The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1910-02-03

History

Bierfsph, " John A. Mead
John Abucr Mead was ibr only snn
II Roswell RoNley Mead. erundsln u
Ianes Mead. sud i.ydia ANA, DAUGHTER
" En sorhHm u Rulland iamer
Mead was ihs nrsa white man e. ~'iiic
Ia Rutland township lie b~fnghl ~
Nathan sion. ~ Windsor Tlso acrrs
II land. PAYING for ihe saiDe "a horses
valued at Sga313 he was . dIstin
gnlshed pioneer aud patriot and was
colonei u the Third Vermont colonial
regiment
RoMley II Mead vas born In West
guilaad. Ia a hotel which his father
Ahnrr Mead. conducted, ON the una
,ernni side John Ahner Mead. subjyi
Of this sketch. Inherited some If HE
blnest blood M this country one "i
lydia Ann Gorham's ancestors. John
HOWARD. was a brave aud cnterpris
ing member Of the Maynower colony
aid four Of them were original III
grins. Rowiey r. Mead moved %
Fair Haven In 1899 aud settled GU a
small farm there.
Left 10 Care Of His Aunt.
John Abner Mead was born on
April 20. isil. His mother, Lydia
Ann Gorham Mead, went Into de
cline soon afterwHrd and died IN Az
gust. The infant son was left With
family in Fair Haven 10 be cared for.
remaining with them for several years
Then Rowley Mead married again. and
the boy was virtually given to an
aunt. Mrs. blanchard. who cared for
him for number OF years and with
whom he lived tsuch OF the time untii
he was sixteen years OF age
Struggling For an Eduestion,
Young Mead attended the common
schools at West l,utlnDd until the
spring OF 1858. When he was about
twelve years OF age he conceived
very strong desire TO obtain an edu
cation. His father WAS q poor man
and told him that he was willing to
give him his time" and that he must
make his own way as best he could,
In fact, the sole inheritance which
he received from his father was
string of old fashioned slelghbells.
Then began the slow, steady saving
VI every possible penny with the grea,
goal Of learning as Its object. He
worked OUT he fished and sold his
catch. did odd Jobs. and often n mans
work at boys wage, until IN the
years Of 1857 and 1858 he was made
teacher OF a district school, for which
he received sl5 per month and
boarded around" as the custom was
When he received the x45 for the iinal
three months service. he had accumu
lated nj that time si25, With this be
started IN life AS an example Of pm
tent, persistent frugallty and thrift
the foregoing Is n particularly strik'
Ing example.
At this time he had an uncle living
In Malone. n. Y. who was the prin
cipal OF what was then known n
Franklin academy, The boy wrote t'
him and was permitted 10 attend
school there and do "chores" about th'
house for his board and sweep the
schoolhouse and build the fires for lul
ton and books. He had never been
outside OF Rutland county. and thus. ~
seventeen years Of age. alone and con
sIderably frightened. he started foI
Malone to continue his education.
Going Through College on $425.
There he fitted himself for natricu
lation and entered Middlebury coleg'
In the fall of 1860. He then caught
the patriotic fervor Of the day and
served one year In the army, enlistinp
In August. 1862. and continuing In tn, |
service until July. 1868. when he re
turned to college and graduated In us |
old class Of 1864 To accomplish this |
he worked at haying nearly ever, |
summer and taught school every win |
ter, studying hard meanwhile to make |
up bis arrearages. With his origlna
savings of 1926 he fitted himself foi
college aud completed his course with |
out assistance from any one but his
own willing hands and busy brain
John A Mead 'cut II pretty line
however, as at the time Of his grad |
nation be was so hard up" that he
was obliged to sell all his books, par
ticularly the English books Of the fna
year. that every graduate likes Il
keep. and so he graduated from Mid
dlebury, square with the world hnan
cially. but nearly penniiess,
Tries Unsueesssfuiiy to Rs-enIist
Finding nothing to do at home, b,
then tried to enlist in the army again