St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-10-31
RECENT DEATHS.
Rogers.

Mrs. Rogers, whose death is no
ticed elsewhere, was known to many
in ST. Johnsbury as woman of un-
usual common sense and great force
of character. So passes away the
last of the family of Capt. Barnabas
Barker, settled in st. Johnsbury in
1890. She was a sister of Mrs.
Thaddeus Fairbanks, Mrs Phineas
Page and Capt. E. w. Barker.
Thompson.
News was received here Friday
morning of the death of Hon. Sum-
ner S. Thompson at Frankfort,
Mich, on Thursday evening, Oct. "a.
The news was not unexpected, as lit
tie hope of his recovery was enter
tanned after receiving the first tele-
gram announcing his condition.
While surveying for his new railroad
in Northern Michigan he had CON
tracted malarial fever, which was
followed by a fatal attack of nervous
prostration. Mrs. Thompson reach
ed him before his death
Mr.. Thompson was born in Hall
fax, Mass, April ~, 1923 and was
in his 9th year at the time of his
death. His mother died when he
was a child, and at the age of nine he
was thrown upon his own resources,
working wherever he could. He
came from Essex to Lyndon i'll 1856,
living for about a dozen years at the
Centre and then moving to Lyndon
vile, where he has since resided. AL
though he had large interests else
where he was always proud of his
town and the town often honored
him.
His life work was that of a rail
way contractor, a vocation invOlv-
ing much responsibility and strict at
tention to business. Among his early
contracts was the building of a por-
ton of the Grand Trunk out of Port
land. He built part of the Provi-
dence, Hartford & Fishkill road, now
a part of the New York & New Eng
land system, and roads in New York
state. His work in Vermont was
upon the Central Vermont near Es-
peler & Wells River and the Pas
suinpsic. On the latter road he took
the contract from above st. Johns
bury Centre to Newport, but sub
contracted most of the work, only
building a few miles in Burke himself.
He was a director in the Passumpsic
road from 1879 to 1889, resigning
his position at the last election He
was also a director and one of the
| largest owners in the Woodstock
railroad. He was n large owner in a
lumber tract in Northern Michigan,
and was president of the Frankfort
& Southeastern railroad, a new line
of 25 miles, by which has been opened
up a large lumber region in that sec
ton.
In politics Mr.. Thompson was a
staunch republican. In 1859 he rep
resented Lyndon in the Legislature
and served on the committee of man
ufactures. He was returned to the
House in 1860, and served again two
terms in 1S66-67. In 1876 he was
elected state Senator from this cOun-
ty, and returned to the Senate for
another two years in '7S. His work
in the House and Senate was ardu-
Gus, particularly on committees, and
he was man whose influence was
felt. In 1880 he was presidential
elector, and on the Seth ballot Joined
with the other members of the Yer
mont delegation in changing Yer
mont's vote from Edmunds to Gar
field. He was selectman of the town
for five years and held other town
offices at different times.
Mr.. Thompson was a successful
financier and in 1875 was chosen a
director of the First National bank
in this place, succeeding the late E.
c. Redington. In January, 1886, he
was elected vice-president, position
which he held at the time of his death
Previous to being elected an officer in
this bank he was a trustee of the
Lyndon savings bank.
He was one who gave money
away, not lavishly but judiciously,
and there are many families in the
town of Lyndon and elsewhere who
have reason to remember his gener-
osity. Poor students have been edu-
Gated in schools and colleges at his
expense and he always paid one
tenth of the pastors salary at the
Lyndon Centre church. He felt a
deep interest in the establishment of
Lyndon Institute and has been its
president for many years. When the
Institute was built he advanced the
funds, about $22, 900, which he sub
sequently gave outright to the school.
He has also been liberal giver of his
time and money to the Institute
ever since.
His Christian life was begun at the
early age of 16, when he joined the
Christian Baptist church. His church
relations were never transferred to
the Lyndon Centre church., but he al
ways attended church when at home