Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-08-10
Memorial Service.

Messiah last Sunday morning Prayer was OF
fered, and passages from the Bible were read, b,
: Rev. Henry ]. Cushman Of Providence, Rhod
Island and the following sermon was preached
by the Rev j. Edward Wright, the text being
"He that followeth after righteousness ant
mercy fndeth life righteousness and honor.
Proverbs xxi. q.
No apology IL offered for this service It's oms
sion would demand explanation; not It's observ
ance. II II Is proper that church should bea
witness to its Indebtedness TO a founder and un
weared benefactor; II the pulpit may advocat,
virtue by pointing to conspicuous and well known
Illustrations Of 1t; II a community is bound u
honor the memory OF one who has for long life
time striven to subserve its interests then sucl
aservice is not only becoming but II Is demanded
at our hands and from our hearts to-day.
1t is true that Judge Baldwin's life was spent
in little country village, that 1t was largely oc-
cupied with the small details of trade. that 1t was
marked by none OF those achievements of genius
which attract the worlds attention, and there
fore, 1t might be thought by some to be neces.
sarily very common and prosaic; but, Rs have
studied 1t, 1t has seemed TO me one of the rare
lives Of the world, remarkable exception to the
great mass OF careers in its beauty its complete
ness and its success, and rs interesting as a ro-
nance
That life began in Norwich, Vermont, July q
1872. The little babe, fatherless at birth (hs
father had passed away three months before).
was completely orphaned before he was two
years old. On his mothers decease the band of
| seven brothers and sisters was scattered. His
two brothers were apprenticed to carpenter.
OF his four sisters the two Oldest went out to SER
vice, and the two youngest were given away
lie himself, after being sheltered by his mothers
sister for awhile, was given to a Mr. and Mrs
Morse OF Royalton, whom he learned to regard az
father and mother, and under whose kind care
ne remained for six or seven years. But they,
poor In their best estate, becoming entirely dest-
tute, he was transferred when nearly ten years
OLD, to the charge Of his sister, Mrs Israel Dewey
then living on little lonely farm in Berlin
around which, In the primeva forest, savage
beasts still ranged With this household, work.
| ing at times out OF doors and at times in the cab
met shop he passed three OF four of the happest
years Of his life At the age OF fourteen he CHI ose
his brother, Sylvanus ten years his senior, and
resident Of Montpelier, his guardian, and
served under him, first iu learning the carpenter 3
trade, and later in great variety OF business till
he was of age.
| During this period he attended the academy
somewhat in the winters; but his studies were
seriously interrupted by his employments, so that
he can hardly be said to have derived any very
considerable advantage from schools.
His careful attention to the duties assigned him,
his industry, fidelity and integrity, soon placed
him in positions of special responsibility His
brother, man OF superior ability, and engaged
in enterprises OF considerable moment, went to
France in 1911 with newly-invented spinning
machine in which he had invested, hoping to
win the prize offered by Napoleon, and left his
cotton factory his business as postmaster and in
deed the entire management of his estate, in the
hands Of the youth OF nineteen; who, during his
absence, made an advantageous sale OF the fac
tory, invested judicously in real estate started
prosperous business in Barre in his brothers
name, and 80 conducted affairs generally as to
decidedly increase the property entrusted to him.
Soon after attaining his majority, having still
further proved his aptitude for trade in several
small but successful ventures of his own, he re-
solved to seek his fortune in South America But
his plan was happily thwarted Prominent citi-
zens OF Montpelier who had marked the Young
mans probity, shrewdness, carefulness and eff
cheney, induced him to assume the charge of a
new store stocked with genera, morchordiso ,,r
which thew nronosed IN furnish roa,, nj, ,ha. a..
ital This was in 1914. and in ,bis hr.;no.s ho
continued under tho var,o,s s,n, no,,,ou -,
"Raldwip g. "a - "Rald,,;, un,oh;.. r. n. ;,
BALDWIN e. prentiss " "Ra,dw;r g. soo..n 49,,
:" BALDWIN. Scott g. 10 " III, 1915 ,rhor 10 49,
bought out bv Mr. Caoroe w sco,, ~ 80
been associated with him, eitber as cart or n.r,
ner mora than tvertv yoar.
In addition to his nrivate cares imnor,on. ,,h
lie duties occupied mucb of bis Tina dnr;na ,,,oso
years-duties which were thrust man him tor no
had no longing for politcal nreformor, He
town treasurer in 1898. and then AGAIN Tor a,oyau
consecutive years. from 1896 over and over
again, at successive elections. WAS he the cand;-
date Of his party for the Office of state treasurer
From 1887 to 1847 he was trustee of the surnlus
fund, and az such took great pains to make il as
easy for the poor as for the rich tn borrow from
the fund, and still he never lost a dollar of II
lie was deeply interested in the maintenance of
efficient fire companies, and for mapy wears from
and after 1887, he was the chief engineer Of the
fire department During the years 1916 and 1Sl7
he occupied the bench as associate nudge Of
Washington county court. but from 1870 IN with
the exception OF one years service AZ lister he
uniformly avoided public office.
The work of his life to which Judge Baldwin
would probably have pointed with the greatest |
pride was undoubtedly the establishing and
bringing to a remarkable state of ea,eiencv of
the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Comnanv
Having been for few years agent of a stock |
company, he was led to think it possible to secure
insurance cheaper ON the mutual nlan ua thara
FORE consulted with others and Mt Ionoth a,,ar
much announcement and opposition with tho |
few who favored his plan he secured a char,er in
1927, and the first policy WAS issued To him March
81 1928. He was chosen the first president of Tho
company. but declined to serve and others f,led
the post till ls,1 when he accented tho nos,,,o,,
and WAS kent in II Inv tbirtvtbree succassivo aioo
tIons till 1874 wban ba was sunorsadod " a..
the accession 81 Mr. BALDWIN 10 ,ho ara.;,ona,,,
savs Mr. Thomnson in his II,s,o.,, - NJ.
tho comnonv 90 soar,od a, o,ao % s,... 49,
n new career NJ ,rosner;,y - ard az III
and II hecame mora s,roroI, ar,,on,tas - A.,
confdence NJ tho neonIe /, ,.os I,d,o p,,s.,u,
inv and nr,da 10 raoord i,s ra,,ar,o,Jo -.
ya,u lar,ol, ,ha xas,I, =, IA, -. s..-.,.,
nains.taL na and tar-s,,h,ad ACKNOWLEDGEMENT :, -.
aas,s No All, !, .oo,,,o1 - H.. '.-,o.
rightly or NO, u,,, mo-, a,,an,,, 30 a.,, 40 -,
deed rerb.n. ,,,,,a ,,,o.o ,;,r'. !. . ~,
sett,a Tho onos,,on ha,ona oa,,,, ...-,..,..,,-S
No donb, n saan,ad 10 h,o, ,,,,o. a,Sa. s''..,
held swav ard IA, indanao, ,,a. a,'n.s'',aI