Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-02-27
THE MEN OF VERMONT.
rs. ELIJAH PAINE.

/ tAJHl III uic cthutc VI thc SHitcu phatco,
was born at Brooklyn in the County Of
Windham and State of Connecticut, on
the 2lst day of January 1857. He grad
uated al Harvard College, Massachusetts,,
in 1881, in the same class with Hon. John
Darts. LID, for many years Judge of
the United States Courts for the District
Of Massachusetts,, and Hon. Samuel Der.
Ter, LID, United States Senator from
Massachusetts, and Secretary of the Ma
tional Department of War and the Treas,
ury. He continued TO reside at the Col
lege, as a Resident Graduate, for the three
succeeding years, during which time he
studied law with Benjamin Lincoln, Esq.
then lawyer at Cambridge.
A grant was made by Vermont of Will
Jamestown in Orange County, November
9th, 1880, and the Charter obtained on
the 9th day of August, 1881. Elijah
Paine, John Paine and some two or three
others commenced its first settlement in
June, 1884. He never, to any extent, en-
tered upon the duties of bis profession, but
turned his attention to agricultural pur-
suits The region about him being a
wilderness, he had the enlightened energy
at once, to commence its subjugation, and
to procure the necessary means for rem
dering it desirable region for the abode
of human society in its best condition.
The dense forest began to recede, and in
its place the banners of agriculture floated
in the passing breeze" One Of his first
enterprises, for the benefit of the public,
after his settlement in Wiliamstown, was
the construction of a turnpike road, which
run by his own door, to Montpelier. This
was built at cost of some ten thousand
dollars. Few men, at that day, and I'M
der the, then, condition of the country,
would have ever thought such a project
among the possibilities-much less have
done it. Everything considered, it was a
greater undertaking at that day, than it
would at the present time be to build a
Railroad to the Pacific.
I Mr.. Paine was "a farmer, road ma
ker, and more than that, an extensive
pioneer in the manufacture of American
cloths. For this purpose he constructed
an establishment at Mortified, costing for
ty thousand dollars 1t was based on
solid foundation, as he earned the money
to pay for it. He was a matter of fact
man-no financial schemer who devised
| splendid bubbles, ever liable to explode
and carry ruin to all within their reach.
His improvements in agriculture, conduct
ed on an analogous scale, were extensive
and yielded the best results"
He entered public life in 1856 and con-
tinued, actively, in the service of the pub
lie until April LIST 1912, only three weeks
prior to his death-a period of about ffty-
six years.
The first Council of Censors under the
Constitution of Vermont adopted July I'd
1777, which assembled at Norwich in June
1885 and closed their labors at Benning-
ton in February 1886, called Conven-
ton of delegates from the several towns
in the State, to meet at Manchester on
the last Thursday of June 1886, to con-
slider the various amendments to the Con-
stitution, proposed by the Council. This
was the first Constitutional Convention
held in Vermont tor the purpose of
amending the Constitution. Of this Con-
vention, Elijah Paine was elected mem
Der, and at its organization was elected
Secretary.
Williamstown was organized as town
on the 4th day of September 1887, and,
thus, becoming entitled to a representative,
Mr.. Paine was elected, and took his seat
at the annual session of the Legislature,
in October 1887. He was reelected in
1888, 1889 and 1890.
On the 18th day of October 1888, a
law was passed, by which it was enacted
that certain towns, therein named, " of
Orange County, be, and are hereby form
ed into one entire probate district, by the
name OF the District of Randolph" On
the 9Th day of October 1888, 1.-THE two
Houses of Legislature met in Committee
according to adjournment.
MIR. Elijah Paine was nominated and
appointed Judge of Probate for the Dis
trict of Randolph" He was reelected
in 1889 and 1890. Some years later, on
search being made for the records of that
Probate District, during his judgeship,
and not being able to find any, the en-
quiry was made of him, as to their where
abouts. He is said to have replied, THAT
as he did no business in that line, he had
kept no record of it, and that he found
that nobody died in those days"
The Legislature of New York on the
18th day of July 1889. passed an act zap
pointing Commissioners with power to
declare the consent OF the Legislature Of
the State of New York. that a certain ter.
ritory within the jurisdiction thereof
should be formed or erected into new
State" In response TO this action, the
Legislature of Vermont, on the 23d day
of October 1888, appointed Elijah Paine
and six others, Commissioners, with
full powers to them, or any four or more
| nj than, o., ,,,,ot ..,,,l