St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-06-05

Recent Deaths.
Hon. Calvin Morrill, died at his home
at East st. Johnsbury, Memorial day,
at the age of rs years and ten months.
Mr. Morrill, was born in Danville, July
25, 1907 removed to st. JOhnsbury in
1927, and resided in the house in which
he died fifty years. He married So
phronia Lee Dec. Is, 1884, who sur
wives her husband, together with their
four children. Mr.. Morrill, held many
offices of honor and trust in town and
county. When yet a young man he
was assistant judge for four years at
the time when the bench was honored
by such men as COllamer and the first
Redfeld. He was selectman of the
town of st. Johnsbury for % years, was
one of the first directors of the old
Passumpsic bank and served for many
years as director in it's outgrOwth, the
First national bank-in all nearly 30
years. OF the board of directors elected
in 1850 for the Passumpsic bank, in
Guiding such names as Joseph Fair
banks, Barron MOultOn, Henry Reyes,
all are now dead save John Bacon.
Judge Morrill, was also state senator in
1872. He was one of the founders of
the third Congregational church in this
town, and always it's staunchest friend.
The above brief summary gives but a
faint idea of the public services of
Judge Morrill,. He was peculiarly
fitted to do public business, being dis
Greet, firm, well posted in law, afraid
of nothing, and as we believe strictly
honest. As chairman of the board of
selectmen during the Rebellion he de-
voted much time to recruiting soldiers,
and by hard work and vigorous
speeches he succeeded in keeping St.
Johnsbury's quota of soldiers full and
some over, while many other towns
were short. He also had much to do
i'll making contracts and equipping
some of VermonU's early regiments
and commissioning recruiting officers
on this side the state. Judge Morrill,
was a natural orator. Without the
education and culture of many men
called to the platform, his erect figure,
stentorian voice and strong common
sense always captured an audience.
His first illness came in 1882, and
although his mind was as clear as ever
and he was able to do business up to
the day before his death, he never
fully recovered from that illness. He
was not dismayed at the approach of
death, but was cheerfully resigned.
His funeral was attended at the Con-
gregational church Monday, and was
attended by old residents and prom
inent citizens from this and surround
ing towns. Rev. J. n. Walker gave
an appropriate discourse, and was fol-
lowed by Rev. Edward T. Fairbanks
and Hon. Jonathan Ross, who paid elo-
quent and touching tribute to his
memory.
The following incident in Judge
MOrrill's life is contributed to the Bos-
ton Journal :-''When Henry Clay was
candidate for president, Mr.. Morrill,
was in Boston at political meeting
and was called upon to speak, being
addressed as ''Our young Vermont
friend" The previous speeches haG
been long and dry, and the audience
was growing less every moment, wheT
the young friend from Vermont as
cended the platform. His knees fairly
knocked together, but he grew warn
with his subject, and before he finished
not "A seat was to be found in til,
house, the windows were full, and
crowd had formed from the house t,
the street. Before he had risen til,
next morning a committee waited upOI
him to persuade him to stump tn
state. Business compelled him to de
cline. Long before there was an,
agitation of the temperance question
and when all country merchants freel,
sold Intoxicating liquors, he deliber
ately, and from conscientious motives
gave up their sale"
Mitchell Bowker died at his resi-
dence on Summer street Memorial day
at the age of 60 years. He was sic
only week before his death, bein
taken violently i'll of fever whic
baffied the skill of the physician:
Mr.. Bowker was native of Lunen
burg, but came to this town in 1851
since which time he had worked con
tinuously at the scale works-in all 3
years. He was a modest, quiet mar
! and not only held the esteem of hi
employers, but was prominent mem
. Der and officer in Palestine command
cry of masons under whose auspice
he was buried on Sabbath day. H
leaves a wife and one daughter, Mr.
Geo. D. Randall, his other daughts
having died year or two since, leay
ing two sons who were cared for duriu
:, his lifetime by Mr.. Bowker.
f; A good many people who know A,
: have heard Robert j. Burdette, I'll
h popular lecturer and humorist, will |
g saddened to learn of his bereavemel
+ in the death of his wife, which occurre
h at their home at Ardmore, Penn, la
: week. They were married in l9,
It when Mrs. Burdette was thought to
Y at the point of death, and when 81
e was so feeble that her responses coul