Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-08


WHO THEY AEE-wUREE THEY COME From
WHAT THEN ARE poISd-How THEY DO
II AND WHAT THEY AMOUNT TO IN uhi-
oAGn MENTIONS OF soME SUCCESSFUL
yEEuoNrERs VINO CAME FEoM AND NEAE
BURIINGroN- E II. GEAy-C"LiiNs
EATON npN. WILLIAM L. WHEELER
niNIEI. X. TENARN.
CnrcAGo H., March 26, 1881.
To the Editor oi the Fee Press and Times
Some time has elapsed since sent you my
last letter about notable Nermonters.
have Just come from meeting oil YER
monters who were arranging TO celebrate Inc
anniversary of the settlement of some colony
of Vermonters somewhere near here, and
at once commenced searching for material Tor
another letter for the FREE Press. There IS
no poverty of material of this kind, and
hope the result will prove interesting to your
readers. The Vermonters expressed great
anxiety, and, many years ago the hope, that
the New Enelaul idea should be well plant
ed and carefully cultivated in the grand and
rich fields of the then far West and they
thought it to be their duty 10 promote the
good work Of course they were obivlous
to self nj d had no thought of bettering the
conditions of themselves and families by
getting new ard rich lands cheap oh, no
But, seriously Chicago could i'll have spared
the Vcrmon,ers with their energy, enterprise,
high morals and benefcent influence Let
us give them fair credit.
col. L. Il. GREY.
An educator widely known in the North
west in connection with the organization ana
improving of the public school system in the
new States, is Col L. B. Grey. lie is a
Vermon!er in spirit and IN fact was born in
Chittenden county in the year 1879 his
parents moved 10 Ohio in 1882 and to Michl
ran IN 1888 lie received his early education
in these different localities, fitting for college
in the meantime, when he returned to YER
mont and entered the University at Burling-
ton in the class of 1851. In 1854 he returned
to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and organized the
public schools there and was placed at Their
head Under the impetus which his special
aptitude for that work and his skill and
ability as an organizer and instructor gave
them they are to day among the best and
most ilourishing schools in that State, which
has many excellent higher institutions of
learning and public schools. In 1850 he
went To Wisconsin in the school book interest
and was LARGELY instrumental in the miro
duciion of tho best school books into the
schools of that then comparatively
new State In 1857 he organized
the scho"ls at Palmyra, Wisconsin
and in 1SjS, those of Whitewater IN an al
Joining county subsequently accepted the
position of principal AMI superintendent OF
| schools in Shcboysan, Wis. lie was success
full in all ihesc places. lie has left the i'm
press of his ability and special tact and skill
| upon the now superior common school sys-
ten of that STATE, indeed, MAS one OF It's
ofiginalnis and founders, and his name IL
Intimately connected with this carly and Ell
fective work, and will he handed down in
the educational annals Of the State rs one
of the most prominent promoters OF the
cause of common school education there.
In 1851 he went into the service IN the
fourth Wisconsin infantry, and served in New
Orleans with Gen. Butler, AMI elsewhere. In
1Sf;, he came back and raised the 2Sth Wis
cousin regiment, of which he was success
| siyely Major Lieutenant Colonel and Col
nnel he went To the field AMI served To the
| close of the war when he Was mustered
out, leaving 4 crcditabe record rs an active,
brave and efficient soldier and officer. In
SGS he moved 10 Chicago and engaged in
the school book business, and was assist
ant State Superintendent of Public In
Slructi"n for two years, when he re-
cii...,.,,ri in The s,ll",l book business with
Geo. Sherwood \ Co, one oi the largest
school book publishing houses in the West.
At the urgent request Of the school interest
in Racine, Wis, he accepted the supcrnten-
dency of schools there Tor limited time,
after which he again returned 10 Chicago,
and continued the book business in which he
is engaged now. During all .he time since
1868 his house has been IN Chicago, where
his family have resided. lie is man OF
modern ideas and Keeps pace with tho devcl-
opmcnts and improvements of the day in all
matters pertaining to education and the Gle
waiting and diguiiying of the public schools.
lie is gentleman Of varied attainments and
excellent social qualities, and is held in high
estimate 10y his friends.
COLLINS EATON
has been a successful business man, and Is
| engaged at present in handling the engines
manufactured by the Ames Iron Works hav-
ing charge of the Western branch OF that great
establishment He is man without pre-
tcnce, unostentatious, but industrious and
attentive to his business, hence necessarily
successful He was born in st. Adams, in
| 1928, on a farm, and was educated IN the
schools of the neighborhood. and when 22
years of age, in 1850, went to OgdensburC
and engaged with the Northern Transporta-
ton Company having charge of the docks
there thirteen years, when he went TO Os-
wego in the same capacity and Remained three
years, when he came TO Chicago. in 1865,
| and took the management of the Western
branch of the Ames Iron Works, rs ] have
stated and has been engaged in that capac-
ity since, making most efficient and sue
cessful manager of that immense business.
lie married Miss Sarah Bowling of Jericho,
Vt, and has family of three boys the old
est, c. b., is in New Mexico in the
machinery business the second is engaged in
farming in Indiana, and the youngest is en-
gagged in mining in ArIzona-all prosperous
and doing well. MIR. Eaton stands well In
business and other circles. He is pronoun-
ced spiriluaiist and prominent member OF
the denomination known as Rational spiritu-
alists, called by some Transcendcntalists.
| which word has a shade of meaning that ad-
| mits of application TO their particular kind
of belief, though comprehendng and cover
| ing much more, as does the word spiritual
ism lie is n man Of good Judgment and
not fanatical in his religious or any other
views, and hc came from Vermont which
fact covers Il multitude OF shortcomings IN
any one out here in Chicago, if hc has them.
There is nothin., small or big"cd about the
Western people, you know. They are
liberal in all things essential and i'll non
essentials charitable
HOS. WILLIAM L. WHEELER.
The Wheeler family the one alude To
now is larsc one. lis members are Yer
mont stalwaIis i'll physical proportions and
active and useful us well as successful men
those who are out West here, at least.
The children were born and reared ON the
homestead where the AGED father still lives,
in New Haven in the crotch and under
the shadow of the Green Mountains, ON a
farm, where they were reared AMI spent their
boyhood and young manhood VIM. T.,
was born there in ISIS lie worked sum
mcrs and attended school winters. AS 4 mat
ter of course. lie finished his education, 50
far as schonls were concerned, rather abrupt
" and in an amusing way, rs he tells the
story, at C;isirton Seminary in 1910, when
he engaged in teaching school, and report
says he Taught good "nc. In lSiJ ho went
To- Ohio, settling. on the Western Reserve"
where hc hal II garden spot, and engaged in
rasing vegetables and marketing them from
there 10 Cleveland and thence Ia Bclnit in
1858, where he followed the business Of con
tractor and builder, being brlcklaycr by
trade During his residence in Bcloit he
held several offices OF trust, among them
deputy sheriff Of the county oi Rock.
From loyhnod he has taken an active inter-
Est in politics, with dccdrd leaning to the
Wing party during lis existence, and sulse-
.ucntly, and since, has been IA Republican,
aud was in nt the birth oi that party III Wis
Consin {; was n member of The convention in
lSjl, whcn the initiatnry steps were taken,
and was one "f the foremost i'll the move
mrnt, and Wisconsin was one oi the first
, States in the Union To- take the initiatory
steps lo organize tins now great party. From
TINT time To- the present hc has been rrcos
nixc,l rs one Of the champions # the princi