Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-08-04
WILLIAM =. RYrHrp

William Eaton Ryther a veperabl,
dent of BernardstOn, Mass, well kno..p9'
for a term of years the publisher % T4,s
Vermont Phoenix, died at his bor. IN |
Bernardston Tuesday, Aug. NV
born in Bernardston April >, 1905. and w., H
the son of DR.. Gideon Ryder The .o, \"
ment of the Ryther family in BernarS'',,ps
dates back to 1853, and from that tins
the present the Ryther farm and bn.
stead, at the well-known junction NJ ~Y ne
roads, in the north part of the village W. ,u
been uninterruptedly in the fsmiiy' u. u@
session. 1t is a singular fact that tbdpS ~
neral of this man, 81 years and
months old, took place in the very ,o ,o'
where he was born. Mr. Ryther wa ,41
of the younger in family of several ,IT '
dren. He went to Springfield Mas, u
learn the printers trade, coming Ia c.
field after two or three years to fnisb M
apprenticeship in the office of An
Phelps. In his early manhood he c,a.
to Brattleboro and became the pub,tl.
for the owners, of the Independent r.
gineer, a paper of liberal religions yisr.
At this time George w. Nichols wa, ".
publisher of the Brattleboro Messencs,
Wing paper. After a years time h va
agreed to drop both papers and from tbs,
to resurrect a new paper TO be called Ti-
Vermont Phoenix. This was in S4n,sr
Der, 1884. OF this paper Nichols i Pr
Their were the publishers for two va,..
when a change occurred, and a little ls,..
Mr.. Ryther became the sole owner of n.
paper, and was its publisher until Inv
1S47, when he formed a partnership Mi
O. II. Platt, who died in st. Louis oplr
few months ago. In April. ISL II,
Platt bought Mr.. Ryther's interest and
soon after, death having made change, h
the BernardstOn family, Mr.. Rytber -
turned to the old home place, where he h,
ever since lived, conducting the farm mo
cessfully. He made no pretence to being,
newspaper writer, but was successful,
publisher and printer. His Office va,
for a time in the old 'long' building vbsr.
Hooker block now stands, but it was Al.
terward removed to Wheelers block, nov
owned by d. S. and o. J. Pratt, where. N,
tered on the granite door post, the sjg,
'Ryther's Printing Office" may still b
seen. During his residence in Brattleboo
Mr.. Ryther owned and occupied the hons
where VIM. S. Newton now lives. and h.
also acquired the ownership of the Main
street property, well known a dozen year
ago as "Ryther's Arcade" where, in lS4
he built the brick building which now Or.
cupies that site.
Mr.. Ryther's first wife was a Miss J4T.
EFT of Halifax, by whom he had six chill.
dren, and of whom only the younges,
George Fl. Ryder, a lawyer in Boston. /,
now living The mother died when tht
child was in his infancy, and several YEAR
after, in 1859, Mr.. Ryther married Mis-
Martha Clark of Dummerston, a sister Of
Thomas and Eli Clark, who survives hin.
Although often assuming a gruff eyts
riOr, Mr., Ryther was a man of real kind.
ness Of heart, and he possessed a native
shrewdness and a sharp wit which he'd
their own in any encounter. stand
Wing under the old party lines, he W.
equally stanch and uncompromising asa
Republican ever after the formation Of
that party. His integrity was unques-
toned and whatever he agreed to do was
done without delay or evasion. To he
last he kept up his interest in The Phoenix.
and watched the growth and prosperity Of
the paper with a sense of personal pride
Three years ago he suffered stroke q
paralysis, and ever since his health ha
been in gradual decline.
Immediately after the funeral at Bel.
nardston yesterday morning, the body va,
brought to Brattleboro for burial in M
Ryther's lot in Prospect Hill cemetery,
Rev. Mr.. Hough conducting a brief SCI.
vice at the grave.