Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-10-07


Power Company; and about seven
years ago they began the development
of the Fifteen Miles Fall on the Con-
necticut River. This latter enterprise
grew into the Dalton Power Company
of which Mr.. Fitzgerald was president at
the time of his death.
Some tive years ago one of the finest
paper mills in New England was con-
structed at Dalton, and the Dalton
Paper Company was organized with a
directorate composed of George II.
Fitzgerald, and Porter ii. Dale of
Island Pond, Irving W. Drew of Lancas-
ter, f. B. Winslow, II. F. Cox, VIM. II.
Mason, Seth l.. Larrabee, l.. NJ. Cousens
and Z. &. Allen of Portland. From the
time of its inception Mr.. Fitzgerald was
connected with the Island Pond National
Bank and was for five years its president.
Only those associated with Mr.. Fitzger-
aid can have any impression of the
amount of tact and energy required of
him in the management of these enter
prises and of the great nervous strain he
was continually under in the direction
of the affairs of the various corporations
controlled by him, the combined capt.
talization of which exceeded million
dollars.
A less courageous man would have
failed under any one of many tests
through which he passed triumphant.
The ruin of one nights freshet was
enough to overwhelm an ordinary man,
vet he met it as matter of course.
And it can be truly said that never in
his business did he meet an emergency
great enough to overthrow him. This
was due not only to the qualities stated,
but also to the fact that he never dealt
in any commodity purely speculative
the stock market was repellent to him.
1t was his great pleasure to manufacture
solid value, and the markets to which
he sent his products had no article
superior to them.
The tendency of such life is to
create within the man himself almost a
conviction that he will not be conquered.
1t was so with him, and therefore he
would not yield to the inevitable cause
of his dissolution. Long after his friends
knew there was no possible help for
him, he looked steadily out and persist
ed, 81 am better"
The labor required of man to con-
duct so many and extensive business
concerns would naturally engross his
whole attention, yet it never appeared to
lessen his consideration of others. After
disastrous fire he said, at would be
better for me financially never to rebuild,
| but here are all these men who have
worked for me so long out of employ
ment and must put the mill up again"
1t was also his apparent desire to give
to his family everything that would add
to their comfort and pleasure. His home
was made warm and beautiful and hos
pitable by all that he could procure for
| it, and by a wife devoted to his interests
and reciprocating his attentions. He
had known conditions less fortunate and
sympathized with his fellow beings to
the extent of granting them in countless
ways material assistance. For many
years 1t has been the custom of the bank
to procure fresh from the mint bright
coins for his distribution to the children,
and his pockets were seldom without
bags of candy for them. The writer of
this sketch saw him stop on street Of
the city when almost too weak from his
fatal malady to walk and fill the hands
of two little ragged boys with candy
Everyone who knew him well recall,
this characteristic, and the strange phil
osophy with which he would speak O
the sorrows of children and of the un
fortunate in general.
He often spoke with appreciation O
the assistance that was given him whel
he commenced business for himself, an(
it was natural for him to be helpful tt
young men. His instruction in business
methods was most valuable. He neve
had any loose machinery about his Fl
nancial constructions. His employee
and all general bills were paid prompt.
even if it were necessary to borrow
money to do it. He never warded of
bills to save bank discount, and notes a
the banks received attention the da,
they became due. The best bushes
men liked his methods and the bank
were glad to accommodate him wheneve
, requested. His conceptions of financia
matters were strong and substantial, tn
, same men worked for him year afte
year, and his secretary and treasurer
L Edward j. Parsons, has been with hin