Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-04-16
DEATH UF THADDEUs FAIRBANKS.
End of IA Life of Rare Industry and Bene-


End of IA Life of Rare Industry and Bene-
faction.
Sir Thaddeus Fairbanks, the venerable
inventor and public benefactor, of st.
Johnsbury, passed quietly away at the
home of his son, Rev. Henry Fairbanks,
in that village Monday morning at 6
o'clock. He was the second son of Joseph
and Phoebe Fairbanks of Dedham Mass,
born January II, 1896 at Brmheld, Mass,
and was therefore 30 years of age at the
time of his death. He received such an
education as the district schools of Brm-
field could supply and when only boy
aided his father in building grist mill at
Brimfield. In 1915 he removed to St
Johnsbury with his parents, where he and
his father built a saw mill and afterward
0rlst mill. His first enterprise was the
manufacture of carriages. In 1923 he built
u small iron foundry, and in 1924
in company with his brother Eras-
tus, who was afterward twice made
governor of Vermont, began the
manufacture of cast iron plouGhs and
stoves. The first patent issued to him
was for cast iron plough and in 1885 was
granted patent upon IA cooking stove.
In 1880 when most of the New England
farmers were turning their attention to
the cultivation of hemp Mr.. Fairbanks,
noting the difficulty incurred in dressing
hemp, patented u hemp dresser He soon
became the manager of the st. JOhnsbury
/ Hemp company. 1t then became neceS-
sary TO provide means for weighing the
hemp straw which they had to deal in.
| The only scales then in use were the even
| balance and the old Roman steelyardS. 1t
was then that he grasped the idea which
became his lile'o work, and after long and
careful study he constructed II platform
La
weighed. As practical weighing ma
chime this was the birth of the modern
scale. Soon this scale became renowned
and the Fairbanks brothers gave up other
branches of industry and turned theiI
whole attention to the manufacture OF
scales. The demand for different kinds OF
scales arose and Mr.. Fairbanks had tC
grappe with the problem of construction.
He planned and built most of his shops
and invented large amount of the ma
chinery in them.
The sOvereigns of three different ma
lions have honored the aged inventor witt
| tokens of their consideration. At the
Vienna exhibition in 1913. the only Amer
lean who was made "A Knight of the lmpe
rial Order of Francis Joseph was Thad
deus Fairbanks. He received from Som
ditch Phia Paramnde Maha ChululounOu
Phiachula Chan keas, King of SIAM the
decoration of Puspoma, or the Colder
Bay possessor of the Kingdom of Tunis
also honored him with decoration which
was or namented with "Our name
and which is of the second class com
mander of our order of Iftikar May you
wear it in peace and prosperity"
Mr.. Fairbanks has also built "A fin
academy and students boarding house
The academy is of Romano GVhic archi
ture, constructed upon the most approve,
educational plans. st. .Iohnsbury i
most justly proud of this institution
The gifts of Mr.. Fairbanks to this insti
tuition amount to 100000. Sir Thaddeu
was married in 1870 to Lucy p. Barker
daughter of Barnabas Barker and tw,
children blessed their union. OF thes
Henry has been an active preacher an,
was for some time Il professor at Dart
mouth college. Charlotte, now deceased
became the wife of Rev. &. \. Webber O
Troy, \. Y. Mrs. Fairbanks died Decem
Der, Q, 1866. 1t has fallen to the lot of fey
men to accomplish as much for the worl
as he, in inveEting and introducing tn
cast iron plough. the arrangement O
refrgerators which has been UNIVERSAL
adopted, and the weighing machine tba
has revolutionized the processes of bus
ness the world over. And the
with the proceeds of his lif
work, building and largely endowin
the largest educational insttutio
in northern New England, where he ma
daily see over 300 young people enjoyin
the advantages which he has provided
Mr.. Fairbanks's death was the resul
of fall which he received ten days sine
upon his own step. He was dearly be
loved by all who knew him, and will b
missed by large number of friends where
ever he WAS known His funeral too
place from his late residence Tuesda
afternoon.