Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-09-24
VOL. XIX.



Somewhat less than forty years ago there
moved among the students Of Yale College q
young man, poorly dressed, but princely in
bearing and in mind. lie was bred in the
country, among humble surroundings, but be
was gentleman from the crown Of bis head
to the svles Of his feet, and in every fiber Of
his body and mind. Slender. tall, handsome,
with an intellectual brow, q fire voice and a
Christian spirit, he had every possession Of
nature and culture necessary TO win admira-
tion, respect, and affection. This man was
poor; 50, before bis educational course was
completed, he was obliged To leave college,
and to resort to teaching for livelihood !;
but, wherever he moved, he won the strong
est personal friends Men named their boys
after him. Women regarded him as mod
el man, and the name Of Stillman \. Clemens
stood in high honor in all the little COM
munities in which it was known.
He vas particularly fond Of mechanics and
mathemaucs-a born inventor, with more
than the ordinary culture of the American
inventor. He had an exquisite literary fac
ulty, rare Wit, fine appreciation of humor,
and good conversational powers. Indeed. he
seemed to be furnished with all desirable
powers and accomplishments except those
which were necessary TO enable him to ''get
on in the the world lie was born poor,
aud, the other day, after life OF dreams and
dlsappOintments, be died poor The brown
head and beard had grown gray, the spare
figure was bowed and the end Of his life was
accompanied bv circumstances Of torture
which need not be detailed here The life
which, for thirty years, had been an unbrok-
% .f- .r..l. ]
the weary worker was at rest.
The inventors dreams were always large.
They all had millions in them" FIRST, in |
an arrangement Of centrifugal force ior the |
dcvelopement Of motive power; then in
machine or process FOX detaching the manila !
fiber; then In cotton-preSs Of unique con-
struction, for COMPRISING cotton 50 complete |
iy at the gin that it would need no further |
treatment for shipping then in a fax dress
ing machine and last, in a rollway which |
was 10 displace forever the present railway |
system, and solve the problem Of cheap trans /
portation. In the cotton pressing machine
he made an incidental intention, to which
he attached no special importance, ont of
winch others have since made the fortune
which, during all hi- life, was denied to him.
lie sirewd his way all along with ideas Of
immense value 10 all around him. Il IS not
year eir'e he read his PAPER before an as
Soelaton ol engineers at Chicago, exposing
IN detail BIS rolway invention and it Is said
that On the morning Of his death he was call
ed upon hy capitalist, with reference to
4uojecung TINS invention II 4 practical test.
II WAS magnificent project, and We hope
thaI 1t may be tried, though he in whose fer
tile brain II originated is hevond the satisfac-
ilon OF success and the shame Of failure.
Well, did your friend succeed, or did he
iail There were mean men around him
VIII became rich. There were sofdid men in
-he large clmmGni5v in which his later years
we're spent whose money flowed in upon
them BY millions. There were brokers and
'pceulator-, an1 merchants and hotel pro-
orietors, and manufacturers. who won m re
wealth than they knew how 10 use, while
le was toling foT the beggarly pittauce that
ave blm bread, or fpIuderiag in the new
liSapppin,ment witA which each year was
reighted. They succeeded, as the world
would say, bat let Us see what this man did.
lie used every faculty he possessed for for
yardlng the worlds great Interest. He put
ii his vitality, all bis ingenuity, all his know
edge, into the couutry's service. The out
ONE Is not YET, bGI the outcome Is lust as
ure Is the sprouting Of sound seed in good
OH. The wealth be did not win viii % in
o the golfers vi Others. lie never sacrificed
is manhood. lie kept himself spotless.
lie did no; repine or whine. The man who
aw him Ia his last years found him still tho
OurteouS CuristIln gentleman. bearing his
ridis with patience, trusting in the Infinite
oodne~-, acce; ting his di~ci p.iue with more
quanlmltY. ana sill hopeful and persistent
lie maintained bis courage and h.S self /,
sSpect- lie Won and KEEP; his personal
lends He went to his grave wiki clean
andS, and his soui reauy for the welcome
zchange ul worlds. He left behind him the
lemOry Of caamctef which money cannot
uild and cannot buy. Ii was an honor to q
e atlectionately associated with him 1t is c
high honor 10 be called upon 10 record the
sson OF his life, and a high duty to COM a
and it. |
Did he succeed? les, he did and the c
in which rest his precious re
aims could do itself no higher honor than !
) erect over them stone bearing the in j
riptiun Here lies Siiilman i. Clemens, !
no died poor in this worlds good, and j
DOT in spirit, bat rich in faith, rica in mind i
ID heart, rich IN character and IN all the :
aces OF Christian gentleman. and rich in
lie affection Of all who knew him and were 4
orthy Of his acquaintance. a
That he waited wealth to bestow upon c
lose whom he loved, we do not doubt, Tha. 7
wanted it 20 prove that his dreams were /
II haseleSs, Is true, We presume. That be a
canned Of it among hiS other dreams would 9
very natural. The dream has come true. |
hat dream he carried in n hopcf1l spirit, :
ntli n death his patient eve grew aim, I
ID the Rede-msr called him 70 Inherit
The heAYea ui wealth ous gar nerec up .oT him. I