Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-04-26
Obituary.

Died at his residence IN Montpelier, Of panly.
,i', on The evening Of the 18Th inst, TuoNA,
REED, in the seventy second year Of bis age.
Mr.. REED was born at Hampstead, ~ H.,
March 29lb, 1908. lie was son Of Captain
THOMAS REED, and came pith hi. father 10
Montpelier, in 1904, where he resided until his
dec ase. He was by profession a lawyer and 4
bis dscease the olde. attorney in the court in this
County though for many years prior to the first
stroke Of hi, disea,e,-Which occurred about five
years since, and from which be never nllied-hs
had not been an active practitioner al the hir.
For the last twenty years, hs active labor has
boen mainly as farmer, pursuit in shich he
took much delight, aod which he thoroughly M.
derstood, as indeed he understood everything
which be undertook to do During the last five
yesrs he has been IN invalid and for three years
has been withdrawn from ell business, the slow
progress Of his disease wasting his vital forces, and
undermnnga naturally strong nd vigorous consl
tuition until Monday, the lSh inst., when another
shock Of paralysis rendered him unconscious, and
be remained in that state until he quie:y passed
away, at ten o'clock, last Tuesday evening.
Mr. REED was so well known by the octiye
men of his day in the State, that he need, no
eulogy at the hands of any one yet it /, due 10
the living Il no, to him, that some mention be
made Of the man, who for more than forty years
has been one OF the leading and Influential cit.
zsns of our town.
His early life was, N many respects, a severe
struggle with adverse Circumstances and inAa-
ence', and as he held himself not at all obliged to
fortune, or luck or tac favor OF any one, for the
success which he achieved, it is not strange that
be should have become austere, almost clmbiliys
in hi, manner. lie despised all shams, pre,ences,
and hypocrisy, aud exposed them with whitening
scorn. Humbugs stood no chance under the Sc.
we're scrutiny Of his eye, and the sharp arrows of
hi, searching interrogation. Aud il was because
OF this penetrating vision that he became a sue.
cessiul man 10 his business. His saga1ity was
returning with profit. lie sxacttd of other,
what he was always ready to yield to them, equal
and exact justice. No deserving charity no wor.
thy enterprise ever sought his aid in vain, and
many hearts have been warmed by unobtrusive
gifts from his hand, for which he not only never
sought, but would not patiently listen to, thanks.
And Mr.. REED possessed much more than an
ordinary mind. lie had large aud clpacious in.
tellecl an understanding Of great comprehensive
ness and grasp. His mind was as stalwart and
vigorous as his body, and he never allowed either
to become eneryated by idleness, His reading
was varied and thorough, aud there were few sub.
jecls, with whoi the general scholar is familiar,
that he had not searched and found out lie ney.
sr forgot anything Of value to him, whether he
had found it in books, or in observation, which
with him was never superficial, but always critical
and complete, lie believed whatever was worth
knowing at all was worth knowing well, and 80
bis learning was accurate ard fall, and bis opinions
well mslured, deliberate and precise. Indeed
we have regarded Mr.. REED as mentally one Of
the strongest men in the State, and Il he had ear.
ly had the advantages Of complete education,
and had given his great force Of character aud
strength OF will to intellectual pursuits, he would
undoubtedly have reached the first ra1k among /
the utelscts Of Vermont, Il not Of New England.
But We must content ourselves with this brief
tribute 10 the memory Of one Of the strongest,
most honest aud most worthy citizens of Montpe.
Iisr. lie belonged 10 generation which is now
nearly gone, the men whose energy, strong will,
business activity, commercial sagaclly, in,egr.
ty and generou, enterprise, have made our town
what II i. OF hi, o,tomporaris,, many have
gone before, aud few remained TO attend at his IA.