Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-02-24
SAMUEL DECATUR HOBSoN
October 5th, 1890,
February 18th, 1911.

Hobson, grew up Ill Hollis, Maine
After a short period of teaching,
abandoned because tea ers
boarding round were underpaid
and underfed" he went to Port
land as a carpenter; thence to
Island Pond i'll 1852 towork on the
railroad station.
Coming as he did to Island Pond |
before the railroad came through
and having been in continuous
residence since, with the exception
of an absence of two and a half
years in Wakefield, Mass. the life
of the village has been his life.
A large civic interest kept him
in touch with the social, educa-
tional, religious, political and bust
ness life.
In the second year of his resi-
dence here he married Mary Eliza
beth Sawyer of Hollis, Maine. To
gether they built a home whose
beauty and power will never be
forgotten by those who knew it in
timately.
In public school affairs he strove
always for the best possible grade
of instruction, and he maintained
that giving a child thorough in
tellectual training was better gift
than money. The opportunity he
desired for his own children he
gladly tried to secure for every
child in town.
He waged stern fight against
intemperance. Having grown up
in the farming country of Maine
at time when the pint of New
England rum was part of the
days wage, he knew the poverty
and suffering consequent upon
liquor drinking. In one of those
early stormy fights against the sa-
loon both he and his home were
threatened with violence. One OF
his latest laborious days work was
in behalf of the referendum of 1910.
For many years he was an active
worker in the Congregational
church, giving willingly his ser
vices as janitor, Sunday School
superintendent or deacon. One Of
the recommendations made by a
business acquaintance during this
period of early manhood was that
he "reckoned a man who woulc
carry kindling wood from his owr
home to build the fire in the
church, and then be both Sunday
School superintendent and teacher
most likely would meet his fnan
cial obligations. That was q
time Of few men in the church
There came a day when the Home
Missionary Society said it coulc
not that year give the usual help
to the struggling church. An ap
peal was made to the Methodist
Episcopal Conference Of Vermont
which promptly responded by send.
ing Edwin Locke as preacher
Then followed an extraordinary
evangelistic work which is remem.
bered yet by some of the Older
citizens, Because of this work
done in building up keen relig.
ious activity among the village
people and the adjacent farming
community, Mr.. Hobson believed
that, as a matter of ethics, the field
belonged to the Methodist Church.
Therefore he threw his energies
into that branch of the Christian
Church. Ever after he was in.
tensely concerned with the welfare
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
both local and general.
In politics he was a stalwart re.
publican. From 1886 when the
town first sent him as representa-
tive to Montpelier he was alert ii
every political problem and con
troversy in the town and state. He
was a good fighter, enjoying keen
ly victory and accepting defea
with as much philosophy as 81
ardent lover of politics could.
In business he met the success
and reversals common to mos
business men. His first indepen
dent business venture cam,
through handling real estate 70
st. John Smith of Portland. /
larger venture, and the one wit
which his life as citizen of Islam
Pond was chiefly concerned wa
the lumber business at East Brigh
ton.