The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-12-22
For the Register
lIceri phlcpl sketch of Jtme- Oti,
walker ESQ.


| Walker, the fourth of SIX Sons Of Gideon
and Rachel Walker was born in Rutland
Ncnont, the 9th Of August 177S His
father is said to have been Il man of great
energy Of character and powers of endu-
rance. His mother was "A woman of large
natural endowments, and indomitable en-
ergy and frmness. OF his mother the
subject thus wrete in recording "Remin-
essences of Early Life My mother was
a pious woman, peace be to her ashes hor
family government was good never
knew better. His parents were Wings Of
'76 and made large sacrifices, both pc
cuniary and personal for the achievement
of their country's in dependence, his father
being Committee of safety in the town
where he resided, and also served for
time in the Revolution.
They removed from Coventry r. l., to
Clarendon VT, then wilderness, in 1776,
year or two after to Rutland, where
james q was born. In 1884 they re-
moved to Whiting, being among the first
settleIs of the place There his fathor
died, Nov. I'd 1898, in his sgd wear,
leaving six sons and one daughter, our
subject then being in his fifteenth year.
His fathers patrimony was divided among
the family. and he chose to put himself in
early possession of his share, which con-
sisted of some $50 acres of land on which
place, with additional land afterwards pur-
chased he continued to live till 1910.
His early educational advantages were
very limited, though as good as could be
obtained in the pioneer life of the then,
almost wilderness State. We again quote
from his " Early Reminesences"-w
as pastime during the last year or two
of his life, when memory wildly recalled
the events of long ago-a sketch of his
school life. He says: The first school
there ever was in the town of Whiting
was one Of four weeks, taught by a woman
in the winter Of l7e9-the winter before
| was eleven years old Father said that
| night go to school when the fax was
got out-he had a good crop, and three
of us by hard work got ont between two
and three hundred pounds, so as to 90 to
school three weeks, the first that | ever
attended After that used to get pine
knot to make light, and lie in the corner
in the evening and read, and occasionally
went to school three or four weeks at a
time, till the winter before ! was sixteen,
when | went to Shoreham and taught
school for four. dollars per month. I
taught only reading and writing, Gram
mar and Arithmetic were then thought to
be all nonsense
At the age of nineteen the subject of
our sketch was married to Miss Mary
Olin' sister of the late Gov. Henry Olin,
who died Feb. 1906, leaving him one son,
who died eight years after, at the early
age of fourteen. For second wife he
married Miss Eunice Marsh of Clarendon.
who with their three children survive him.
In the year $500 he erected dwelling
house upon his estate, and the next year
opened a public house, which he and his
sons continued to keep, with the intermis.
sion of three years, till 1889. For that
pursuit hc was emiDently filled, his house
being one for the time of great celebrity
He took very efficient part in the i'm.
provement of roads, and was the princi.
pal agent in town in opening a mail route
from Troy to Middebury and Of procuring
the establishment Of Post Office in town
The first line of stages was a two horse
hack, which run from Troy 10 Middlcbury
once a week. lie lived to see the tim,
when we had twelve mails per week. Ii
society he was leading man, and hi
Public spirit was proverbial. Was ther,
house of worship to be erected or re
| paired,--a preacher of the Gospel to be
hired d-any educational or benevolent OBJ
ject to be effected. his purse, and has in
fuence went hand in hand till the obiec
was accomplished. Indeed, it was his in
domitable energy that contributed largel
to the erection and completion of hous
of Worship, of which he was one of til
building Committee, and finally the cor
, tracter
He was appointed civil Magistrate, an
entered upen the duties of his Office De-
1909, which office he continued to hol
till he left the place, in lS40. Durin
this time he transacted large share
: the public business of the town, while h
judgment. and counsel was much resorte
to, administrator, srbitrer, and like Sc
vices Of public and private trust. As