Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-07-14
JONAS WILDER.

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his 93d year, Saturday, July 7, at the
home of his son, f. w. Wilder, in this
village. His years were full Of ac-
tive labor, his strength and courage
keeping up to the very end.
Mr.. Wilder was born in Wendell,
Mass, Oct. 2, 1873, and the story of
his boyhood is story of hard strug-
giles amid many old-time discom-
forts-a stern training which doubt
less helped to make the resourceful,
active and persistent man of later
years. At the age of l3 he under.
took to clear his fathers farm of
debt and at q had paid an $500
mortgage and had $3.50 with which
to start life anew.
For six years he was clerk in
stores at North Sunderland and JEFF
frey, N. H., being interested in one
or two manufacturing enterprises
later, and in lS43 went into railroad
work, constructing on the Vermont
Central and Ogdensburg lines. In
1851 he was engaged in soliciting
freight for the Ogdensburg road and
at that time originated the first re-
frigerator cars for that company,
also organizing a transportation
company for the great lakes down
through the Welland canal.
In the following year Mr.. Wilder
became superintendent Of the Rut-
land and Washington railroad. That
road was then new and Mr.. Wilder
had three hundred freight cars built
for it, including 20 refrigerator cars,
and also devised the first coupon
tickets ever issued by railroad He
was very successful in this manage
ment, but overworked and was
obliged to resign. He then con-
tracted to furnish all the wood used
for fuel on the road for a period of
three years. For this purpose he
bought $50 acres of woodland in Ru-
pert. He also opened a store in
that place, in which he did a very
large business until he sold out at
the expiration of his contract and re-
entered railroad work.
In 1880 and two following years
Mr.. Wilder was connected with the
Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western
railroad as general freight and
passenger agent. He then, at 70
years of age, retired from railroad
work for good, as he intended, but
on receiving proposition FROM DR.
J. NJ. Bailey of Billerica, Mass, he
went to Virginia and built and oper,
ated So miles of railroad in the black
belt country. For the ten years fol-
lowing he was engaged in building
a railroad 70miles long from Bristol
to Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
In 1895, he took charge of DR.. Bal
ley's farm in Billerica, and made q
paying property of what had been
something of failure, taking hold
of it with the characteristic vigol
and enterprise that had made his
work successful in other directions.
In 1898 the doctor died and he
came to Woodstock, where he has
since made his home with his two
sons. His wife died in 1875.
During his last years here Mr.
Wilder has been employed as ac.
countant at Cloudland farm, owned
by Capt. f. A. Smith, working as
much as his strength would allow
him, but having entire charge for
some years of the bookkeeping there,
which he systematized and simpli-
fed, and in other ways was of profit
able service.
He has always been greatly inter
ested in farming and stock-raising
and was a very well known contribu-
tor to leading agricultural papers OF
the country.
Mr.. Wilder was one of the oldest
members of the Masonic fraternity
in this country, and perhaps the old,
est in Vermont. He was also the last
surviving member of Middlebury
Commandery, X. II.
Mr.. Wilder's long life was a con.
slant effort for the betterment Of
others in practical work and in kind
illness and moral sympathy. While
in Virginia he was brought into close
contact with convict labor and die
more than any one else had done be
fore toward the successful manage
ment of them. He was an authority
in many branches of agriculture anc
the value of his work for the farmer
of many sections where he has been