The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-12-29
Record of SO Years Held by c. 3
Williams of WinhaI.

|
more than two weeks after he attain
ed his majority. and his service from
that time has been unbroken.
His commission bears the date
Dec. Is. 1851, and is signed by Ma
than X. Hall, who was postmaster
general in the cabinet of President
Millard Fillmore. II will thus be
seen that Mr. Williams has complet-
ed So years in the service of Uncle
Sam and is well started on his 59th
year.
| Mr.. Williams was born in Winhall
Noy. 20, 1880. His parents, Walter
and Susan (RusselD Williams, lived
on a farm about half mile from the
village of Bondville, which is but lit
tie more than hamlet, containing at
the present time two general stores,
hotel, one church, schoolhouse
and some 80 dwelling houses
Mr. Williams boyhood was like
that of many other lads in the coun-
! try. He attended the district school
and learned to make himself useful
on his fathers farm At the age of
II he began working in ]. G.. Sum-
ner's store. which was in the building
containing the well-known Williams
store and post office of the present
day. The Bondville post Office was
established in 1S49, in the building
where it has always been located.
Previous to its establishment the peo-
pie went to South Londonderry and
Jamaica for their mails Mr.. Sumner
was the first postmaster. Mr.. Will
liams as youth showed an aptitude
for business. and his opportunity to
strike out for himself came at an ear
| ly age, and four years after he en-
tered the store he bought out the
business of his employer with C. c..
Wheeler as partner This partner
ship continued until 1857, when Mr..
Williams bought out the interest of
Mr.. Wheeler and became sole pro-
prietor. Mr.. Williams ran the store
without a partner so consecutive
years, and then retired in favor of
his son, Harold C. Williams. who
bought the store and stock of goods
Nov. 10. 1905 For 10 years previous
to making the purchase Harold VIII
liams had worked in the store with
his father
When the office was first opened
| the postmaster's yearly income after
settling with the government was
about $50. During the Civil war the
compensation rose to about 500. The
gain has been slow and gradual since
then and the postmaster now receives
about $3.50 a year for his work.
The office has never been robbed,
the accounts with the government
have always been handled with abso-
lutte exactness, and there have never
been any exciting experiences in con-
nection with handling the mails In
Bondville. The office has not been a
sinecure and the postmaster has
earned all that was coming to him
beyond question. The hours for open
ing and closing the mails have not
always been in accordance with mod
ern banking schedules. During one
winter, for instance, the mail left at
a. m, and arrived about 10 p. m.
1t was necessary for the postmaster
to be up in time to have the mail
made up in the morning and TO be
ready to receive it when the stage
driver returned at night.
Even at the present time the mail
must be ready at Z o'clock for the
stage which carries it Az miles to
Winhall station on the West River
railroad. The stage is due to bring
back the mail at $50 to 9:15 in the
evening, but as the West River trains
do not run close to schedule the mail
is frequently late. The federal au-
thorities evidently have never spent
sleepless nights worrying about the
Bondville office. In the first 80 years
of Mr.. Williams term only three in
spectors ever visited the office.
| Mr.. Williams home is in a hand
some and substantial house adjoining
he store. 1t was built by him in
| | S92, when he tore down the old
house in which he had lived almost
from the beginning of his career in
the store.
Mr.. Williams was elected town
clerk at The annual March meeting
in 1853. He continued to hold this
office until March, 1903, when having
served so consecutive years, his son.
Harold, who had been his assistant
for several years, was chosen his sue
cessor. Mr.. Williams .has been town
treasurer since 1853, this being his
9th year in that office. Although
urged to do so repeatedly Mr. VIII
iams steadily refused to accept other
public offices. He is a member of
Winhall River lodge, No. s, l. o. o. F.
of Bondville, being initiated in March
1880, the night the lodge was institut-
ed. He was secretary of the lodge 25
years, was representative to the
grand lodge six terms, and served as
district deputy grand master two
terms.
Mr.. Williams married Emma Jane
Benson Nov II, 1850. Mrs. Williams
who was highly estimable woman,
died Jan. 20, 1909, more than So years
after their marriage took place. Five
children were born to them. Chas
Clarence died in 1859 The surviving
children are Mrs. Florence A. Clark
of Cohoes, N. Y, Mrs. Floretta 70
coleman, Mrs. Lora ]. Burbank and