Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-03
OBITUARY..

one OF NcrmOnt's most prominent resident
is taken away BY the death OF Hon; Frede-
lick Billings, which occurred at hi> home in
Woodstock ON Tuesday eN ming. He was
stricken with paralysis l''c. y last Mr..
Killings was born AT Roy ton IN I>2i. He
graduated from the university OF Vermont in
l>4t and was admitted 10 the bar four years
later. Mr.. Billings was the first lawyer to
put up his sign in sam Francisco. During
Gen. Ma>on's provisional government OF
California young Billings was made attor.
ncy-general. During the Lincoln campaign
OF l>t0 he stumped the country with Thomas
Starr King and helped save California To the
Union. He was married March 81, s62, to
Julia, daughter OF DR.. Eliazar Parmly OF New
York city. He returned to Vermont III lod6,
where he was IL candidate tor nomination Tor
governor one year, but was defeated. He
refused all offers OF political preterment after
that Mr.. Billings believed that the great
need OF the Pacific coast was direct cOmmu-
mcation with the East. He became one OF
the board OF directors OF the Northern Pacific
in $50. At the time OF the great panic OF 1873,
when the railroads fiscal agents Jay Cooke
\ CO., failed, Mr.. Billings was managing Iii
rector OF the land department which he had
organized. The company's affairs we've at
their lowest ebb. The plan OF reorganiza.
ton by which its bonded debt was wiped
out in $50, through the conversion ot its
bonds into preferred stock, was the scheme
of Mr. Billings He was then appointed
chairman OF the executive committee ana
in l>79 elected president. From that
tire the Northern Pacific railroad was an
assured success, ANA when Mr.. Billing, re-
signed, in l>Sl, the preferred stock, which
had >old a. low a. - per share, has risen To
$50, and the common stock, which had sold
at Sl.j0 was quoted at about $50. Mr.. BIZ
ling~ ALWAYS called Woodstock his home ana
in 1863 he purchased the estate OF Charles
Marsh ut Woodstock, hitting il up deliberately
II consists OF LOCO acres OF land und Il man
sion. There are six miles OF drives on 1t. and
Mr. Billings was very fond OF his blooded
stock, including Jersey cattle and >outhdown
sheep. His name has become famous OF late
many charities He purchased the library
OF the Hon. George p. Marsh, United states
minister to Italy He gave it to the universe
lY OF Vermont, and followed the present
with library building which cost him 5000
600 He gave the same institution s50,0M
endowment nj the last commencement. lie
also endowed chair OF hygiene at Amherst
tor $4,000, in memory OF his eldest son
Parmley Billings, who graduated there III
ISL and died in lsSe. He gave Mr.. Moody
another 100000 to endow his school tor boys
at Mount Hermon in memory OF another son
Enrich, who died year ago. Recently he
caused to be erected n handsome tongrega
tional church at Billings, Montana, towl
named after him.
Lucy Clarke Duren was born in Cornwall
Vt, April 10, 1919. While still in infancy hel
parents removed to Middlebury, which wa
ever atterward her home. At the age OF Il
she was married to Mr.. Leonard Walker
(who is still living and nj once assumed tht
duties OF mother to the two little ones let
him by his former wife. She was the mother
OF eleven children, three of whom died in in
fancy and three Others after attaining ma
turity. The tive surviving children are Mrs
j. NJ Pettegrew of Brooklyn, y. Y; Mrs
Philander Whitney OF Fort Ann, y Y; Rev
Edgar l.. Walker OF CasteltOn; Mrs Ora +
Woodward OF Rochester, y. y, ana Mrs W
c. Brand OF Middlebury. Her last Hines
was briet and comparatively painless Oh
Tuesday morning, sept. 10, severe strok'
OF paralysis rendered the whole % her LEI
side entirely helpless. Her mind was clea
and she conversed cheeriuly with thos
about her during that day and the next
seeming not to consider her illness ANYTHING
serious or to suffer much pain. Ihursda.
afternoon, after period OF intense pain, sh
sank into stupOr from which she never raj
lied and quietly ceased breathing = hours la'
en- An atfectionate and devoted wife am
mother and kind and faithful friend am
neighbor, there are many who will long mis-
her. "IIer children shall rise mp and ca
her blessed. Blessed are the dead who iii
i'm the Lord" Y
Alanson Edgerton, who died at his HON
in Charlotte ON Friday, was the builder q
many churches and bridges in this section
He erected the Congregational church Il
Bridport.