Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-08-25
Death of II. w. WATSON.

third, goes to church in a fourth, and will
go to Congress from all of them.
Death of II. w. Wason.
In compensation for the bereavement
of their loss, there is vivid pleasure in
the career of men who
have from small beginnings, by their own
efforts and by those simple means that
are accessible to all men, wrought out
works of honest use and solid comfort to |
the world. 1t is not merely pleasure to |
note the lives of such men, but to their |
fellow-toilers and especially to young
men it is positive encouragement. And
in this respect few lives are more notable
than that of Thomas Whitridge Wason of
this city, whose death occurred at half
past ~ o'clock on Sunday morning. He
was born in Hancock, n. H, December
%, 1911, and was one of 10 children. His
father was carpenter and took him and
his brother Charles into the shop with
him at an early age, their boyhood being
spent upon farm. With this trade only
he soon started in life for himself, and
after some experience in Eastern Massa-
chusetts at the age of "a came to Chicopee
Will Ills DLOIbCIy "LSAG ny cLCdulABEE anu
industry he became foreman of the repair
shop of the Cabot cotton corporation
One incident that marked his connection
with this corporation, and which was per-
haps indirectly responsible for his coming
to this city, is so characteristic of the I'M
finching consciousness of the man
that is worth noting. At that time the
country was at a white heat politically
over the "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" cam
paign. The Chieopee mill-owners and
agents were nearly all Wings, but the
sturdy New Hampshire boys had not yet
put off the democracy to which they were
bred. On election day, the agent of the
mill posted himself at the ballet box, and
many employees who would otherwise
have voted the democratic ticket turned
back and got one Of the "right" kind TO
deposit under their employers eye, fear
ing they might lose their places. MIR.
Wason, however, coolly deposited his
democratic vote with the name in plain
view, and shortly after was superseded in
the foremanship by Wing. The change
might or might not have been for political
Tease, Init no other cause was assignable
at the time, ala ench favoritism was more
frequently practiced than now. He re
fused to accept subordinate position,
and in 1916 was fully settled in Spring
field. His first car was built in that year
by his own and his brothers hands, in a
shed near the Connecticut, SO small that
the car, freight, had to stand partly
out of doors while they worked upon it.
Their first years work was for the Con-
necticut river railroad, and comprised
two eight-wheeled and six four-wheeled
house cars, with several gravel and fat
bottomed, all of which amounted, howev-
er, to but $4,000. From this beginning
sprung the present works, which during
the past year employed nearly 400 men,
turned out over 100 passenger cars and
$50 freight, the whole business for the
year amounting to $1,400,000.
In 1916 T. W. g. G. Wason extended
their business by leasing a lot of land on
Liberty street and erecting the building
now occupied by Roche Brothers boiler
and engine works, and in 1S4S they
bought out the moribund "Sprinfeld car
and engine company" and removed TO
the present car shops upon Lyman street.
In 1851, the subject of this sketch became
the sole proprietor, his brother removing
to Cleveland and setting up similar works
there, where he now resides. In 1898,
the firm of T. w. Wason 81 Co. was
formed, which in 1868 obtained charter
as the "Wason manufacturing company
Their works have been established and IN
constant operation the longest Of any IN
this country, all that were established
earlier having had periods of suspension
and all but one having failed entirely.
The improvements they have introduced
have been innumerable, one of the chief
being the sleeping car, of which descrip-
ton they built the first. Taking every
thing into consideration, probably no
man in this country has contributed so
much for series of years to the comfort
and safety of the travelling public as Mr..
Wason.
Mr.. Wason's life has been that Of pri-
vate citizen, putting honest, conscientious
work into whatever his hand found to do,
dealing first with his superiors and then
with his associates and employees in a
straig htforwa manner. The wealth
that has blessed his efforts has been the
product of industry and skillful enter
prise. OF late years he has left the de-
tails of his work TO those he could trust,
and employed his own mind in the larger
plans, in which his sure Judgment and
clear business views made him pre-emi-
nently successful. His public expert
ence has not been small, the city having
at various times employed him in both
branches of its city government. He has
also served three terms in the lower
branch of the Legislature, and at the time
of his death was director in the First
National Bank. In 1859 he went to Eu-
rope and while in London entered into
s he la-gauF 10
the Egyptian government. He was an
observant student OF the Paris Exposition
in 1867 Mr.. Wason was one of the pill
lars of st. Paul's church, and of the Uni
versalist denomination in Massachusetts,
His benefactions to this cause have been
numerous and large, and to Springfield
alone probably amount TO nearly $4,000.
For two years past Mr.. Wason has sui
fered from an overweight brain and
wearied nerve, and in April last he met
with. a severe stroke of paralysis while
passing through New York from pleas
ure trip to Washington. From this he
had a temporary partial recovery, but has
since gradually declined. While a young
mechanic at Chicopee working at $3.50
per day, he married Sarah Longley, OF
Shirley, who has always been faithful
wife and whose privilege it has been to
alleviate his long Hines with constant
care and tender devotion. He leaves also
the brother aforementioned and nine
sisters of his own family, a son George
T., and daughter Jennie, both married, |
the latter being the wife OF II. 5. Hyde
Springfield Republican.
HARPERs MAGAZINE.-The September
number contains twenty articles besides
the five editorial departments. "Ihe |