Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-04-24
RETIRING AFTER 25 YE EARS.
j. n. Sargent Sells His Hotel and
Retires from Business.


AS previously announced, Mr.. and
Mrs. John II. Sargent have sold &" The
Sargent" to Mr.. and Mrs. John j.
O'Connell, and the new proprietors have
taken possession. The price of the pur-
chase is not made public.
With Mr.. Sargent's retirement, the
oldest hotel man in Middlebury, both in
point of years and as hotel manager.
goes out of active hotel life. He came
to Middlebury in 1859 and has made his
home here ever since. For several years
he was engaged in the tin and hardware
business, but for practically all of the
past "a years his business has been that
of conducting hotels. For 81 years he
was proprietor of the Hotel Logan, and
III that hotel he made a great success
and formed many lasting friendships
with a large number of the best known
men of Addison county, as well as with
many from other States. Selling the
Logan four years ago. Mr.. Sargent later
purchased the Pierce House on Court
street, which he practically rebuilt from
Its foundation ana made one of the finest
hostelries in this section of the State,
and which he named 1.-The Sargent"
After managing this hotel successfully
for three years, MIR. Sargent now retires,
much to the regret of many friends.
John ii. Sargent was captain of the
Middlebury company of mill tia for three
years, foreman of the old Washington
Engine company for seven years, trustee
of the village for three years, water
commissioner for six yeais, chief en-
gineer.of the Middlebury fire department
nearly fourteen years and was president
OF the Vermont State Firemen's associa-
ton for one year, i'll the palmy days of
that organization-1S92
Having rendered honorable service in
the army, serving in the 18th Vermont
Regiment, some incidental honors came
to MIR. Sargent. He has been from its
start a member of William p. Russell
Post, No. 80, of Middlebury and for
three years its commander. He was
also appointed captain and aide-de- camp
on the staff of State Department Com.
mander r. Z. Hathorne OF Ludlow.
On the whole, Mr.. Sargent's 40 years
in Middlebury have been tull of business
activity and hard work, and he is fully
entitled to a rest now at the age of II.
This sketch would be incomplete did it
not contain reference to the palnStak-
ing efforts of the good lady of the house,
Mrs. Sargent, who has been a material
factor i'll the success of her husband.
Mr. and Mrs. Sargent have not as yet
arranged their future plans, but will re-
main in town for the present. after
which they will doubtless travel for a
J while.
MIR. John O'Connell, who succeeds in
the proprietorship and management of
the house, has also had considerable
hotel experience. After a years initia-
ton as manager in Middlebury, he was
the proprietor for five years of the Ex-
change hotel at Ticonderoga, N. Y,
and later for five years proprietor of the
Van Cott house at Glens Falls, n. Y, in
both of which places he was successful,
as. with the able assistance of Mrs.
O'Connell, he will doubtless be in his
new venture at The Sargent"
MIR. O'Connell has been out of business
for the past three years, spending one
year in Europe for his health and most
of the remainder of the time in New
York.