St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-01-03
THE GROWTH OF FAIRBANKS
VILLAGE.

breaking the SpcI.--I nfrudine Upon Ma
lures Domain and the Solitude of the
4 ecs.--A Step Towards the Unknown
Never Before Attempted by Nan.
To the Editor of the Calcdonian :
| suppose that that small part of the
visible universe now known as the
Fairbanks village existed there when
the morning stars sang at the dawn of
creation, although unknown to man
for millions of years, or until visited
by the Indians for hunting and fish
ing.
I'm modern times the white men
made q road across Pumpkin hill in
DanviIle. and built Il bridge across
SIcepcr's river Il few rods above the
present location of the dam. The
covering of the bridge, and every part
oft, was of round logs, and was our
only bridge for many years. y GER
tain Little boy used to see the farm
ers wash their sheep i'll the rapid run
ming water where the scale works
now stand. At that time we had no
other road ut that place than the one
crossing the log bridge. There was
then no improved land nor q house
in that vicinity and only seven dwell
ing houses on the Plain. The griSt
mill on the Passumpsic was still in
operation, although there was no
saw mill there. As there were no
urgent demands then for the i'm
provemcnt of that water power no
person was inclined to venture upon
an uncertain experiment. Moreover,
IT had not entered into the heart of
man to conjecture what was in
store for that place in the distant
future But that place was the sub
jcct of destiny. and the time was
drawing near and the hidden forces
were operating to hasten the con-
summation of those grand and aston
iShing schemes.
There was q certain plain unas-
Stunning man, endowed with a fair
share of good oId-l;' ,hioncd. solid.
practical common sense That man
came and saw that waste of water
rolling and tumbling over those
rocks, and was inspired with faith
that he could use ii for beneficient
and profitable purposes. Joseph Fair
banks never had any aspirations for
a dazzling distinction or rcnOwn, but
he ALWAYS succeeded III his undertake
ingS- The utmost extent of his anti
cipatiOnS did not reach much if any
beyond his own private works and
wagon shop for his brother Thad-
deus MIR Fairbanks had then only
limited amount of means and his
expenditures were with the stricteSt
economy. But even with many try
ing cmbarraSSmcntS nc builded bet
ter than ne knew, exceeding his most
Sanguinc expectations He did not
know, nor even presume that q mag
nihccnt and StupcndOus structure
that would aStOniSh the whole
world would he erected on the very
foundations that he was then and
there laying His beginning was like
the planting of Il small mustard seed
III that hitherto unprOductivc, UNI
promising soil. But that seed ger
minated and grew to mammoth pro
portions, sending out its branches III
all directions and into all countries
for the benefit of mankind
y fair amount of various kinds of
manufacturing and mechanical bust
ness had been carried on at the Fair
banks village. especially during the
latter part of the first , wears of its
life When the fullncSS of time had
fully come that small and humble
hamlet was changed To the high rank
of It's destined greatness and became
a rich and important manufacturing
rs we'll As commercial centre The
singular and sudden transition from
one extreme to another was 50 great
and unexpected. that even the princi-
pal agents and operatives were
startled and astonished by their own
wonderful achievements. The Fair
banks works and business have con
ferred great and substantial benefits
upon that community. as well as up
on other places
Please compare the st. Johnsburv
of 1909, or even of 1889, with that
of today. with its railroads. new
streets, elegant buildings. churches.
schools. other public institutions, its
increased population, Il town with
all needful facilities for continued
growth and prosperity, and YOU Will
find Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Fair
banks. conspicuouslv engraved upon
all those things. Please unroll the
map OF the world and there YOU will
find not only all America, but all
parts of the world dotted over with
Fairbanks, Fairbanks. Fairbanks.
Well done thou good and prosper