Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-03-07
A PERSONAL SKETCH.

"a sketch contributed to the NCrmuntcr. Jan
! uarN. 1901. 10y .. J.. French. the first in a
series on vermont Men of To-day" in that
magazine.
In deciding upon the publication of
a series of chapters upon Vermont
men of today. The Vermonter has done
| wisely in choosing Gen. julius J.
| Estey OF Brattleboro. a Nermonter to
the manner born to lead the list If
| there has ever been a typical New
England product, finding full and large
development here in the Green Noun
| tain state, the product and the man
was Jacob Estey the father of
julius J. Estey. Beginning life under
the most adverse circumstances. with
out even the primitive advantages of
his day in the way of early education
and youthful Influences. by the power
OF the native force that was in him he
! developed into one of the strong men
/ Of his time-a man who in strength
| and coolness of head in grasp of af-
fairs. in the building up of a great
1 business industry. and in his devotion
to his own ideals in religion and in
/ personal life, stands as a monument
in the memory of the younger genera
tion that knew him. OF this parental
stock came julius Jacob Estey. the
. only son of Jacob Estey. He was born
in Brattleboro in January, lS45. He
was educated in the public schools of
this village going from them in
| obedience to a strong and inborn mill
tary instinct TO Norwich University
/ where. however, he took only a partial
course. returning to Brattleboro to be
/ come a partner in the firm of J. Estey
d Company which was then on the eve
I~.f -. 1 F-1
! lowed his own youthful impulses. he
would even then. have cast his lot
with the men who We're then in the
/ closing days of the struggle to pre-
serve the Union. Upon the final or
/ ganization of the Estey Organ COM
! pany he became the treasurer of the
! concern, his associates in business
being his father as president. and his
/ brother-n-law. Levi X. Fuller. after
ward one of the most active and most
! esteemed of Nermont's governors. as
| vice president. The magnificent
/ growth OF the business brought great
/ sponsibilities upon the firm. of
/ which General Estey bore his full
/ share. and this the burden of the
/ years, bringing as ii has the death of
! his father in 1891. and of Ex-Governor
! Fuller in 1896. has largely increased.
/ Since the death Of Ex-Governor Fuller
/ General Estey has been at the head of
/ the business, having associated with
/ him his two sons, Colonel Jacob Gray
Estey and Captain julius Harry Estey.
On the business side of life General
/ Estey has a large grasp Of affairs an
acquaintance with men. brOadened by
much travel. such as few enjoy. and
/ natural tact in mingling with all sorts
and conditions of men. while strictly
maintaining his own individuality.
| No man of today enjoys to a greater
| extent the confidence of his own
! towusmen He represented Brattle-
! horo in the Legislature of 1876 and was
| one OF the senators from Windham
/ county for the biennial term beginning
in 1882 He has been an active factor
/ in the work Of the Republican party
| of Vermont. was a delegate-at large
/ from Vermont to the Republican ma
! tiOnal convention in 1883. and was one
of the active men of this state in the
work Of the Republican National
! league
His large business interests and his
! activity in other directions have not
! prevented him from being a good and
! helpful Brattleboro citizen. His most
|
! his own firm has been as president of
the Peoples National Bank. a position
which ne has filled with ability ever
since the death of the first president
of that prosperous institution in 1856
| He was elected president of the Brat
! tleboro Young Mems Christian associa-
tion upon its organization in 1883. and
has filled that office ever since. throw
| ing himself actively into its work and
sustenance. In the minor activities of
the town and village, he always bears
his full share of responsibility
A devoted believer. like his father
in the pOlity of the Baptist church, he
has given himself, without stint, to the
work of that denomination, and is
known at home and abroad as an ac-
tive and devoted exponent of religious
life He has been president of the
Baptist State Sunday School associa-
tion, and for several years past has
held the presidency of the board of
managers of the Vermont Baptist
State convention He is a member of
the executive committee of the Ameri-
can Baptist Missionary union, whose
meetings, in Boston, he attends once
in every two weeks. A recent event,
marking the prominent place which
General Estey holds in the work of
his denomination, was the public meet
ing held in Boston, on the first Sun
day in October, to give godspeed to
thirty missionaries about to depart to
India, Africa and other foreign sta
tions, when General Estey presided.
But probably no religious or philan-
thropic work which he has ever done
has lain so close to his heart, or
brought him such personal satisfac-
tion, as that which grew out Of his in
innate relations with the late Dwight
l.. Moody General Estey is one of the
men to whom Mr.. Moody looked as a
friend of his heart, to whom he CON
fded his plans, and on whom he leaned
as on a good right hand General
Estey has been the treasurer of the
Mortified Seminary ever since that
unique and uplifting institution was
established by Mr. Moody. He has
helped forward its work in every pos
sible way, as he has that of the boys
school at Mount Hermon, of whose