Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-06-29
obituaru.
CHAUNCEY wALroN.

In the list of deaths will be found recorded the
name OF this brother of the editor Of this paper
There are but few of his associates in boyhood re-
naming here, and abroad, also are mainly to be
found those who were friends and associates in hi.
maturer years; 80 perhaps it is most fit for us to
note few features OF his character that we're re.
markabe. Receiving only the common schoo
and academica instruction given TO nearly all the
boys Of OUT village in his youth, he early chose
book-bnding for his occupation, that being then
part Of bis fathers business and in this he was
quick to learn. thoroughly attentive to his duties
industrious 10 fault, ingenious to invent improve
meuts in the modes and implements Of his trade,
and ever watchful of bis fathers interests, to The
end that the best and most economical work, and
the most Of 10, might be done. In this way. be
became master and a leader in the bindery long
before the days of his apprenticeship were ended,
and shortly after that time he went abroad, spend
ing most OF his manhood in Philadelphia, and
Easton Pa and in the City Of Washington,
where he passed a few of his last years in the
Government bindery, We will add, in Justice both
to him and oursef, not in any clerkship or chapel
Of ease for lazy or needy politicians, but ever DO
ing his day work for his days wages, and often
working beyond the required hours, or doing
within them much more than the required labor
sometimes we have been told, against the com
plants and remonstrauces of associates Follow
ing the bent OF bis YOUTH while abroad. he sought
knowledgs in books on aris and inventions. and
taking advantage Of the best public Libraries.
where be happened to be, spending bis money
also freely for books using his hours Of leisure and
cheating himself largely OF the hours Of necessary
rest, his knowledge passed far beyond the limits
of HE profession and embraced the whole field Of
mechanics, and Of the practical and useful arts and
sciences. IN agriculture be could converse intel
ligenuy with the best of farmers on modes Of til
lage, and post him up If need be in the mechani-
cal inventions best suited for his business in me
chanics nothing seemed beyond bis grasp. from
the grandest works Of civil engineering and me-
chanical skill to the humblesti and if his eye fell
upon piece of machinery his first search was for
a chance for improvement, and be would be slow
to admit that Dee could NOT dud BE-. Nor did he
conhne himself to these fields broad as they are
burm everything to which he gave his attention,
his aim was to see how it could be utilized and
improved With this taste for knowledge of that
kind, he had large Inventive power, and he loved
to exercise his ingenuity. lie INDUCED himself
in this in later years, still encroaching upon the
hours of rest, employed in designs and models to
be patented, till in the winter of 1863, he was
struck by partial paralysis, and returned to Mont
pelier TO eudeayor to rest and recover bis health
But alas, no rest was to be found for an eyer-ac-
tive and over-worked brain, too powerful for an
enfeebed body. He needed rest, and could find
1t only in the grave. He failed in that he lived
too much in his own thoughts and pursuits, which
were good and true and generous and wel-inten-
ded, and lived too little among men to learn to
whom to give his confidence and from whom to
gam the encouragement and support that were
neediul for success. Though his thoughts were
ever on practical and useful things his life was
mainly ideal, he never having found the oppor-
tnity to realize his designs but to a limited ex-
tent. His has been the sad fate of many Others
who deserved honor for the knowledge they at
tanned and the genius they possessed, and were
prevented from successful use and we know Of
none, with his limited opportunities who are bet
ter entitled to this honor than was our brother,
who, with everybody but his familiar friends,
was remarkably reticent and modest