Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-03-12


and take no other.
Of superior virtues or capacity, hut be-
cause in his remarkably we'll rounded
and useful l!fc, with wha shortcom-
ings that made him and kept him hui
man like us all ne most conspicuouslY
reflected tho collective merits and ideals
and ambitions Of the people he had come
through the process Of wears officially
to represen. a the nations capital. Per
haps the great underlying strength of
Senator Prcctor's career in Washington
consisted in the significant fact that he
was never regarded as n formal ambas-
sador from Vermont with "A delegated
mission from a people: he was simply
one OF the people themselves on the
crrand OF his neighhors business and
his own. Vermont has had representa-
tives in Washington that surpassed him
in classic statemanshir or intensity of
great intellectual powers. But she has
never sent a man there with closer first
hand detailed knowledge OF his fellow
Vermontcrs, what they had and what
they wanted what they were and what
they hoped 10 he. In all his public car
Ger he never could ard he never tried
to envelop himself with any distant Off
cal character hut remained ever kecnly
sympa thet;c with and responsive TO the
life of his State and his fellow citizens
in II. He rejoiced in a quie; poisc and
native dignity that rested upon tho ut
most simplicity and naturalness of man
ner and he never got away from some of
tboSp p1aip old ia chiopcd
characteristics OF mind and action that
mako New England life thorough
genuine. and wholesome, unaffected and
unpretentjous
In his early days Redfeld Proctor had
been soldier and borne his part gal
antly and faithfully as an officer in the
long and bloody war for the preservation
OF the Union. No one of Vermont's il
lustrious roll of regimental commanders
was ever more fondly cherished in the
memory OF his comrades than he and his
presence at the various annual gather
ings Of the veterans was one Of the IA
milar features Of their attractions for
| many years. He kept 2 warm spot in
his heart for tho boys in blue all
through the forty-odd years that re-
manned to him after the war was over
Washington was ever more ready and will
ing and patient and untiring in his ef-
forts to sec that many a worn out pa
triot that deserved well OF his country
had some substantial token of his coun-
try's gratitude. when the war with
Spain broke out in 1898 no Vermontcr
was more eager than he to show appre-
citation OF the patriotic intentions and
or generation and the Vermont regiment
will always retain pleasant memories OF
his soicitude for It's welfare and com
fort.
After Redfield Proctors return from
the war with fortunate escape from the
perls OF the battlefield. he was called
upon to fight another death even more
terrible and nsidious in the dread tubcr
culosis that in those days claimed 50
many victims. But ne had determination
and pluck and he fought good fight
and won 1t. although in tile hopelessncss
of the popular view OF the disease at
that time his life was despaircd Of
From THAI day to the day Of his death
Redfeli Proc;or's heart went out to
suffering humanity that must make the
dcspe rate combat with the great white
plague, and the splendid sanitorium at
Pittsford. his gift to tho state Of YER
mont, will bear testimony to the coming
generations to what good purpose his
useful life was spared.
Rcdheid Proctor was one OF the pic-
neers in restoring industrial Vermont
since the Civil War He seized oppor-
| tunity by it's forefront. il is true, and
| he was fortunate enough 10 develop A
property OF such tremendous potential
possibilities and commonly speaking,
unlimited natural resource that he even
| tually became a very wealthy man. To
| the ordinary observer Of this latter day
| his part in this phase az his experiences
does not stand out with much clearness
or emphasis and he was perhaps too
| commonly seen as a man reaping a great
income out OF a giant industry that al
most happened OF its own accord. But
those that know the true inwardness Of
tho story OF the young lawyer in i'll
health that took hold Of a property that
was doing none too well and promised
| even worse--those that know of the sew
eral years OF hard work and moro anx-
| iety, when public confidence was n
| doubtful asset and when money was
hard to get and credit even harder
| those that know how Redhcld Proctor
wcathered those troublous days and
finally emerged into plain sailing of es-
tablisled prosperity, never begrudged
him one penny of his gains. And YER
mont herself, her industrial life and her
| social life and their institutions, have
reaped nobody knows how much indirect
benefit from the success Of the enormous
| business he founded. just as the State
has benefited wherever any other one
of her sons established some successful
enterprise within her borders.
! Redicld Proctor was politician, n
very sasacious and level-headed politi-
clan. n politician peculiarly credited with
having pretty much his own way in
| Vermont's politics whenever he thought
| it worth while to exert himself TO get it,
| And yet, now that he is gone and all
| the Observation-Disclosures and iealouses
that every successful and influential man
must inevitably provoke are forgotten,
it is only just to say that Redfield Proc
| tors way nearly always seemed TO he
the peoples way. too. and he himself
would have been the first to admit that
he assumed no influence no right IN