Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-15
FOUR GENERATIONS AGO.
ton, Once Prominent In Montpelier.
lErntn the Nernlnnt Matchmanl


It was an occasion Of more than or
binary interest on Thursday morning
when four generations broke bread to-
gethcr at the Pavilion table and the rep
resentatives of the first OF these genera
tons. Mrs Mary Walton Dewey, has
written for Journal a brief sketch of the
life Of her father of whom these four
We're the descendants, Gen. T.. p. Walton.
for years editor Of the Vermont Watch
man. Tho sketch is particularly interest
ing in view of the fact that the Watch
man IS 100 years old this year,
Four generations We're seated at the
table at the Pavilion on Thursday, Mrs.
Mary Walton Dewey OF Cambridge. Mass.
Mr.. H. McKie Wing. Glens Falls. n. Y.
Mrs, Angola Wing Roth and Mark Roth,
J-.. of San Francisco, Cal, descendants of
Gen. f. p Walton.
Ezekiel Walton was born in Canterbury,
y. H.. in 1889. He came with his father.
George Walton, to Peacham. VI. whore
he attended the academy until 10 years
old when he offered himself as an appren-
tice printer and editor Of his own paper.
which was called the Green Mountain
| Patriot. After serving three years at his
| trade in Peacham he came with Mr.. Goss
| to Montpelier who had bought out the
Vermont Precursor, a paper established
here the year before by tho Rev. Charles
Brown, and changed the name to that OF
the Vermont Waterman, the oldest
| newspaper IN Montpelier. ct was 100
years old last March. 1907 The real germ
Of the Waterman was not the Precursor
but tho Green Mountain Patriot establish
ed in Peacham February, 1897, and dis
continued in March, 1907, the year Mr..
Goss moved to Montpelier. Mr.. Walton,
| afterr serving out his apprenticeship,
which expired in 1910. he IN company with
| Mark Goss Ca brother OF Samuel Goss)
bought out the paper. The paper for the
| next six years was conducted under the
firm Of Walton & Goss. Mr., Goss went
out of the firm at the end OF tho six years.
Mr.. Walton became the sole proprietor
| and editor and continued for 20 years,
when as his sons became OF age, he took
them into partnership. and the business
to which booksellng and binding and
| paper making was added under the name
of Z. p. Walton & Sons The newspaper
store In the Walton block Is the spot
whore the book store, printing ONCE and
book bindory stood. In 1859 r. =, Walton,
senior. gave up the propretorshlp of the
newspaper to his son. f. p. Walton, Jr..
who was editor until the sale OF the paper
to Thine Messrs, Poland In 1868.
In 1854 General Walton was nominated
as candidate FOR tho office OF governor OF
Vermont by large mass state convcn-
ton. uhat convention was held in the old
Free church, and could the people have
had their way would have been triumph
antlv elected. But out Of an ardent desire
to consolidate the political sentiment OF
the people in one controlling organization
as we'll as ont of personal regard for chief
Justice Royce who had been previously
named for the executive chair by con
vention Of the Whig party, General Wal
ton cheerfully yielded his place on the
ticket The name Of Judge Royce was
substituted by the State committee. ant
he was heartily supported by the people
andsthus was organized the present Re
publican party OF the State, For that or
. aan,zaton a large measure OF the cred
IL due General Walton That he was eve
honorable and Just In his treatment tow
ards his political opponents Is shown b,
the remark Of the late Araunah Water
man. who was ever a staunch opponent
was often heal d to say. General Walton
was both an honorable man and an hon
est politician" General Walton received
. his title from having been general of TN
regiment as body guard TO the governor.
General r. p. Walton died November q
1855. leaving. as might be expected from
0 one of his liberal veins. not much propcrt.
a but chat good name" which Is bette
than riches Mr. Walton was an old tim
editor, never printed an account of a sui