St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-03-11
Senator Proctor.

In reviewing the life of any truly great
and good man the best, the choicest
things may not be spoken. For there
are always certain things in such a life
of which mention cannot be made with
out unwarranted intrusion on that
which is sacred to the man himself and
to those whom they Immediately con-
Germ. This finds illustration in the life
and career of Hon. Redheld Proctor, the
recently deceased senior senator of our
state. But there are matters, which may
not perckance find utterance in the many
words of eulogy which will be spoken
and which may be told to the enhance
ment of the already high regard in which
he is held throughout the state, the
telling of which will in no wise violate
the sanctity of any treasured experiences.
1t has been said that Senator Proctor
was representative Vermonter The
fact is that it will probably never be
known how profoundly true is such
statement The finest traditions of this
commonwealth found personi6cation in
him. A product of the state, as is we'll
known, he had supreme belief in the
state, her people. her institutions, her
industries, her mission in the New Eng
land group and in the larger sisterhood,
a belief which was nothing short of
deep, passionate devotion. If ever a
man gave himself, body, mind, and
heart,-to movement, cause, or place,
he gave himself to Vermont.
He was an ardent and unwavering
believer in young men. His spirit was
the spirit of the youth, always facing the
future. He had ever the vision-seeing
faculty, that great prerogative ofyouth.
In his business and political career he
brought around him young men and laid
on them very responsible tasks. The
great business which he founded, the
remarkable future of which he projected,
and of which he was for many years the
head-the largest single industry in the
state, and by far the largest of its kind in
the world-this business has not
amongst its active heads or directors a
man who is 60 years of age, and, with
one exception, none who has reached
so. And these have held their respective,
responsible positions for the past decade,
most of them for a much longer period.
Furthermore, the community of Proctor
is essentially a community of young
people. Through this all can be seen the
Influence of Senator Proctor's sublime
faith in the vigor, freshness, and promise
of young blood.
Of his benefactions one who may know
something hesitates to speak. The
great monument to his phiIanthropic
spirit is known of all our people-the
Sanatorium at Pittsford. Just how
great monument this is only those I'M
fortunate ones of this and coming
generations whose lives will be blessed
by its ministrations will learn. That
there have been other memorials-more
modest but none the less real and signf- |
cant-ot his large and kindly heart, many
and increasing throughout his career,
can be confidently affirmed. Of those
who might rise up to testify to this the
name is legion. In this connection it
may be noted that, during his conspicu-
ously simple and transformations life
he has been patron Of the best things
the most vital, the American things
the church, the school, the library, the
hospital. No town of it's size in this
or any state can show these four neces-
sary and established institutions of
society more thoroughly developed or
more splendidly supported than the
town OF Proctor. And this development
and support can be attributed in large
measure to the solcitous interest and
contributions of Senator Proctor.
But amongst the many fine things
that can be said Of him probably the
hnest-as perhaps it is the finest that
may be said of any man-is that he was
unquestionably man of the people, he
loved to be with them. And they knew
1t, The common people heard him
gladly His was democratic tempera-
ment and instinct. Few things pleased
him more than to mingle with the people
OF ms own or surrounding towns, in all
OF which he was equally we'll known. He
lived very near to men and was genuinely
interested in their affairs. He reioced to
know that the men and women amongst
whom he had lived for so many years