News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-11-03

years the popular landlord of the
Valley House of North Hyde
Park, was born in Stowe in
1874. His father, Prosper Butts,
a carpenter and joiner, whose
handiwork is visible in many
of the houses of that village, was
son of Nathaniel Butts, an
early hotel keeper and prominent
citizen of the town. Prosper
Butts married Melvinia Luce, a
descendent of Oliver Luce, the
first settler of Stowe, and she is
still living in that town. At the
age of 10, Porter, then a student
at the Stowe High School, en-
listed in Co. E, 18th Regt. Vt.
Vols, Col. F. V. Randall, served
his term and was honorably dis
charged with his regiment in
July, 1862. He again enlisted in
August, 1864, as a recruit in Co.
D, 9Th Vt. He arrived just be-
fore the battle of Cedar Greek in
the Shenandoah campaign, and
though unarmed was under fire
and assisted in the removal of
the wounded from the field. He
participated in the Petersburg
campaign and was honorably
discharged in June, 1865. While
a member of the 18th Regt. and
convalescing from a run of ty-
phoid fever at the hospital, Mr..
Butts recalls an incident most
characteristic of Abraham Lin
coin.
Mr.. Butts with comrade was
standing near the road when the
President rode by on horseback,
attended by a single cavalryman.
1t was July 5 or 6, 1868. Draw
ing rein a moment, the President
bowed, lifted his hat to the boys
in blue, who returned the military
salute, and said as a kindly smile
lit up his face, "Boys, Vicksburg
is ours"
In 1866 Porter Butts married
Lurana, daughter of w. X. Mum
of Stowe, and bought a farm in
Johnson which he occupied five
years, his father and mother re-
siding with him. In January,
1872, he traded his farm for the
Valley House at North Hyde
Park, and conducted the same
successfully until 1896.
Mr.. Butts is charter member
and past commander of Aaron
Keller Post, G. A. R. He is also
a member of Waterman Lodge,
F. & A. M, of Johnson, and of
Tucker Chapter of Morrisville.
He has served three terms as
Selectman, and is the present
Representative of the town. He
has recently been appointed post
master at North Hyde Park. He
has been Deputy Sheriff or Con-
stable during the past sixteen
years and is recognized as a ca
pable officer. Thoroughly well
informed on public affairs, social
and accommodating, he is a val
ued citizen and a genial COM
panion.
E. w. SMITH.
Elinus W., son of Cyrus T. and
Maria Ellsworth Smith, was
born in Cambridge, VT, in 1850.
At the age of 10 he left the pater-
nal home and store and went to
Nashua, N. H., as a clerk in a
meat market and provision store,
and remained three years. Re-
turning to Vermont after spend
ing eight months in stage driving,
he decided to exchange the whip
and reins for the yard stick, and
invested his carefully saved earn
ings in stock of goods in Wat
erville in the fall of 1878. The
next January he found a suitable
life partner in Alice Leach of
Waterville. Beginning with gro
ceries, as his trade and capital
increased he added new features,
until his stock represented a full
line of general country merchan-
disc. While at Waterville he was
assistant postmaster seven years.
In the spring of 1898 he came to
North Hyde Park, putting a
good general stock into the Rob-
bins store. In the spring of 1898
he bought the store and stock OF
l.. E. Harrington, the fine stand
where he is now located. There
are but very few small villages
which can show such a varied
and extensive stock as Mr.. Smith
carries. This includes dry go DDS,
clothing, boots and shoes, gro.
ceries, drugs and medicines, crock.
cry, glassware, tinware, hard.
ware, stoves, agricultural nipple.
ments, flour and feed, paints
oils, varnishes and phosphate
He buys nearly all kinds of farm
truck, paving cash. and also does