Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-06-01

and funeral supply business, their shop
standing where -merson x Sons store
now stands. Subsequently he went to
Alabama on account of his health and
engaged in the furniture trade in Eutaw
and Montgomery, carrying on the BUSH
ness for the 10 years preceding the
civil war. He also was interested in
horse and cattle raising.
Not being in sympathy with the idea
of the South seeding, and having a
brother-in-law named John S. Brown, to
whom he wrote letters, the southerners
became suspicious that Mr.. Van Doom
was in league with John Brown, the cele-
brated abolitionist, and they held up his
mail during the time of the agitation
preceding the war For 3la years his
parents did not hear from him and they
supposed he was dead. on one occasion
a company of men surrounded his house
for the purpose Of doing him bodily harm.
but he was armed and could not be in
undated. He was ready TO fire at the
drop of the hat and to drop the hat him
self" as one man expressed 1t. and the
company withdrew without molesting
him.
little later he was taken prisoner,
''for safe keeping he was told. Then he
was forced TO take up arms against the
North and was in the service two or three
years. He was treated kindly. although
his sympathes were with those against
whom he was fighting. one day when
standing over the camp kettle, when no
one suspected danger, he seeped 10 hear
voice say to him: Van, get down. a
He did so and Immediately a bullet whiz-
zed over his head and buried itself in the
ground near by 1t was dug out by the
surgeon
While marching with his company one
day Mr.. Van Doom became very tired
and sat down by tree, nearly exhausted.
- f.I -.
| For three days he remained alone. sub
sisting on blackberries. Finally he saw
| Union soldiers coming. They demanded
| his weapons. which he gave them cheer
| fully. He was glad to go with them a
prisoner, and 1t was not long before he
was released and went to Illinois.
After the war he went back to Alabama
| to see what had become of his property.
His ranch was left, but his horses. cat
tie and hogs. numbering several hun
| dred head, had -.sappeared and his fur
| niture business had been disposed Of. A
comfortable fortune had vanished.
Mr.. Van Doorns first wife, Sarah NJ
| Brown of Sharon. died in the South II
| months after their marriage. Returning
| from Alabama to Bratteboro, Mr.. Var
| Doom married Addle c. Baldwin in Ches-
ter July 5, 1869 They went TO Concord
| N. H., to live with an uncle, and after
the death of Mr., Van Doorn's father they
| returned TO BrattleDoro TO i've with MIR
| Van Doorns mother and were here sever
| years, Mr.. Van Doom being employed by
the Estey Organ company.
Then they went to Greenfield and fol
more than 20 years Mr. Van Doom con-
| Quoted crockery and glassware store
| building up a successful business. or
| account of i'll health he retired from bus
mess five years ago last April and re-
turned to Brattleboro.
/ Mr. Van nOOFn was man of eNcellpn
business judgment and of absolute in
tegrity. He was a man of refined natur,
and tastes, kind hearted and sympathetic
and devoted to his home. He was {
member of the Baptist church in Yves
Brattleboro was deeply interested in it,
affairs and was active in its work a!
long as he was able. He is survived b!
his wife, one daughter, Mrs. w. A Bur
ton of New Bedford, Mass, and one sis
ter. Mrs. John s. Brown of Brattleboro
The funeral was held at the house at
o'clock yesterday, Rev, j. A Mitchell
pastor of the West Brattleboro Baptis
church, officiating There were man!
beautiful floral membranes Miss Car
oline Clark of Mddlebury college SAM
Face TO Face" and Mr. and Mrs. L. W
Hawley sang "Asleep in Jesus" TIL
burial was in Prospect Hill cemetery, tn
bearers being Malcolm Baldwin of Ches
ter, Irving B. Baldwin of Montague City
A. L. Baldwin of Somerville, w. A. Bur
ton of New Bedford and II. F. Jordal
and ]. L. Barney of Brattleboro. Other
present We're Mrs. Franc E. Clark of Wal
than, Mrs. w. A. Burton and daugh
ter Elizabeth of New Bedford, and /. +
Baldwin of Montague City