St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-04-26
A NOBLE LIFE ENDED.
Col. Franklin Fairbanks Passes Away
Wednesday Evening. A Sketch of
Useful Life.

Underclyffe on Wednesday evening,
April "a, at twenty-five minutes past
ten.
The brief intelligence conveyed in
this sentence brings sorrow to the
heart of every one in this town from
the little child to the oldest resident.
No one was dearer to the hearts of
the people of this town and no one
has done more for those he loved
and those who loved him than the
one who has now been called home.
1t will be recalled that Mrs. Frank
lin Fairbanks died on Feb. 4 last in
Springfield after long and painful
illness. For months Col. Fairbanks
carried the burden of her sickness on
his heart, in addition to the heavy
load Of business cares, and all
through her last illness was by her
side watching her life slowly ebb
away. When the end finally came
the strain upon his nervous system
had been so great that he could not
bear it. Within a week after her
death he was confined to the house
with the grip and this dread disease
slowly reduced his vitality and left
him ill-6tted to cope with more
serious trouble. For about ten
weeks he was confined to his room
on account Of his weakened condi-
tion, and though no serious svmp-
toms had developed everyone felt that
unless his strength soon returned
something else would take him
away. On Saturday morning last
his physician discovered that embo.
lism had developed in one foot. This
is the formation of clot of blood,
which is scientifically termed an
embolus, which leaves the heart and
stops somewhere in the system and
produces a stoppage of the circula-
tion. When an embolus forms on
the brain it causes paralysis; when
it forms in an artery it causes arte.
rial embolism and is almost always
fatal. Realizing that crisis in the
case had been reached, medical expert.
were summoned from Boston ant
Springfield, and it was hoped tina,
on Sunday Col. Fairbanks might hav,
strength enough TO have the foot re
moved with possible chance of pro-
longing his life for some time. Tht
physicians found him too weak Sun.
day to undergo an operation and il
was hardly expected he would live
through the day.
Last Sunday will be remembered
as one of the saddest Sabbaths ir
the history of our village. A notice
of Col. Fairbanks critical condition
was read from the North church pull
pit and this inexpressibly sad and
unexpected intelligence cast a gloom
over the whole village. Friends and
relatives were summoned from other
places and the family felt the end
was very near. Near the close of the
day his condition improved a little
and this improvement continued
through Monday and Tuesday, SO
that faint ray Of hope was afforded
the friends that he might recover
But on Wednesday morning a
change for the worse came and there
was gradual failure through the
day. 1t was great comfort to the
weary watchers that his mind was
clear through the long hours from
Sunday morning until Wednesday
night and that with few exceptions
there was no suffering. His mes
sages to those he loved that came sc
frequently on the last days of his lif'
are the choicest remembrances of {
good and useful life. He made gal
liant fight for life, but had not tn,
vitality to win. He wanted to liv,
that he might be of more use to
those he loved; yet he was ready tc
die and passed away while asleep.
Branklin Fairbanks was tn,
youngest of the four sons of Erastu
and Lois Fairbanks, and was bori
in this town June 18, 1928. Only
three of the nine children of Gov
Erastus Fairbanks are now living
Charles Fairbanks, who resides il
Nice, France, Mrs. c. M. Stone o
this town and Mrs. c. l.. Goodell o
Boston. Gov. Erastus Fairbank
was one ofthe makers of this village
and he and his two brothers laid tn
foundations we'll for an upright com
munity that was to be filled with al
Industrious and God-fearing people