Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-12-10
A NOTEWORTHY CHARACTER.

A NOTEWORTHY CHARACTER.
Major William H. Dixie of Faribault,
Mimi, whose recent visit to his old-tme
Middlebury was briefly mentioned, is,
says the Free Press. a man whose history
and unique character render him worthy
of more extended notice. Major Dixie
is native of Vermont. having been born
in Pittsford, Rutland county. nearly -
years ago, and his father was sheriff of
that county for 20 years. While still
a youth, being of an Independent dis
position, Dixie struck ont for himself
and drifted over into New York State,
where he went into the employ of the
llammonds of Crown Point, the father
of the present Gen. John \. Hammond
being one of his employers. The Ham
monds were then doing a very large lum-
Der business and young Dixie grew so
rapidly in their regard that he soon had
charge of about l25 lumbermen in the
woods. lie remained for long series of
years in that position, constantly growing
in the esteem and favor of his employers
until he had become the most trusted man
i'll their employ. Meanwhile he had
formed partnership with Darwin Rider
and together they kept general store on
the Vermont shore of the lake, Dixie
spending such of his time in that business
as was not required of him in his other
IL,
/ Dixie pulled up stakes in New York and
Vermont and went West, settling in Min
neSOta. He built the first saw mill and
the first Touring mill in Southern Mime
sofa and rapidly grew prosperous.
When the war broke out efforts, for a
time unsuccessful, were made to organ
izc a company in Fairbault Dixie put his
shoulder to the wheel and in fraction of
a day raised Co. III lSt Minnesota vol
unteers, numbering 10 men, Dixie after
wards being made major of that regi-
ment To those of the men asked to en-
list who said they had families to sup
port, Mr.. Dixie replied to go ahead and
he would see that theil families did not
want, which he did Some of the officers
of the regiment were too poor to purchase
the regulation equipments. Major Dixie
supplied the equipments, trusting to the
honor of the officers to repay him when
they were able. and he relates with evil
dent pride that every one of them after
wards reimbursed him in full. so widely
had Major Dixie become known to prOmi-
nent men throughout the State and SC
great his popularity among all classes
that when the political conventions were
about to assemble in the fall of 1861 del
cations from both the Republican and
Democratic parties were sent to him tC
accept the nomination for governor. lie
refused point blank to do so, but not.
withstanding this he was nominated fol
the governorship by the conventions OF
both parties, unanimously by one anG
with only one vote against him in tn,
other. Still he declined the nomination
and persisted in his declination, simply
saying that she would rather be plail
Bill Dixie than the governor of Minneso
ta." And such is Major Dixie He i:
personally known to more people and has
more friends than any other man in Min
nesota, and probably no other man evel
had so large an acquaintance as he il
Eastern New York and Western Vernon
and from Troy to Montreal. He is hal,
and hearty at % and once in Il while
comes this way to meet old friends, by
whom he is most heartily welcomed, ant
on each such occasion he adds still NOR,
friends to his already endless list.