Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-29
OBITUARY
Hiram w. StetsOn.

at the Sparhawk sanitarium in the nth
year of his age, after an illness of several
weeks.
For the last 10 years Mr.. Stetson has
made his home In Burlington, where a
large circle of friends and acquaintance
will mourn his loss and miss the warm
grasp Of his hand and his kindly smile |
For nearly half century Mr.. Stetson was |
identified with the iron industry of north
ern New York. The iron age of the |
Champlain valley has become memory |
of the past; the throbbing hammers in |
many FORCES have long since ceased to
beat; the grass grows green upon the site
of ore bed, kiln and furnace and the men
whose brains and tireless energies built
have nearly all passed to their rest; the
death of Mr.. Stetson marks the passing of
another of that galaxy of captains of in
dustry who made the Adirondack iron
business famous.
The early history Of Mr.. Stetson was
typical of the life of nearly every self
made" man of his day and generation
who achieved success. Born on farm in
the southern part of the town Of Cham
plain, N. Y, on the oath day of September,
Amanda Beach. his education was OBJ
tained in the district school at the "old
stone schoolhouse' near the farm and
the Champlan village academy. He left
home at an early age to take up life's
work. first serving as clerk for a short
time in the country store of r. C. North
In Chazy. and afterwards in the store of
Whiteside & Sons in Champlan In 1882
the j. & j. Rogers Iron company as a
clerk, serving in that capacity until 1854
In that year he was elected county clerk
of Clinton county, serving one term from
1865 to 1861. At the conclusion of this
public service he was for time in the
employ of the New York & Canada Rail
road company. In 1869 he accepted the
position of Clotk of the manufacturing
department of Clinton prison, Dannemora.
y. y. In 1870 he returned to the J. & ].
Rogers Iron company at Black Brook, n.
In 1872 he was elected secretary OF the
j. & ]. Rogers Iron company. vice -pres-
dent in 1873 and president in 1890, resisning
from the presidency January Q. 1895. He
was the first president of the present j &
}. Rogers company of Ausable Forks, n.
y. Throughout the years of his residence
| ct Black Brook he filled many positions
| Of responsibility and trust being postmas-
| ter for many years; president of the old
| " estern Plank Road company: supervisor
| of tho town of Black Brook from 1859 to
| 1863 and again in 1871. He was the execu-
| tor of the vast estate of John Rogers
whose death occurred In 1879.
June q, 1870, he married Eliza Dobie
Crosby. youngest daughter of Edward NJ
Crosby of Plattsburgh. HIS wife died
| February 10. 1901 no children were born
| of this union He is survived by two sis
| ters, Miss Phcbe a. Stetson of this city,
| and Mrs. Horace Brown of West Mortified,
| Mass; by one brother, Martin V. B. Set
son of Gloversville, n. Y. and by an
adopted daughter Mrs. Harry Chittenden,
| of Beekmantown. n. Y. While the sur
| wing members of his immediate family
| are few, the family of "Stetson" with its
different branches is large, including
laany relatives throughout New York and
the New England States.
| Mir. Stetson was a man of strong relig-
| ious convictions, who preached the gospel
of Christ by example, rather than pre-
cept. In every walk of life. whether at
home or In the midst of his varied bust
| ness pursuits. his actions spoke eloquent
| ly of his Christian faith. He was an elder
| of the Presbyterian Church of Black
Brook for many years. for several years
a member of the First Presbyterian
| Church of Plattsburgh and at the time of
his death was member of the First
Church In Burlington
In politics he wds a lifelong democrat.
answering in his loyalty to his party and
| it's principles. but never seeking office or
political favors.
| He was man Of the strongest integrity,
| conscientiously performing every duty
placed upon him with method and accu-
| racy, and in justice to ali concerned. He
| was a man fond of his home, quiet, re-
| served. unassuming and of marked abil-
ity: deep thinker and close student
along the line of his life work, He had q
strong personality and faculty of making
friends with everyone. No laborer, man
| or boy, however poor and lowly, or of the
hundreds OF employees of his companies
but knew MIR. Stetson" and went to him
for advice and help in their troubles and
many man owes his upward start in life
10 his kindly interest and helpful aid. He
was of an unusually generous nature but
his charity was disguised that few, II
any, knew of his generous deeds,
The funeral was held at the First
Church at four o'clock yesterday, and
the body will be taken this morning to
| Plattsburgh for burial