Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-05
THE LATE HEKRroK P. FROST.

End of am Active and Prominent BusI' ] ness Career-A Sketch of His LIIs and HIstOry-His Last Illness. Herrick P. Frost passed away at his resi- dence on Chapel street Saturday morning at about Il o'clock. His end was painless and he had been unconscious since the pre- vious Thursday evening. Mr. Frost was one our leading and most prominent business men, and his death, while yet hardly past the monday of life, is deeply regretted in our community and by large circle of warm personal friends in this and other cities. The deceased went to Florida in the latter part of last winter by advice of his physicians, fail ing health, owing to the heavy strain upon him of his personal business and the numer- ous financial enterprises with which he was identified. giving warning that rest was i'm perative. While in Florida he was stricken with an attack of paralysis, affecting the right side. He returned home to this city by short and easy stages, arriving here in May. He recovered almost entirely from the paraly~ sis, and about July 1, seclusion and absence from the city with it's constant re- hinder of business being deemed i'm perative, he repaired to the home of his sister, Mrs. N N. King in SufReld, Ct. Here he improved daily in quiet contact
 
 into the surrounding country and the utter absence of business responsibilities He i'm proved until the cool damp September came when he again began to fail rapidly, and hopes that had been raised that he was te red cover were dashed to earth. He returned to his home here, only as it proved, to die. All that loving hands and tender affection could render and the best medical skill were futile. His strength did not utterly fail him until a short time ago, as a week ago last Thursday he was able to rise out. He sank away rapid ly in the last few days of his life and died re- signed to the divine will and ready to de- part. In the history of New Haven is the following account of bis career:
 HerrickP P. Frost was born January 6, 1885, in the town of Wolcott New Haven county State of Con- CT of that town who married PhiIanda Futile, Her rick being second of five children. He spent his boyhood and early youth on the farm, attending school during the winter months.
 Having a natural turn for trade, at the age of curing a team, with goods of various kinds, he travelled through four or five States, and was sue in acquiring an experience of the ways of the world and in gaining confidence in himself.
 came to New Haven in March, 1856, and after one on two business ventures @ he formed a partnership sale grocery house of Tyler Frost State street. for twenty years when the partnership was dis solved.
 was brought to the worlds notice by Professor Alexander Graham Bell. The attention of MT, Frost called to it, and after careful examina tion of it's merits, be at once the practical of the invention. He accordingly associated him. self with MT. George W. Coy. an electrician and first telephone company ever formed for general exchange business was organized in New Haven, pany, and the first telephone exchange the world ever established.
 novel and amusing toy for the general pubic and n of adiac6nt towns could be connected so that they could talk to face was a revelation and the enterprise at tracted wide and general attention and was soon
 the talk of the town,'' the exchange being visited by schools. students college and scientific profes sors and strangers from Chicago, Louis. Memphis New Orleans and many other cities.
 It was an agreeable surprise, only to Mr Frost ciated with him, that the business public also tunity to use the telephone for business after the New Haven exchange was established it had 150 subscribers, and within year 400 stores Haven therefore. has the credit through the fore sight enterprise of MT. Frost, of being the first city having telephone business exchange. Since rapdity. In 1880 capitalists became intesested in Haven company became merged into the Connecti- cut company, the late Governor Marshal Jewell of nitcheiI and Morris F. Tyler. Esq, directors In 1884 the name of the company was changed to the capital increased to $1,5oo,ooo MT: Frost was still the general manager of the company and at the present time, owing to his en- ergy and successful management the lines of the company have been carried into every towns ham, let and school village throughout the State and territory m the world has so many telephones in use in Proportion to population S as Conneetieut: daughter of the late Ashbel Mix. highly respected citizen of Bristol Conn. They have three children, two sons and daughters.
 MT. Frost has been connected with the New Ha- ven city government member of the council and as alderman, police commissioner, etc. He also served three years chairman Of the city board Of finance.
 MT. Frost was instrumental a couple of years ago in organizing the Connecticut Tele- graph company, which shortly was merged into the Postal Telegraph company, the head quarters of which are in New York. He was also prominent in the consolidation of several companies into the Boston Electric Light company, of which F. A. Gilbert, formerly of this city, is general superintendent, and was director in the company and in the Portland (Me.) Electric Light company; was vice president of the New Haven Electric Light company and prominent in its forma- tion; was one of the board of trustees of the American Electric Light system of New York, vice president of the Mallett Cattle company of Colorado, of which Major H. H. Strong of this city is secretary and treasurer and R. A. Neale of Southington president. He was also director in the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone compa- ny, headquarters at Washington, D. O., and was Iargely prominent Tn the formation or that company. Beside the relatives above named deceased leaves three brothers, one in Southington on the old homestead, and two in Hartford who are in the telephone service there. The deceased was man of noble heart, generous in spirit, g kind and devoted husband and father, and many are the kind, unostentatious deeds of charity and the kindly helping hands he has extended to friends. The funeral will occur on Wednes, day, Rev. Dr. Todd officiating. The inter- ment will be in the Evergreen cemetery.