Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-02-15

In the autumn OF his 18th year he went \
to Boston, where he became interested in
the book store of Richardson, Lord & Hol-
brook, remaining there about two years.
He became a member of the Handel and
Haydn society, and of Lowell Mason's
church choir, and his associations were
such that he enjoyed unusual advantages
for cutivating his natural musical taste,
with the result that for 40 years after his
return to BrattleborO he was the choir
leader of the Centre church. 1t is. in fact, =
only few years ago that Gov. Hobrook
appeared before the Brattleboro public as
the able and gracious leader of an ''od
folks" concert.
Marriage and Vocation.
When the young man was 21 and the y
bride a little less than Is he was married at
the old Goodhue farmhouse which stood
on the site of the present Retreat farm
house, to Harriet Goodhue, the daughter of
Col. Joseph Goodhue After a wedding
journey to Boston, the young people settled
in Bratteboro, and it was within three or
four years after this time that a change in
the family fortunes and the death of the
father, Deacon John Holbrook, led Freder-
ick Holbrook to take up in earnest the
pursuit to which the years of his mature
life were devoted. His natural taste for
agriculture had been given practical form by
work on his fathers farm, already spoken
of. During some months spent in Great -
Britain at the age of 20 he carefully OBJ
served farm methods there, and since his
marriage he had taken up the cultivation of
two considerable tracts of land by his own
hands. He had read widely on agricultural
topics, especially on its scientific side, and
soon began to have a reputation in this di-
recton. He was solicited to write for the -
agricultural press, and though undertaking
the work with hesitation he finally entered
into a contract with the Albany Cutivator
of Albany, and the New England Farmer
of Boston, both then monthly journals, by
which he was to furnish each of them a
leading article each month. He studied
carefully for the literary side of his work,
and consulted his old friend and tutor,
Mark Hopkins, as to the best models and
other means to be used. His writings
were largely copied by the Vermont papers
and it was by this means that he first came
! to public prominence.
! Appearance in Public Life---EIectiOn as
Governor.
In the years 1S40 and 1850 Gov. Hol-
brook was elected a member of the Yer
mont state senate At the session of 1S49
into the eXpediency of recommending the
establishment of national bureau of agri-
culture, and Gov. Hobrook drew up
memorial to the President and Congress
| stating in detail the reasons for establish
| ing such bureau. Those who read that
memorial today will find that it con-
tains in its argument and suggestion the
promise and potency of substantially all
the work which the government has since
undertaken in that direction. 1t attracted
much favorable notice, and was followed
by definite recommendation, in President
Taylor's annual message of that year, for
the formation of such a bureau. This
was undoubtedly the primary movement
which has led up to the department OF ag-
riculture as it exists today.
From the organization of the Vermont
State Agricultural society in 1850 up to the
time of his election as governor, Gov. Hol-
brook was the president of the society
Its fairs were held in the several larger
towns of the state in rotation, and through
his appearance at these exhibitions Gov.
Holbrook became well known both to the
farmers and the public men of the state,
5 so that, by the year 1860, when the war
2 broke out, there were few men, "who ever
l went out of their own dOor-yards,' as the
e Ex-Governor himself puts it, who did not
| know MIN peISOudlS luIOuSu SOLhC OllO VI
e more of the means here suggested. There
A is probably no doubt, at least, that at the
5 time of his election he had wider person
: al acquaintance in the state than has ever
e been enjoyed by any other Vermont gov
e ernor.
5 The Republican convention of 1861 was
e held at Montpelier in the brick church which
e stood on the site of the present Bethany
e (CongregationaD church. The callfori it was
e broad, to fit the patriotic spirit OF the time,
d and embraced ''all who are in favor of sup
porting the constitution and the Union,
1t and of sustaining the Federal government
$ in its efforts to suppress rebellion and put
IS down treason" 1t was mass conven-
lie tion, and its nominating committee brought
e. in, as its state ticket, for governor, Freder-
s. ick Holbrook of Brattleboro; for lieuten
ye ant governor, Levi Underwood of Burling'
Id ton: for treasurer, John A. Page of Rut
Of land. This ticket was unanimously nomi
lie mated and it's election by an overwhelming
n, majority followed in September. Gov
al Holbrook had been a Wing, but at th'
III formation of the Republican party h
Joined its ranks, and was member of th
first Republican convention ever held IL
Vermont. 1t was conceded that the heat
III of the ticket of 1861 was to come iron
VI Windham county, and Gov. Holbrook ant
vi John K. Butler of Jamaica each had thel
ne supporters. Judge Hoyt H. Wheeler, the
aU a young lawyer at Jamaica, was one of tn
- secretaries of the convention.
III The duties to which the new goveIno
IL was introduced, upon his Inauguration i
~ October 1861, were such as had fallen {
as none of his predecessors. The countr
he was in the midst of times when the 9 "
e ernor of every loyal state was called upo
io to act on the most important question
re- with no precedent and no law to guild
Vi him, and with nothing to fall back upo
"e but his own best judgment and the patr
otic determination of the people. In som
ny of the states an element of rank disloyalt
ne iie had to be fought, but in Vermont, fortuI
ne ately, there was very little of this spirit {
nc complcate tile situation. GOV. HolbrOok
W first official act was to suggest 10 the legi:
,TTII lature the policy of paying off one-half c
~ the war expenses of the state by dreC
ny taxation, and funding the other half i
,So state bonds to be paid by those of anothe
20, generation who would reap equally tn
uSs benefit of the sacrifices of the time. Th
Vi legislature approved this suggestion an
-. enacted laws in conformity with it. TIL
~ ~ result was that at the close of the wa
ch Vermonts debt was less than that of an
10 40 loyal state in proportion to aid furnishe
~ and percentage of population, and was tn
:" first state war debt to be paid in full.
as Ineidents of the War Time