lafayette Hotel"
| had none OF the sumptuOusness Of the grand mod
crn hotels; but neither in ancient nor modern
times has it had any superors as a travellers
rest Alvin liked it, and offered to work for his
board. This was arceded to, and an humble sit
uaon was given him. He discharged the duty
so we'll that he was sooh promoted and paid good
wages.
We have heard il said, by Mrs Carpenter, (the
housekeeper of that fashionable inn, at the time)
that she much pleased with the bright. in
genuous looks and agreeable manners of the lad,
when she first saw him and this prepossesson
was confirmed upon her becoming satisfied that
he was modest, truthful slaght forward and
well-reguiated. As he had neither father nor
mother to counsel him, Mrs c. often conversed
with him, and gave him excellent advice, which
he received in good part. He did not remain,
however, to make his fortune in the hotel. En-
dowel by nature with a large share of ambition
| .nl nd SfacnItrn for inu
friends, the Green Mountain boy advanced, year
after year. in experience, capacity aud position,
until at length he was ranked among the mer.
chants of Boston. His latest mercantile opera
tons were in country produce hut these, after
many successes, resulted d sastrously, and in
the prime of life he found himself not worth a
dollar in the world. He was too courageous
man to be kept down by that calamity and we
find him soon after embarking, with all the zeal
and hopetulness of his sanguine spirit, into com
petition with liarnden in the Express business
William b. Dinsmore, who, 10 1911, succeed
ed Farnswouli as Adams partner, had been, in
his younger days, a saddle and harness maker,
in Boston. He was Bostonian by birth. We
well remember admfing, quarter OF a century
ago, some elegant specimens of his handicraft
He never executed indilerently anything that
he undertook. lie was a "West-ender," and
when quite young man. the popular and eff
cient captain of Engine Company No. 6. In
those days, he was famous for his dry jokes and
nimtabe pleasantly. Our recollection of him
is radiant with Factions "reminiscences.
Too ambitious to adhere to his trade, after he
had become perfect master OF it, or not con-
tented with merely mechanical employment,
shortly after he had arrived at majority, he en-
tered the service of his brother-in-law, Mr. Bow.
ers) who was then largely engaged in the luln-
Der business and Eastern land operations Here
he proved as excellent hook keeper as he had
been saddle and harness maker.
We all know the ruin which befel the lumber
and land trade in Maine about that time. Thou
sands of merchants and others throughout New
England were involved in the bursting of that
bubble, AMI many who, i, was presumed, had be-
come wealthy, were rendered penniless. Thrown
out OF employment BY this means, Dinsmore went
to the South, and entered into some business OPP
erations upon his own account Returning to
New York in 1889 or 40 he became engaged
temporarily, with David Felt & Co., stationers !;
and subsequently, as has been shown, with Ad-
ans & Co. Here he found himself, at length,
in his element; and he became all the more pop
ular as an expressman, because in him we're
blended with uncommon executive ability, a
never-failing well of wit and good humor. In