Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-04-16
Thndhena PnirhnnLn.

Sir Thaddeus Fairbanks Of st. Johusbury, the
venerable inventor aud public benefacor passed qu-
city away at the home Of his sou Rev. Henry Fair
banks, IN that village last Monday morning. Hewas
the second son OF Joseph and Phnbe Fairbanks Of
Dedbam, Mass, born January H. 1886 at Brimheld,
Mass, aud therefore 80 years Of age at the time
of his death. He received such an education the
district schools of Brimheld afforded, and ia 1915 re-
moved to st. Johnsbury with bis parents, where he
and his father built saw-m aud afterwards a grist-
mill His FIRST enterprise the manufacture Of
carriages. ln 1928 he built small iron foundry, aud
IN 1924 in company with his brother Erastus, began
the manufacture of cas-iron plOws aud stoves. The
patent issued 10 him for cast-iron pow and
in 1885 he was granted patent upon 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 ia dress
lug hemp, patented hemp dresser. He soon became
the manager Of the ST Juhnsbury hemp company. 1t
was necessary 70 provide means Tor weighing the
hemp straw which they had to deal in. The only
scales then In the even balance and the old
Roman steelyards. II was then that he grasped the
idea which became his LIES work, aud after long aud
careful study he constructed platform scale upon
which loads OF hemp might be weighed. As practi-
cal weighing machine this was the birth OF the mod.
cru scale. Soon this scale became renowned and the
Fairbanks brothers gave mp other branches Of indus
try aud turned their whole attention to the mauufac
ture Of scales. The demand for different kinds OF
scales arose, and Mr.. Fairbanks had to grapple with
the problem Of construction. The modern scale, In
the style and form in which has become familiar the
world over, the invention Of Thaddeus Fairban
OF the 500 notifications of the original design which
now made, many are In the very form which be
perfected and first made with bis hands. He
planned and built most Of his shops, and invented a
large amount of the machinery in them. The soye-
reigns of three different nations honored the aged in
ventor with tokens of their consideration. He built
the st. JOhnsbury academy and boarding house, and
gave this welequipped institution to the town. His
benefactons in this direction amounted to 5000 OOO
1t has fallen to the lot OF few men to accomplish
much for the world az he, in inyeung and introduce
ing the castron plow the arrangement Of refrgera-
tors which has been universally adopted aud the
weighing machine that has the process
OF business the world over He was dearly beloved
by all who knew him. and will be missed by large
number Of friends wherever lac was known. His fu-
neral took place from his late residence wednesday
afternoon. The bearers were eI-GOv. Horace Fair
banks, C0s. Franklin and VIM T. Fairbanks, Rev. Z.
T. Fairbanks, Albert Hager Of OttawA-all nephews-
aud the dead mans son, Prof Henry Fairbanks. The
remains were lowered into the grave by six OF the old
est employees Of the scale company. All the business
places In the town aud the company's warehouses
throughout the United States and Canada closed
dnrlng the day.