Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-10

Ody that would have him.
One other of Judge Baldwin's journeys Pc
o Boston. of which he made over nun al
Ired before the railroad was built must DC 81
eferred to in order to relate one more oi "
he many strange condolences which u
mark his early life. He started for Boston Ia
With $1,000 in silver and some gold dou"- u
oons. The silver was put in shot bags n
zach containing 800. and deposited in the ii
bottom of trunk which had been made a
strong for the purpose. When the trunk s.
was lifted from the sleigh at Concord. d
silver dollar fell from it. Examination Il
showed there las chance for several to !
have been lost to the ground. Aceompa' |
MED by boy, Mr.. Baldwin went back on
the road for three or four miles and picked
up all the way. at intervals of few rods
silver dollars. At a certain bridge, being
tired he said he would go no further.
Upon counting the contents OF the one
broken bag and adding the number oil
dollars found, the result was exactly 500!
The business in Montpelier continued to
prosper well, and at the conclusion in 1919.
of the first term Of partnership. the capital
stock was increased to $4,000, of which
Mr.. Baldwin now furnished one half
True to his word about what he should do
when he was worth $4,000. he, sure enough,
got married soon afterwards. In 1919
he made the acquaintance of Miss Emily
Wheelock, granddaughter as beforesaid,
of the first president of Dartmouth college.
She was visiting at Judge Nicholas Bay
lies, whose house covered a portion OF
what is now the State House yard. They
were married in January, 1920, at her
fathers house in Hanover, n. H., and
boarded for some time at Judge Bayiies'.
One morning in March they took walk
on the crust passed down to the river
there were only four houses on the south
side of State street at that Unrestricted
up to the branch and down State street.
He said they must begin to think of a home
of their own. Both preferred State street,
and both hit upon the same lot-where the
Vt. Mutual Fire Insurance Co.'S office now
stands-as the most desirable place for the
erection of new house. A few days later
Mr. Baldwin purchased the lot for $500,
and caused n house to be built by the next
October, at which time the young couple
moved into it and began housekeeping.
fit was at this point that Judge Baldwin
closed the narration on the day before his
death, little thinking he never should re-
sumo it
The remaining years of Judge Baldwin,
long life were spent in Montpelier. He
was the Benj.min Franklin of The place.
His emulation of that great statesman's
noble qualities had evidently fixed the pre-
dominant features of his character. He
was eminently Il democrat, as that wore
signifies in its unwarped, original mean
ing. IL always try to treat everybod,
alike" he has remarked. From the yea
1887 to 1847 he was one of the trustees o
the surplus fund, and he taught flnancier
a lesson by its management. Through hi
influence the money was lent in SINAI
sums on definite time, and to the poor L
d. equal sums with the rich. At the close c
mis- Office the fund amounted to 80 .065.39
and he could say he had not lost dollar
l. Success with him was gained by read
q" utilizatan of opportunities so ordina'
n that they escaped the notice of most mer
y With unwearied industry and strict ecor
omy, he believed that success must come
. The first few years Of his housekeeping Il
account was kept of every expense, an'
)" although two or three children were Dor
'e to him in the time, the average annu;
~ outgo was only $50. So much for h
u economy; and he carried it into ever
" branch of his own business and impresse
ii on every undertaking with which he ha
any connection.
~ His industry, not to make money solel
J" but many times in works of public int
I" eat. is shown in the whole of his remarl
10 ably busy life. He continued in tra'
y under the various firm names of: Baldwi
=" Hutchns & Co, 1S25-30; Baldwin
w. Prentss. 1830-32; Baldwin & Scott, 1873
'le Al; Baldwin, Scott & Co. 184l4S-s
w the time located where the Montpeli
''o National Bank now is. Col. f. p. Jewt
10 began very young as a clerk in his stoI
II" and remained with him six years. M
VI Geo. w. Scott, also, was clerk for son
1t" years until 1882, and then became pa
" ner. From this time Judge Baldwin d
W not take an active part in the business, a
81, soon afterwards purchased the farm ne
~ the village on the Mlddlesex road, viii
he sold in 1861 to Mr.. w. H. Clark.
health had become somewhat broken, n
he sought health and found it in actual
~ Dor on the soil. He applied himself Ii
one who depended on farming for Twin
cleared up large part of the land a
especially swampy tract which, at tt
-. -, time, was covered with trees to the roa
H laid with his own hands many rods
Stone wall, and brought the farm genera
into high state of productiveness.
:" enjoyed these labors till 1871, when
cares of the Fire Insurance Co. drew
~ attention largely away from farming.
Judge Baldwin, Eiakim P. Walton II
James R. Lrngdon have been c,lled
fathers of the Central Vermont ralroa
~ they were certainly the leaders, so far
''o Montpelier was concerned, and Montpel
VS. in this noble and arduous enterprise,
". well AS in every public movement Of int
Wv est to this region from earliest times, v
." the foremost community to agItate Il
push the plan to consummation. Sylvan
VI Baldwin was, earlier than his broh
W. led to take a deep interest in
h'.' grand idea of a railroad from B
,o"' ton to the great lakes. There was
'''y lyceum here composed of old and you
'o'e in which questions of public interest W
10" frequently discussed. In 1880, five We