St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-03-16
VermOnterS in Washington
]. E. Harris Writes of Some Men
Prominent in the City'S Business
Life. Adjournment in Many.
Washington. D. c., March Is,

ly but serenelv performing their multifa-
rious duties, and the unofficial bunch
from home are Flooding along and
Eliminating wistfully on the manifold
beauties aud enjoymeuts ofGod' country
which will be revealed to them when
final adjournment comes and they are at
liberty to depart hence. 1t is weary the
waiting-and meanwhile partially
subsisting on the very questionable and
totally undesirable luxuries of a Wash
ington boarding house-but there is light
behind the clouds somewhere and we
have faith to believe that May will see us
back in good old Vermont. Although
something may crop out which will COM
plicate matters, it now looks as If two
months more would see US pretty nearly
through.
note that you recently published
list of the recently elected officers OF the
Vermont association here for the coming
year. The membership ofthe association
now foots up about 235 individuals who
at some time or other in their lives have
been connected with the old state, and
the organization has never been in so
hourishing a condition The honorary
presidents are: Hon. William P.
Dillingham;, Hon Carroll S. Page, Hon.
D. !. Foster, Hon. Frank Plumley,
Justices Wendall P Stafford and Charles
H. Robb, Hon. Charles A. Prouty and
Rev. S. H. Greene. The latter, who is a
native of Montgomery, is perhaps the
leading and best-known Baptist clergy
man south OF New York. Admiral
Dewey has never seen fit to identify him
self with the association. The members
from Caledonia county and vicinity are:
St. Tohnsbury, Mrs. Addie K. Burchard,
Miss Grace Chalmers, Melen c, Hooker,
Mr. and Mrs. William Walter Husband,
p Tr
Walter H. Merrill, Mrs. Martha A Miles.
Mr.. and Mrs. Irving S. Woodruff. Justice
and Mrs. Stafford Mrs. Mabe R. Pierce,
Mr.. Frederick and Mrs. Elizabeth Ide
Muller. From nearby towns are: Bliss
N. Davis and AIeyne A Fisher of DanviIle,
Erastus c. and George c. Johnston of
Newbury, Mrs. Leila Morse Sholes of
Danville, Miss Julia Woodward of
Danville, Mr. and Mrs. Charles P.
Miss Abbie M. Chamberlain and Mrs.
Alice M. Stevens of Peacham, Mr.. and
Mrs, Douglas w. Holton OF Hardwick
and Mrs. Helen L. Kimball, Cabot.
The Vermont association is one of the
largest of the many state associations in
the city, which indicates that many
Vermonters in the past have drifted
South as we'll as West. Not nearly all of
them are IN the employ ofthe government.
business and industrial life of the city, in
which they have won wide and honorable
regulations and a pleasant measure of
business prosperity. For many years the
Wizards, native Vermonters, were in the
very front rank of the city's business life,
accommodating large fortunes in the hotel
and real estate business. Col. MyrOn
Parker native of Cambridge, has for
nearly two decades been one of the most
prominent landmarks of business Wash
ington. He has had several of the most
conspicuous offices, locally, in the gift of
the president, but of late years has
steadfastly refused all official position.
He has attended strictly to his private
affairs, and has accumulated a large
property by real estate and other profit
able investments. Horatio N. Taplin,
formerly a prominent official of the
National Lite Insurance company of
Montpelier, has also prospered exceed
ingly since he came here some years ago
and embarked in the real estate and in
surance business. Maj. D. S. Fletcher of
Middleburv is likewise one of the most
successful and prosperous of the city's
business men, and is widely known in
commercial and social circles. This list
might be extended indefinitely in business
and official life, and it has become safe to
say that wherever a Vermonter is found
there will also be discovered an enviable
environment of material prosperity and
success. Blood will tell and the Strength
of the h ills" imbibed in childhood laws a
foundation of energetic stamina which
certainly carries its posessor onward and
upward in future years to the attainment
of those material things which are
counted as worth living for.
Finally, though he is not a Vermonter
l cannot refrain from mentioning
Commissioner of Pensions Davenport.
He is certainly a near Vermonter,"
having been born across the river from
Brattleboro, if am not mistaken In
anyIevent, he passed his early life up
among the hills, and in an exchange of
"reminiscences with him at one time he
told of the days when he conducted
two-horse drygOods peddlar's cart
around through Caledonia county.
This was contemporaneous with the
period when the late Jim Fisk likewise
engineered a like equippage around
through that section. In the pursuit of
his regular itinerary young Davenport
put up" at night with the farmers
along his route, and ren1empered having
often stopped with the family of the late
David Morse in Danville, father of Judge
S. D. M orse. These were the golden DAYS
of the peddlar, and MIR. Davenport yet
recalls them with pleasure if not profit.
For many years he was deputy
commissioner under various chiefs,
continually increasing his reputation for
executive ability of an unusually high
order and as the real brains of the entire
establishment. until his conspicuous
deserts were recognized by his appoint
ment as commissioner after the resign
alton ofCommissioner Vespasian Warner
some months ago. In consequence. the
pension office is now conducted on
admirable business principles. outside of
official fear or favoritism, and is a model
or every other department.