The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-09-22
ANAN FRANCIS STILLsON.


The decease of Frank Stillson, as he
was widely and Familiarity known, at
Rutland, Saturday, was quite sudden.
lie had not been well for some time, but
serious results were not thought of, and
he had planned to start for his brothers
in West Windsor for a couple of weeks
rest, on the morning he died. In the
evening of Friday ne was taken with
epileptic fits and never regained con-
seriousness, passing away at $50 Satur-
day morning.
Deceased was born in Middle Gran
vile, N. Y, March 80, 1854, and came to
Bennington in 1872. He worked for
few months in the Vermont Gazette Of
fee, then owned by his brother, and at
the same time he was the local agent for
the Rutland Herald and other dailies.
He had Just an even hundred subscribers.
for the Herald in and about town at one
time. He graduated from the printers
craft suddenly because of an opening
that offered to become news agent on
the Bennington and Rutland and Leban-
on Springs railroads, then operated as
one line under the name of the Harlem
Extension. His first trip was made
with D. II. Smith, then a conductor on
that line. Frank afterwards went to
Rutland and resided there the balance of
his life, boarding for nearly IS years
with Mrs. Smith, mother of Conductor
Smith. Some eight or nine years ago,
he became the proprietor of the depot
news stand in Rutland. and since then
the bulk of his personal attention to bus
mess has been there, employing boys to
run on the trains, but occasionally COM
ing down the B. & r. as of old.
Possessed of an accommodating and
quiet disposition, Frank Stillson made
many friends and became widely known.
His shortness OF stature, while it at
tracted attention, did not initiate
against his business capacity. On sew
eral occasions, earlier, the late =. t.
Barnum tried to induce him to go with
him, promising to make his fortune, but
neither Frank nor his father would con-
sent, and he did not, therefore, enter
upon the show career. Franks stature
is not known to the writer, but he was
very much shorter than many of the lit
tie people that Barnum and others have
exhibited through the country and in
Europe.
One popularity of his physique was
that until quite recently, he did not
show age. IL was discredited by stran-
for some years after he became of age,
he could go anywhere on half
ticket and no one would think of him as
a boy over twelve years old. AS soon as
it became known that be had passed
away, large number of friends called at
his boarding place to offer sympathy
and assistance. This continued up to
the time appointed for the obsequies.
He had friends everywhere and in al
most every station in life. Not only the
family friends, but the Central Vermont,
the Bennington & Rutland officials and
employees were sincere mourners. The
Herald of Tuesday, says: 1.-THE funeral
of Frank StillsOn was held yesterday
afternoon at o'clock. Prayer was said
at the house on Evelyn street, and at 2.30
o'clock, services were held at the Uni
versalist church, Rev. II. S. Fiske Off
ciating. The singing was furnished bya
quartette consisting of Mrs. Edward
Smith, Miss Edith Paige, Edward Paige
and Verna Wooster. Miss Wheeler pre-
sided at the organ. There were several
beautiful floral tributes from the rela-
tives and friends of the deceased. The
bearers were H. w. Spafford, William
Breckenridge, George Bell and j. j.
Lee, all railroad men. The body was
taken to Middle Granville, n. Y, on the
3.45 o'clock train where it was inferred
in the family lot"
Frank never married. His father and
mother died several years ago, the for
mer in 1873, and the latter in 1881, and
he is survived by three brothers. These
unite in cordial thanks to Mrs. Smith
who has been as mother to him in care
and sympathy, and to all the friends
who assisted in the last sad rites, many
of them accompanying the remains to
Middle Granville and to the cemetery.
These favors are all noted and gratefully