St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-22

pied with affairs of private business,
he was equally interested in the bust
ness of the town. He was one of the
organizers of the Passumpsic bank in
1856, serving as a director until 1865,
when the bank was reorganized under
the national banking system as the
First National bank of st. JOhnsbury
with Gov. Fairbanks as vice president,
a position he held until 1886 when he
was elected president, remaining at
the head of the bank until his death.
He was also one of the cOrpOrators of
the Passumpsic savings bank a trus-
tee and liberal supporter of the st.
Johnsbury academy, and also of the
Burlington university and of the Phil
lips academy at Andover. He was a
stakeholder and director in the Tama-
rack copper mines of Michigan, and
was one of the 26 corporate members
of the MARITIME Canal Company of
Nicaragua" a company organized for
the construction of a ship canal from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. He was
also interested in other business enter
prises and in these latter days was far
from being a man of leisure.
But to no single business enterprise
aside from that of the scale company
did Gov. Fairbanks devote SO much
energy, thought, time and money as
to the construction of the Portland 81
Ogdensburg railroad. For 10 years he
worked untiringly to secure charters,
to interest the people of Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont in and to push
forward the enterprise against seem
ingly insurmountable obstacles. He
has been generally credited with hav-
ing first conceived the idea of building
a railroad through the White Mountain
notch. At all events he maintained
the feasibility of the scheme, while
many practical men in New Hampshire
and in this state laughed him to scOrn,
and he lived to see it accomplished.
At last, in July, 1877, with imposing
ceremonies, he drove with his own
hand the spike that held the last rail
of the Vermont division of the road in
it's place forming the connecting link
between the Connecticut river and Lake
Champlain. This great project was
hardly begun before the financial cri-
sis of 1873 came on. The enterprise,
though not financial success, brought
many benefits to the people along its
line. Gov. Fairbanks was president of
the st. JOhnsbury & Lake Champlain
until it was leased to the Boston 81
Lowell, and a director in the latter
road until he disposed of all his inter-
est a year or two ago.
In Public Life.
Though in no sense a politician,
shrinking from publicity and a stran-
ger to Office seeking methods, Mr.. Fair
banks has been prominent figure in
the state for the last 40 years. A re-
publican, whose fidelity to party has
been one of his marked characteristics,
he has frequently been called upon to
represent his party in various ways.
He was delegate from Vermont to the
national republican conventions of
1864 and 1872, and was presidential
elector at large in 1868. In 1869 he
was elected to represent Caledonia
county in the state senate, but was I'M
able to take his seat because of sick
ness.
1t was in 1876 that he was elected
governor of the state for two years.
The circumstances that led to his NOM
nation and election were specially
noteworthy. Although early in the
canvass his name had been mentioned
in connection with the Office, it was
against his wishes and consent, and he
plainly and squarely declined to be Il
candidate. When the nominating con-
vention met, Asahel Peck, Jacob Estey
and John B. Mead were the leading
candidates, though it was evident that
no one who had been talked of could
carry the strength of the party. Mr..
Fairbanks was not at the convention,
and in spite of his withdrawal Hon. P.
X. Gleed presented his name, "nOt of
the great unknown" he said, "but of
the great and known" The nomina-
ton was seconded by Hugh Henry.
After two ballots it became apparent
that neither of the leading candidates
could be nominated, their names were
withdrawn and the current turned up
on Mr.. Fairbanks like a tornado, and
he was nominated by reclamation
without dissenting voice. The first
intimation that Mr.. Fairbanks, who
was in Burlington at the time, had of
the action of the convention was this
telegram from Hon. Charles S. Dana:
"YOu are to be governor of Vermont
in spite of yourself. Congratulations
that words cannot express"
"The unanimity of the convention,
supplemented by the solicitations of
many friends" wrote Mr.. Fairbanks in
his letter of acceptance, "has over
borne my own judgment and wishes
and leads me to accept the nomina
ton" The story of the election that
followed is familiar one. The demo-
Gratis, with w. HI. I'll. Bingham as a
candidate, made ii strenuous effort to
reduce the republican majority, as it
was presidential year, but without
avail. Mr.. Fairbanks was elected by
a majority of 1921, his own town of