Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-08
Dewitt Clinton Clarke.

iourAiHSeon Oh w euuesOay morning last,
at 3 a. m.
He was widely known and his general
qualities and ability had made for him a
large circle of friends at home and abroad.
1t has been our pleasure to have known
him for many years and to have been
under great obligations to him for assist
ance in the discharge of public duties,
which ran parallel with ours and in
which he had great experience and was
in the almost daily performance. 1t was
our intention to have prepared a bio
graphical sketch of our friend, but it has
been SO well and appreciatively done in
the Burlington Free Press of Thursday
that we adopt it in the main with few
additions and corrections of dates.
Dewitt Clinton Clarke, was born in
Granville, n. Y, Sept. 10, 1910, and was
thus 60 years of age at his death. His
father, Asahel Clarke, was native Ver-
monter, a graduate of Middlebury College,
and a man of prominence in his commu-
nifty, being a candidate for Congress at
the time of his death. His mothers
maiden name was Lydia Phinney, (of
Shrewsbury, Wy who after the death of
of tho late Hon. Ezra Mech of Shelburn,
and who still lives at the venerable age of
upwards of four score. Gen. Clarke en-
tered the Univerity of Vermont, quite
young, being classmate, we believe, of
our townsman Carlos Baxter. He left
college without finishing his course here,
and subsequently graduated at Union Col
lege,in, we think, the year 1881. He
studied law with Hon. George r. Davis
of Troy, n. Y, and was admittid to the
Rutland County bar at the April
term 1912. He practiced law
in Brandon, and was for a time in
partnership with Hon E. n Briggs, but
subsequently, established himself in the
iron and foundry business at Brandon,
Vt, in connection with John A. Conant
& Co. In 1916, having purchased the
Burlington Free Press of II. B. Stacy, he
became a resident of Burlington. In 1848
he established the daily edition of the
Free Press. He gave earnest and eff
fective support in the columns of his pa
per to Zachary Taylor and to Winfield
Scott, in the campaigns of 1S4S and 1852.
In 1868, the paper passed from his con-
troll TO new proprietors, and Gen. Clarke
soon after left Vermont to engage with
Gov. Paine in the construction of railroads
in Texas. After four years absence he
returned to Vermont, and in May, 1858,
started the Burlington Dsily Times,
which he edited and published for naarly
three years, when lin February, 1861 G.
Il. Bigelow, Esq, became its proprietor.
Through the friendship and assistance
of Senator Foot, Gen. Clarke was then ap-
pointed principal clerk of the executive
sessions of the United States Senate,
which responsible office he held till the
spring of 1869. He then returned to
Burlington and resided in that city till
his death.
He became somewhat indisposed several
weeks since; but was not laid up till
about a week ago, when dropsical symp-
toms appeared, indicated by serious swell
ing of the legs. This nearly disappeared
under an external applications, when on
Friday last, following also a cold caught
in the night, severe Inflammation and ul-
ceration of the throat set in. On Satur-
day he expressed the opinion that be
should not survive. On Monday, in view
of approaching death, he received the sa-
orameut and last rites of the Roman
Catholic Church, of which he had been a
member for many years. These were ad-
ministered by Rev. Father Lynch. He
became almost speechless under the oper-
alton of his disease, but was conscious to
the last, and bore his sufferings with great
patience AT a little after two o'clock this
morning he breathed his last
Gen. Clarke was Il man of note He
held many Offices of Importance and re-
sponsibility. Previous to 1910 he was
appointed Quarter Master General of
the State of Vermont, from which Office
he derived his familiar title of General |
He was secretary of the Vermont Senate
for eleven years, from 1910 to 1851. He
was executive clerk of the United States
Senate for nine years He was member
of the State Constitutional Convention of
1851 and was secretary of that body. He |
was n Presidential Elector of this State in |
1860. He WAS elected member of the |
board of school commissioners OF the city |
of Burlington at the last city election.
He was elected secretary of the recent
Vermont Constitutional Convention of
1870, and his last public duty was the
preparation of the journal of that body for
the press and the supervision of its publi-
cation.
He married early in life an accomplish
ed and beautiful young lady, Miss Caro-
line I. Gardiner. of Troy, New York.
His devoted care and attention lightened
the infrmities which burdened the later
years of her life, and her loss some four
years since was a severe blow to him.
His only brother, who was graduate of
West Point, died in the army early in
life, and with the exception of his aged
mother, who is almost broken down by
this sudden and crushing blow, he
leaves no relatives nearer than cousins.
Gen. Clarke was a sparkling writer,
both in prose and verse, and an influential {
editor. While he maintained many a
controversy and always with /,
spirit, he never retained malice, and one ,
Of his most distinguishing traits was his {
uniform kindness to all mankind, and his 1
geniality of disposition. In conversation
be was particularly entertaining, his fund
If anecdote and wit never falling. In the :
discharge of official duties he was COM |
petent, attentive and courteous. As a J
citizen he was interested in every worthy !
public object. He was an afectionate {