Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-11

quences. in his battle for truth, good
government. right living, morality.
and religion.
1t is only few months since in
concentrating, the observance of Mr..
Benedct's eightieth anniversary the
members of his newspaper staff in
common with other fellow townsmen
paid him a marked tribute of their
respect and esteem. Few know better
than the editor the proneness of human
nature to err and while Mr.. Benedict
was quick to detect infractions of the
rules he sought to enforce, he was in
variably the patient monitor, constant
~ endearing himself to subordinates
and thus increasing their desire to
please him and at the same time attain
to the lofty standards he ever held be
fore them. Wherever he might be, in
sickness or in health, at home or
abroad, his thoughts were daily with
his paper and this interest in the prog
ress and welfare OF the FREE PRESS
was kept up to the very day of his
death.
Mr.. Benedict was a versatile and
ny-sided man. He loved art. He
was an excellent musical and dramatic
critic. He was n thorough student OF
affairs. His letters of travel were the
delight of all who read them. He
possessed what may be termed the his
torical instinct to degree that falls to
the lot of few men; and the entire state
of Vermont Is the gamer thereby Not
only in the press but also through his
books. historical papers, pamphlets and
other writings he helped to preserve
the records of many events in the
Green Mountain States history which
would otherwise have been lost or left
in form or condition unavailable for
library reference or student research.
His history of Vermont in the Civil
War" is regarded by good authorities
sivc and well written military works
of the kind possessed by any State.
His long continued and efficient work
in connection with the Vermont His
torical Society Of which he was long
president. is known wherever lives
Ncrmonter. His love of the historical
led him to bring down to date and pre-
pare for publication Glman's Biblio
graphy of Vermont which is invalu
able for the newspaper office, the his
torical student and others who need to
consult a complete list of books, news
papers, magazines and pamphlets print
ed In Vermont since the founding of
the state.
Mr.. Benedict pursued some elusive
historical fact or missing point with
all the ardor of the huntsman and the
patience of the angler combined, spar
ing neither time nor effort to clear up
the matter; and If his wearisome re-
search was rewarded and the record
In hand thus made complete, his salts
faction was a Joy to behold. It was
this inability to take any important
fact for granted that accounts for the
wonderful accuracy of Mr.. Benedct's
historical writings. 1t was his love
of accuracy which led him t.
rewrite whole chapters of his military
history, when those to whom he had
written for facts about certain points
neglected to reply until he had the
first volume of the work practically
completed. 1t was this accuracy
which made him the exemplar of re-
liable newspaper writers and the terror
OF the shiftless reporter. and render
ed it so difficult to meet his ideal of
what the daily chronicle should be
a faithful record of all important
events and reliable reflex OF all mo-