Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-01-18

unIrn Century ~ the Growth and dee
VcIopmcnt oT this NilsNgt.
Bcthucl Ranger, the announcement OF
whose sudden death shocked the commllll.
tv Monday has been accurately described
as a Landmark in the business life OF brat-
tleboro.N With a record of % years OF
active life here, seven AS apprentice anu
iourncyman, and nearly % as member OF
a well-known firm, he was not only Brat
tleboro's veteran business man, but the
oldest matchmaker and iewelcr in active
service in New England.
Mr.. Ranger had suffered from heart dis
| ease several months, and Of late had lack
! ed his accustomed energy. lie had, how
! ever, attended to business regularly and
was at the store the entire day Saturday
! lie was attacked Sunday at his home on
! Willston street with neuralgia in the left
| side and II was soon evident that his con-
dition was serious. with the cessation
of pain, Monday, at 1890 A. NJ, came the
end through weakness of the hearts &C
/ ton.
Mr.. Ranger was born in Colrain, Mass,
October s, 1922, being the youngest of the
nine children of Bethuel and Elizabeth
Peck Ranger. and the last survivor of the
family. His parents moved TO Munroe,
Mich, in 1881, living there five years. The
history of Mr. Rangers life in Brauleboro
is coincident with the history Of the Ran
| ger ~ Thompson concern, which dates
back to 1877, when Isaac Thompson, the
grandfather OF II. II. Thompson, set up
| business here. He was succeeded by his
son. Deacon ID. b. Thompson, who died in
1876, aged II. OF him Mr.. Ranger came
to learn the trade in 1886, being then a
] l. In, fff.
wooden building, where the Ranger ~
Thompson building now stands. When
fire threatened it in 1912 it was pulled
down and Mr.. Thompson set up his bust
ness in Halls long building afterward
the Fisk building, where Hooker block
now stands. October !, 1913, Mr.. Ranger
took an interest in the business. In 1851
the store was moved to its present loca-
ton and here it has ever since remained,
Mr.. Ranger becoming the head of the firm
on Deacon Thompson's death, and II. II.
Thompson succeeding to his fathers in
terest. The firm was Thompson IL Ran
ger until the death of ID. Il. Thompson
and has since been Ranger & Thompson.
While Mr.. Ranger was the oldest man in
active business life, there are several men
living who were in business here when he
entered the firm, but who are now retired.
Among them are Deacon VIM. Esterbrook
John W. Frost, Henry Durham, Masa
Willis and DR.. Putnam.
1t is interesting to recall, as showing the
changes of the last 80 years, that when
the Thompson u Ranger firm was formed
in 1913, Walnut street, the Terrace, and all
the territory above was a pasture, and so
late as 1852 Van Amburg's circus and
caravan showed about where the Haskins,
Childs and Cabot houses now stand The
last house on High street and the avenue,
on that side, was the Hannibal Hadley
house. Oak street was a cornfeld, an so
was the land now occupied by Forest
square. The upper end of Green street
was a place where it wasn't thought eX-
actly safe for children TO go berrying alone.
Prospect hill was a forest, save for the
space occupied by what is now the old part
of the cemetery on and near the brow of
the hill. Esteyville, too, was a forest, and
so of the various outlying sections.
The only business buildings of those
days still standing are the Thomas Judge
building, the American House, the stone
building owned by D. S. and o. J. Pratt,
and the Williston stone building Hall d
Townsley were the great moguls among
the merchants, occupying the whole of
what is now known as the Steen building.
u.
and John II. Wheeler all did general
merchandise business.
Mr.. Ranger used TO relate, with an anus
ing chuckle and intonation, that, with the
exception of Mr.. Wheeler, in this general
merchandise wet goods made very promi-
nent item. 1t was simply the way of the
times. 1t was as much taken for granted
that customer could buy good New Eng
land rum at one of these stores in any
quantity, from a drink to a barrel, as that
he could buy flour, or sugar, or cotton
cloth. To those knowing ones who tell
the crowd today that there has been no
improvement in the drinking habits of the
people Mr.. Ranger used to have the advice
that they had better talk less until they
knew more, for he could remember when
every one of the three hotels had public
bars u or II feet long with bartender
who did nothing except to serve drinks,
and on "hgh days he required the serv-
ices of two or three assistants.
In recent years Mr.. Ranger has said that
when he looked from the back windows of
his store down on the railroad track, and
saw the heavy freight trains 90 by he could
not help seeing, also, how it looked with
three or four fat boats tied up to their
wharves which had laboriously brought
their little loads of supplies up the river
from Hartford. Hall IL Townsley ran sew
eral of these boats. David Goodell. Keith
White and Henry Reed did the rest of the
freighting with their big six horse teams at
their leisurely pace. For the passenger
traffic the stages came and went from the
four quarters of the world and Brattle-
boro was general jumping-on and jump
ing-off place.
Mr.. Ranger was married A years ago.
He is survived by his wife, whose maiden
name was Abby S. Wheeler. The death
of three of Mr. Rangers sisters-Mrs. Sa-
rah Smiley, Mrs. Arabella n. Smith and
Miss Ellen Ranger-all residents of this
town, within single month, over 20 years
ago, is well remembered. Aside from his
wife Mr.. Rangers nearest relatives are a
nephew, James b. Smiley, of Chicago, and
a niece, Mrs. Shane of Kansas. Mr..
Smiley, who learned his trade under Mr..
Ranger, came on from Chicago to attend
the funeral, as did also Hon. A. W. Pettes,
ex-mayor of Knowlton, p. O., and his sis,
ter, Mrs. j. E. Fay nephew and niece of
Mrs. Ranger.
OF all the longtime Brattleboro resi-
dents none has had more distinct person
ality, both in face and bearing, and in
manner of thought and expression, than
MI. Ranger His views on all subjects
knew no conventional trammels, and they
we're expressed i'm a manner distinctly
unique, Few men could so 'adorn a tale -
or possessed such a fund of anecdote to fin
exactly the theme of conversation of the
, moment. His pungent comment and ready
wit, combined with genuine kindliness OF
heart and manner, will always remain a