Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-10-07


worked on farm and attended school at
Poughkeepsie, where his father removed
when he was quite young. He entered
dry goods store, but the work did not suit
him and after four years service he began
to learn the art preservative in the Eagle
office at Poughkeepsie. Later he complet-
ed his trade in the journal office at Kings
ton, and several months before his appren-
ticeship was ended he was promoted to the
foremanship of the Office. He soon came
to North Bennington, this state, and began
the publication of The Battle Ground,
with Daniel Cady as a partner. This
partnership did not prove congenial to Mr.
Atkins, and in October, 1853, he gave up
all that he had invested and came to Bel
lows Falls, where he bought the Republ-
can Standard and changed its name to the
Bellows Falls Argus He introduced
many innovations into the paper which
have since been adopted by nearly every
paper in the state. Probably no man in
the profession had done so much as he in
developing the feature of town news
items now in universal use.
He remained at Bellows Falls for 10
years, and put his paper on a paying basis,
increasing the subscription list from jOOtO
2OOO. In 1863 he removed to Montpelier
and bought the Vermont Patriot, paper
established for many years and at the time
edited by the poet, Charles G.. Eastman.
Mr.. Atkins combined the titles of the two
papers as well as the plants and called the
consolidated issue The Argus and Patriot.
For several years, and indeed until after
the close of the Civil war. his position was
n
Democrat of the most pronounced type
and his paper teemed with the strongest
denunciations of the methods and meas
ures used in the prosecution of the war
SO offensive were some of his utterances
that his Office was at one time nearly mob
bed bv the soldiers in the hospital camp at
the capital. OF this period of his career
little more can be said than that he had the
courage of his convictions and adhered to
them with a tenactv that compelled admi-
ration, even from his political opponents.
His paper had among its editorial contrib
utors in those DAYS such men as the late
| Hon. Timothy p. Redheld. Samuel Wells,
| c. !. Gleason. and other able men of the
Democratic party.
Mr.. Atkins was appointed postmaster at
! Bellows Falls by President buchanan and
held that office until 1861. The only 9th
err Federal office which he ever held was
that of superintendent of the construction
of the Government building at MONTPELIER.
to which he was appointed bv President
Cleveland in 1856. He had been mem
her of the Democratic state committee
since 1863. being its chairman for 20 wears
He had also served as the Vermont mem
Der of the Democratic national committee.
He attended every Democratic national
convention from 1860 to 1892 inclusive,
except the Greeley convention of 1872.
He was prime mover with Gen. VIM. f.
Smith of New York in securing the nomi-
nation of Gen. Hancock i'm 1880. At the
time of his death he was a member of the
Vermont world s fair commission.
Mr.. Atkins's first wife was Miss Maria
Dewitt of Catskill. n. Y. by whom he
had three children. two of whom survive
Miss Kate. and Elizabeth. the wife of
Capt O. ID. Clark, both of Montpelier.
Mr. Atkins's first wife died in 1850 and in
1864 he married Julia NJ, daughter of En-
IA F. Kimball of Bellows Falls, whose sud
den death i'm the hour of her husband s
victory in the Democratic state convention
last Nav produced such a sensation at the
time, and is still wildly remembered
The death of Mr.. Atkins removes one
of the most distinctive and strongly ndi-
vidual factors in the political and journal,
istic life of Vermont which the state has
ever seen. The hold of Mr.. Atkins upon
his party and his dominating management
, of its affairs was remarkable. Whether
his management was for good or i'll Mr.
Atkins held supreme control against al
efforts to dislodge him. The most determ
ined of these efforts was made at the open
ing of this years canvass, and its defeat i,
, a matter of too recent occurrence to neeC
! recalling in detail. The fight was hare
! one for Mr.. Atkins, and its mental anC
physical strain may have been the begin
+, ming of his breaking down. 1t closed trag