The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-07-21
GEORGE X. PEARSONS.
Sketch of His Lite. A Native of Brad
ford. Recent Death in Iowa.

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Dodge, Iowa.
Mr.. Pearsons was of Scotch descent
and was born in Bradford, VT, Aug
ust Z, 1880. He was son of John
and Hannah (Putnam) Pearsons of
Bradford and great grandson of Gen.
Israel Putnam, who distinguished
himself in the French war and also in
the Revolutionary war Some of the
following facts are taken from a sketch
of his life which he sent the writer
several years ago.
: In the schools of his native town
George r. Pearsons pursued his educa-
ton. His boyhood was spent upon
the farm on the lower plain now
owned by Charles Garfield. When q
young man he was employed by the
Vermont Central Railway Co., as sta
tion agent and train master. In 1866
he moved to Illinois where he re-
manned for few years in the employ
of the Illinois Central Railroad. SELL
ing large tracts of land. In 1868 he
went to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and had
since been actively and successfully
engaged in real estate business and
in building railroads. He became
superintendent and had entire charge
of the construction of the Fort Dodge
and Fort Ridgely Railroad, now a
part of the Minneapolis e. st. Louis
Railroad system. In 1884 he began
draining two great swamps containing
800 acres in Humboldt county, known
as Owl Lake, an impossible marsh.
At cost OF several thousand dollars
he succeeded in making all this till
able land by digging ditch nine
miles long Mr.. Pearsons owned
most of the land thus drained, con-
stitutng one of the finest farms in
the West.
During those early days and stirring
times he had many adventures. In
1869 he drove from Fort Dodge to
Sioux City when there were but four
houses between the two points. Twice
he was lost in billiards. The first
time was in 1878 when only mile
from home. He was in snow bank
for hours and for two days was con-
fined ia the caboose of coal train.
At another time, in Montana, he was
lost on high open prairie and had a
narrow escape from death
From 1885 until 1888, Mr.. Pearsons
held the Office of Indian inspector,
travelling from one agency to another
and visiting all the Indian reserva
tions in the United States except in
the Indian Territory.
| Mr.. Pearsons' first wife was Miss
Wealthie Porter of Hartford, Vt, who
died in 1880. Their children are
John H., a farmer near Fort Dodge
George A., real estate dealer in Gal
ifornia; Daniel T., a manager of an
extensive farm in Humboldt County,
Iowa; and Louisa, the wife of Hon
J. P. Dolliver. All were born in
Vermont. Mr.. Pearsons' second wife
was Miss Lulu P. Waldron of Fort
| DOuSe, WHO survives MIN.
Mr.. Pearsons was always greatly
interested in everything which had
for its object the upbuilding and i'm
provement of his adopted city and
State. He was mayor of Fort Dodge
during three terms of office. He was
a practical man. progressive, ener-
getic and businesslike. All who
knew him entertained for him the
highest regard and respect " He
was active and honorable in business,
loyal in citizenship and reliable IL
all lifes relations.
His brother, John Alonzo, lived
and died at Evanston, ILL.,, where he
was loved and respected by all. He
was one of the first settlers of that
place and contributed largely and in
various ways in making it the beauti-
full city that it is. Another brother,
William Chaplin, was one of the
supreme judges of Massachusetts. His
was one of the leading men of Hol.
yoke. The sister, Hannah Elizabeth,
married Alvin Matthew Gushing, M.
d , ply stefan in Bradford for sew
eral years. They afterward moved ia
Massachusetts.
DR.. Daniel X. Pearsons of Chicago,
the noted neutrality-suspicious. man
who has done so much for education
land whose example many others are
following 1.-THE man whose name and
reputation is known and honored
throughout the length and breadth of
the United States-is the only sur
viving member of this interesting
family.
All these men were selt-made men
and nothing will describe their ex-
perience better than a quotation from
an address delivered by DR.. d. X.
Pearsons at banquet of the Sons of
Vermont" in Chicago; The success
full men of the country are not those
whose cradles were rocked by hired
| hA N III