Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-24
Obituaries.

SARGENT.-An event has occurred during the
past week which has stirred deeply our commu-
nifty with that sympathy which Ia akin to love
and which verifies In striking manner Youngs
lines, The spiders most attenuated thread II
cord, is cable, to mans slender tie on earthly
bliss" George Y. Sargent came here to pursue
his trade Of bookbinder In the journal bindery
some four years ago, an entire stranger, and died
Sunday morning Of blood poisoning Such In
word Is his history. The biography Of most men
may be summed up In the words, " He lived, he
died. But In the case OF some the interval may
be filled with recital OF deeds lonesome good,
some bad. We are Mt best strange mixtures OF
good and evil That the good predominated In
the subject Of our sketch was amply evidenced
by the feeling OF profound sorrow felt bv the
whole community when II became known that he
was seriously sick and still more in the great re-
spect shown his memory after his death. His In
innate relations with the writer are well known
In Montpelier and our readers we are sure, viii
appreciate the reluctance with which we attempt
to give the details OF his life and death. He had
In bis occupation been using vermilon, which is
made from mercury, and some OF 1t bad touched
his left hand where there was slight abrasion
OF the skin. The first he noticed OF ts fleet was
nm eruption, which he regarded as OF little conse-
quence and applied to 1t simple remedy ex-
pecting to have no further trouble from It. IL
growing worse he became alarmed and called In
n doctor. lie continued to grow worse 30 fast
that It was deemed advisable to send for his rea-
tives. In response to dispatch his mother
arrived here last Saturday morning. By that
time his situation had become critical, yet she
had strong hopes that he would recover. little
after four o'clock Sunday morning his faithful
attendant Clark b Roberts, heard him gasping
for breath and raised him up TO relieve him be-
fore calling for help, but, before he could do 80,
found he was dead. Brief funeral services were
held at the Union House at seven o'clock Monday
evening attended by seventy-five or more. Rev
J. Edward Wright conducted the services making
prayer and giving q concise yet accurate ac-
count Of his life here In his occupation OF book;
binder he was diligent in his business..one OF
those who the Scriptures say shall stand before
kings" He had good academic education and
n fine artistic taste which has often caused his
services to he called into requistion in cases
where public or private decoration was needed
In his manner he was quiet and unostentatous,
and possessed the rare quality OF winning friends
who became firmly attached to him. The funeral
services over, his remains were escorted TO the
Central Vermont railway station by detach:
ment of Co. II, N. G. ", OF which at tho time OF
his death he was an honorary member M he had
formerly been an active one, and they we're taken
TO Somerville Massachusetts,, whence they will
be taken to Bangor Maine his native city, for
interment
BuRNHAM.-Dr. Walter Burnham, a distln-
guished surgeon and physician of Lowell Mass,
died on Thursday afternoon OF last week aged
seventy-five years. DIR. Burnham was native
Of Brookfeld, Vt, and was graduated from the
medical department of the University of Vermont
in 1929. He settled in Lowell in 1876. His repu-
taton as surgeon, particularly in gyn@ology,
was widespread. and he was often summoned to
Canada and the most distant states to perform
operations. He stood among the first Of Amer
lean ovariotomists, both in regard to success and
number OF operations. He was the first surgeon
in the world to have successful case OF hystere-
otomy. He was a member Of the American Med
ical Association, OF the Massachusetts, State Med
ica Society, and honorary member OF the Con.
necticut Rhode Island and Vermont state Medical
Societies He was q member OF the state legisla-
ture In 1855 and 1859 From 1861 to 1860 he was
professor OF surgery and obstetrics in the Worces-
ter Medical College. lie was surgeon OF the
sixth regiment Massachusetts, volunteers during
the nine months campaign in 1864, and held the
position until his resignation, several years after
the close OF the war. He married February g.
1881, Annis daughter OF the Hon. Theophilu'
Crawford of Pntney, Vt, who with three daugh'
tiers, survives him.
SKFF.-George F. Skiff, doorkeeper of the pres
cut house OF representatives, died at his home II
Monkton last Sunday His health has not beer
good for some time, but his sudden death wa
| quite unexpected. lie held the position Of rail
way postal clerk on the Essex junction and Bos
ton route for several years. lie had wild,
acquaintance aud will be sincerely mourned