Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-09

taken in exchange or barter. The farm
ers traded off wheat. corn. oats. veget-
ables. fruit, homemade wooden socks
mittens, sleeps gray cloth for tables and
chairs, etc.
The old time Burlington would seem
like strange town to the present gen.
Grafton. When Henry J. Nelson went
into business the Burlington Savings
bank was in the old Strong block and
William L. Strong was the president OF
that institution. Later It was moved into
the tailor shop Of c. F. Ward in a build
ing where the Merchants National bank
now stands.
Mr.. Nelson says that there isn't a single
professional man left Of those who were
here when lie went into business. neither
lawyer doctor nor minister. All OF the
school and college buildings and all but
three Of tho churches have either been
built now or remodelled since that time.
The hotels are all new and there were
only two banks in the city, the Merchants
National and the Burlington Savings.
locations
All OF the old business names have dis
appeared from the hotels, from the manu-
ufncturing concerns and the retail stores.
But few of the old families have any
representatives left to-day. Senator
George F. Edmund., Bennett Turk and T.
A. Wheelock are the only business or
professional men OF half century ago
who are alive to-day, according to
Walton's Register for 1850 Senator Ed
munds WAS at that time city attorney or
town agent as the office was called.
x,.t& ~
ture or sale of furniture in Burlington
In the SOS has passed away and 1t is
proba Die that there is not now a firm
even in all New England which was In
existence under the same name At the
time that Mr.. Nelson wes,t into business.
He Is unquestionabiy the dean Of the fur
niturc trade In New England. The deal
ers OF Burlington In 1890 were Nathaniel
Parker, A. Edgsll. Samuel Nichols and
Charles l.. Nelson.
w. 4 d. G. Crane came here In 1855 and
established a business in 1853 and theirs
Is tho only Arm name that has endured
longer than Mr.. Nelson's. nut they cannot
claim 10 have continued all this time In
business in the same place.
Mr.. Nelson has continued to improve
and enlarge his business during all this
Ing methods He has added to his store
from time to time ana now has ample
room for the successful display Of his
large stock And he has kept the conf
dence and respect Of tho firms with which
he has been connected through the last
half century as some Of the letters which
they have recently written fully testify.
William Widdecomb. president Of the
NJ
Rapids. Mich, writes a. follows:
The fiftieth anniverga ~ OF Mr. Henry
]. Nelson's business career. succeeding
a business established In 1895, Is not an
event OF such common occurrence that It
can be passed by unnoticed. A record
of seventy-four years continuous bust
ness is rare indeed, not only Is It rare
but the character Of the business itself
In equally rare in the sterling integrity
OF the proprietor.
"Our business relations with Mr.. Nelson
Of many years standing have been uni
formly pleasant and satisfactory, In fact
we have no customer upon our books
whom we mold in higher esteem. The
writer II Of the opinion a customer of
long standing Ia not only more desirable
but OF much more value than those
ephemeral institutions that come
and 20 so frequently seen in the present
day ana generation. The writer's own
forty-hve years of business perhaps
make him hold in higher regard the
business relations which extend
from former years down to the present
and we esteem our relation with old GUS
toners more OF personal exceedingly
pleasant character than the pure COM
mercial business affair.
I'VE would extend to Mr.. Nelson our
congratulations upon the record he has
made FOR these many years and trust
more years may be granted to him"
announcer firm of Grand Rapids. the
fnoehix Furniture company. has this Ia