Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-08
DEATH OF WILLIAM HENDERSON.
One of Buriington's Most Esteemed Citi-
Eens Insses AWAY at the Age of 20.

Tho community will be SHOCKED to learn
of the death OF our esteemed townsmau
William Henderson, which occurred last
evening about $50 o'clock. He had been
confined to his bed about six weeks with
heart difficulty. but had been quite COM
Portable during the day yesterday until
shortly before he expired.
William Henderson was born in Dublin.
Ireland, May /, 1898, Of Scotch-lrish pa
rents. and came to this country III lSi6.
arrived at Shclburnc in May, and
shipped or board the steamer Saranac,
Capt. Davis l.. O'Grady, steward, the
same month, as IL waiter. He came out
en- the steamer United States In the fall
of iA,. ana was all through the opposition
tight between the regular line steamers
and the Francis Saltus. He was stew
ard with Capt. J. OGrady, on the steamer
America.
In the fan of lSiS he entered the SER
vice of tho Pullcn-Nirgil Express COM
pany as messenger, running on the
steamers between Whitehall and Rouscs
Point in the summer and when the steam
ers We're laid up he ran between Burlins-
ton. Plattsburgh and Neoseville, crossing
on the ice. His instructions were to make
three trips a week ON the stages IL they
went; If they did not SO to hire a horse
II he could: II not, to purchase n horse,
hut to make the three trips, storm or no
I
and he did 1t,
The express business when Mr.. Hen
derson embarked In II, was then compora-
lively in its infancy, and n very different
thing from what II is now. This was par
ticularly the case in the valley of the
Champlain. Mr.. Henderson's experiences
we're then more like army or frontier life
than anything else, and his adventures
were fun of romance and often of great
hardships. His habits of roughing II and
his thorough knowledge of culinary af-
fairs, acquired while steward on the
steamers, made him Il very desirable COM
panion in "A snow blockade or. other de-
hays. when tho passengers were dependent
on their own resources for temporary sup
plies,
He was an ardent Union man. During
the war he used to run into Canada on
tho train. and he rendered no little SER
vice In detecting rebel schemes ON the
| other side of the border. He never hest
tatd to tell the rebel symDsthzers what
he thought Of them and at the time Of
the famous ct, Adams raid he was order
ell out of st. Lawrence Han, Montreal on
the ground that he was n Yankee spy
For twcnty-siX years he was express
agent in this city, after which he was
retired on full pay, being succeeded a.
agent by his son, +, F. Henderson, Al
| though he had retired from the position
part in the work and he was a daily at
tcpdant at the office until about two
months ago, when his health began to fail
Mr.. Henderson was united in marriage
May 10 1874, with Miss Susan Francis. who
survives him. He also leaves Ave child
ron to mourn his loss, three sons, +. f.,
| J. b. and w. J. Henderson of this city
! two daughters, Mrs. Joel Linsley, wife OF
the United States consul at Ccattcooll, and
Miss Lcttia ]. Henderson of this city lie
also leaves one brother, Edward Hender-
son. of Chicago.
Mr. Henderson was a genial whole soul
| ed man OF great popularity with all class
es of people with whom he came In con-
tact He was man OF pronounced con-
v.ctions and he abhored deception and
dishonesty no matter what its form Nigh,
be. During his long and honorable bust
ness career he retained the respect and
esteem of the entire community. and his
death will he sincerely mourned by wild,
| circle of friends.
The funeral arrangements have not yet
been completed.