St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-05-07
Death Of Rec. PIjHy III. WHfe.
From Rutland Herald.

dence i'll Coventry, at 10 o'clock on
Saturday morning last. We make this
announcement with great personal grief,
for he had long been an intimate friend
and associate. His deceaSe is not only
Il loss to his family, his church, and the
wide circle Cf devoted friends, but Yer
mont mourns one of her most useful, in
telligent and loving SONS, whose place, IN
many respects. cannot be iilled by any OF
her remaining children.
Plinv Holton White was born in
Springfield, Vermont, October 6, 1922
We know little of his early history His
education was received mostly in the
common school and academy, not having
the opportunities for pursuing a collegiate
course. He studied law with Hon.
William {. Bradley, at Westminster,
and was admitted to the Windham coun-
ty bar, and practiced the profession for
few wears During the period of his le
al practice, he began to write for the
BrattleborO Fade. The conducting of a
newspaper being mere congenial to hi
tastes. he abandoned the law, and be-
came the editor of the Engle, now the
Brattleboro PhcniX. He afterwards
spent Il year or more rs the editor of the
Express at Amherst, Mass. In 1910,
he became connected with the MesSrS.
Fairbanks, of 81. JomSbury, conducting
the correspondence of their large and
Irapiilv increasing business, and remained
with them for several years, and was the
] e T.,
during Gov E.rastus Fairbanks admin
i>tratiom in 1852. The period between
his leaving St. ,Johnsburv, and his en-
trance upon the ministry, we are not adj
viSed rs to his location. or business, but
was undoubtedly spent in preparation
for the ministry. We regret that 80
mea@re q sketch Of his early life, and his
labors in various positions he occupied up
to his entrance upon clerical life, but our
relations have been such, although of the
most intimate character, yet of such ma
ture, that very little knowledge has been
communicated with reference to many
facts that should have place in bio
graphical sketch. \ more fitting and COM
peteut hand will make more complete
record OF the events OF his earlier life.
prepared with more care, and not under
the feelings Of personal loss. which so
kccnly weigh down the writer Of this
ha-ty outline.
Mr.. White was ordained to the minis
try Feb. II, 1858, when he became act
inc p >tor of the Congregational church
in Coventry. Vt. which continued until
hI> death. His ministry has been qui t
successful, and abundantly blessed Com
/ mcncln% with a small church that has
heen constantly and steadily increasing.
/ In 1867 and 'GS. a powerful revival took
/ place, from which many additions were
made to his and other churches in the
Vrln!ty. lie had many calls to larger
churches with increased salary. which he
declined TO accept, because lac considered
it 10 be his duty to remain with that peo-
pie, rs MS laborS in that field were BEN.
blessed TO such a degree that he felt thai
elsewhere hi lahDrS might not ACCOMPLISH
the results that were Attending his efforts
At Coventry. lie was called to preach
frequently at installations and ordinations
'uA ON SPECIAL Occasions. also -pruiiu"
much time in collecting the statistics ut
his denomination in the State. and writ
ing tor tn" religious papers. magazines
and reviews. He had but Il few months
since issued a history of the Congrcya-
tionai Churches in Orleans county H.,
bad in preparation u history Of the Con-
! 9rc-atioual Churches in Vermont, which
would have been published at an early
/ date and We trust that il has been left in
such complete condition, that some ti,tiu.
poison may finish it. lie Ia, contribute
/ ed many valuable religious and historical
articles to the Congregational Quarterly.
/ the Vermont Chronicle, and Boston RI
cor,Ipr
Perhaps the most useful labors of hi-
litc, outside of his ministerial labor,. have
/ hcru in the field of local history. in which
he had few II any equals. Ever on the
alert t. Gather up and place in mcthodi-
/ cal order, for use at any moment, all
scraps of history pertaining to Vermont
| in any form, or to the local history OF
town, or institutions. lis materials for
| the biography OF individuals were uu-
.
other collection in the country a larre
portion OF which was devoted u Yer
mouters, ut home and abroad He had
nearly complete full biographical sketch
- OF the alumni of AIiddlebury Col
ie@e by classes. Many OF these sketches
Herald and Vermont Record. His pub
ii~hcI sketches OF Mathew Lyon. Jonas
C'alu,ha, Ihcophilus Harrington. and
hi- ii.ial ana loving tribute to the memo
~ OF his instructor and friend, one OF
Ncrmont's most eminent statesmen, Hon.
William {. bradley, fully attest his Ia
bors and qualifications As biographical
writer
His love OF history and researches, ear
lv led him to become associated with the
Vermont Historical Society, to whose
prosperity and objects he became devot-
eddy attached, for which he labored as
siduously and has done probably
more than any one individual to build it
up and add to lis collections. Associat-
ed with such mcu As Inland Hall, Geo.
+. iIou-hton, and Charles Reed, hi, ser
vices have been invaluable to that socic-
~ and the State. On the retirement of
Gov. Hail from the Presidency OF the So
ciety i'll 1866, Mr. White with great
unan;mity was selected a> its President.
which position he held at his death To
the Vermont Historical Society his loss
Is severe, and will be deeply mourned by
all IL members, as an energetic director.
and u valued associate.
Mr.. White was elected by his fellow
citizens to Il seat in the House OF Repre-