The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-06-11
DIED ON WANTASTIQUET.
Hiram F. Stevenson While Searching
for Flowers Succumbs to Exhaustion.

| Hiram +. Stevenson who in company
with j. Foster Steans made trip to
| Mount Wantastiquet on Sunday in search
of woodland flowers became separated
from his companion late in the afternoon.
Searching parties found him dead at )
O'Clock Monday morning. Death was
doubtless due to exhaustion as Mr.. Stev-
enson was SO years of age.
Satisfying himself that Mr.. Stevenson
was lost Mr.. Stearns, who is 80 years
of age endeavored to locate his friend
and failing to do so returned to his home
in this village, reaching home about 8
o'clock and made known the fact that
the aged shoemaker was evidently lost.
AS Mr.. Stevenson was well acquainted
with the mountain the belief was general
that he would return within few hours,
but a party made a search of the noun
tain during the early evening. Failing to
find Mr. Stevenson a searching party Of
some 40 men from this village was formed
from those responding to fire alarm
sounded at o'clock Monday morning and
arrangements were made for the searchers
to report at the foot of the mountain
at 4 o'clock.
At o'clock Mr. Stevenson's body was
found by F. W. Bailey one Of the search
ing party headed by John Calvin. The
body lay in a recumbent position and
would indicate that the aged man had
become exhausted and either laid down
or had fallen though from the position of
of the body which was found practically
surrounded by tall swale grass and foliage
it would appear that he might have sue
cumbed to exhaustion and laid down to
rest. He lay in position that would in
dicate no struggle and his arms were
filled with large bunch of mountain
laurel. His cane was still grasped in his
hand.
The place where the body was found
was in the town of Chesterfield, n. H.,
and permit was necessary to remove the
body to Brattleboro. This was obtained
and the searching party constructed a
litter and carried the body two miles
down the mountainside and to his home
at No. 3 Canal street.
For 80 years Mr.. Stevenson had oper-
ated shoe repairing shop in the Thomas
Judge building on Main street being
frugal hardworking transformations citi-
zen. If he had hobby it was commun-
ing with nature and to have died sur
rounded by the trees and flowers that he
loved seems but to be perhaps the gratifi-
cation of what would have doubtless been
his wish.
He was born in Swanzey, n. H., April
8, 1926, being one of three children OF
Enos and Polly Gross Stevenson, At
uncle's farm in WINCHESTER, n. H., and
during the harvest season of the year
he was II he threshed without assistance
three acres of oats using the old-fashioned
fail of those days. AT II years of age
he entered the employ of Amos Bailey
of Swanzey as a shoemakers apprentice
and during the first year of his appren-
bors to farm work on the large farm
owned by his employer. His annual
wages were $40 and his board He de-
voted four years to acquiring his trade.
Following the completion of his appren-
ticeship Mr.. Stevenson was employed in
northern New Hampshire and in Keene.
He came to Brattleboro in 1S4S. For
three years he was employed in Charles
Frost's shoemaker shop which was To-
Gated in a building that once stood on
the site of the present Hooker building.
The year following he passed in Hins-
dale and then returned to Brattleboro
which he made his home for the remain
der of his life.
Mr. Stevenson married Miss Eta Ed
wards Howe, the only daughter Of Ed
ward and Mary Howe, of Brattleboro,
January g. 1851. Two children We're born
to them, Fred who died at the age of
7 years and Charles who died when he
had barely attained his majority
He was a member of the Universalst
yanization with which he was identified.
The dead mans life had been a strict ad
lerence to the precept that he laid down
n his early youth that ''it is better to
work than it is to be idle One will live
onger if he keeps at work, especially if |
lie is in the habit of working He is |
urvived by his wife. For many years
'1r. Stevenson and Mr.. Stearns had made
requent pilgrimages to the woods in
earch of flowers
The funeral services were held from
.Ir. Stevenson's late home at go o'clock
thursday afternoon. Rev. r. X. Marvin
{ Franklin, Mass, formerly pastor of the
church of this place. oficiat
d in the absence of Mr. Trout. The burial
'as in the family lot in Prospect, Hill GEM
terry. The bearers were F. c. Sargent,
I. W. Adams, A. L. Harris and W. S.
tearns. Out of town friends who came
} attend the funeral were Mrs Ann West
{ Somerville and Mrs Hattie Connick of
AXE Pleasant. Mass. William Cartin of
Iarlboro. \. H.. Mrs. Fordyce Smith of
-orthfeld Farms, Mass.