St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-10-18
Z. n. Vail. Vermonter.

Il. n. Vail, VeFmOnter.
The mention of Theodore N. Vail
of Lyndon as desirable man to be
sent as one of Vermont's delegates
to the next national republican con-
Vention has brought out some oppo-
sition. Some newspapers have said
he would not really represent YER
mont as he is not a real Vermonter,
and not closely in touch wit Yer
mont conditions, that he is a mono
polist and to send him would give
monopoly too much support, and
that the delegation should be COM
posed of men exclusively, Vermont
ers. So far this class of comments
has been confined to editors who are
not personally acquainted with Mr.
Vail and we believe that fact is
largely responsible for their OPP
position to and Misrepresentation of
him.
Mr.. Vail was not born in Vermont
and has made his fortune outside
of the state, but his home is in Yer
than in Vermont. Several years
ago, after he had successfully closed
his business in South America, he
came back to his farm in Lyndon
intending to spend the remainder of
his days there farming. He did
this after he had owned his farm in
Lyndon for some time and after he
had seen a large portion of the civil
lized world and had a fortune that
would allow him. to settle wherever
he desired. To choose Vermont for
home under such conditions is so
convincing an example of love for
and loyalty to state that even an
exclusive Vermonter' can recognize
it. Many Vermonter today is
anxious to acquire fortune so he
could live outside of Vermont but
Mr.. Vail with his fortune turned
toward Vermont
The only reason Mr.. Vail is not
living on and devoting his whole at
tentiOn to SpeedWell Farms is the
call that came a little over five
years ago from the owners of the
Bell telephone system for him to
return to the management of that
company and develop it according
to the plan he had evolved, during
his earlier management of the bus
mess. So anxious were they to secure
him that he is paid one of the H4gh-
est salaries in America This work
requires his personal attention
largely outside of Vermont and a
residence nearer to his work would
be a great personal convenience, but
Mr.. Vail still retains his residence
in Lyndon and whenever he is in the
eastern section of America he makes
his weekly pilgrimages there to en-
joy few hours of the rest and com
fort Of his home. 1t is the only one
he has and the only one he wants.
AS to his ability to represent Yer
monters correctly it can be said thai
very few men could represent Yer
monters more accurately. Mr.. Val
is thorough student of the condi
lions about him. 1t makes no differ
ence whether it is acquiring the
property of a fifty million dollar
competitor or the making of a fv,
hundred dollar loan to a young Yer
mont farmer he studies the merit
and the possible development of tn
case before he acts. He understand
the necessities and devises the meth
Cd to meet the necessities. In hi
twenty-five or more years of expert
ence in developing a Vermont farm
Mr.. Vail has been a careful and &C
curate student of Vermont farmer
and their interests. AS a result b
understands conditions in this stat
remarkably we'll. When he estab
ished an agricultural school in con
nection with Lyndon Institute b
revealed a very accurate knowledg
of what Vermont boys needed an
the more thorough the investiga
ton of the institution the more evi
dent does his understanding of Yer
mont and its needs and possibilitie
become. 1t makes no differenc,
whether it is in the school or dis
cussing highway problems, industri
al conditions or home life in Yer
mont Mr.. Vail convinces all Will