The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-09-01
West BrattIebOrO
,oTH ANNIVERSARY SURPRISE.
Mr.. and Mrs. @. r, Otis Entertained by
Relatives Monday Evening.


Mr.. and Mrs. Charles X. Otis of Nonkers
n Y. who are spending the summer al
the Melrose, were the victims OF q surprise
party Monday and the occasion proved par
ticularly ENJOYABLE because II was arranged
10 celebrate their golden wedding anniver
sary. Mrs. Herbert Clark OF West Brattle
boro, cousin of Mr.. Otis, invited then
and few neighbors TO dinner at her hous,
Monday evening, The guests of honor ar
rived little suspecting that the occasion
was in honor of such an important event
as a 50th wedding anniversary and without
the least idea that they We're guests oil
honor. A few minutes before dinner was
announced Mr. Otis began TO surmise that
the occasion was out OF the ordinary iIom
the way that several of the guests conduct
ed themselves. Attempting TO enter the
dining room he found his way barred and
be Immediately communicated his suspl-
cions to Mrs. Otis. The fact that II was
Aug 2S, the anniversary of their wedding
day, did not dawn upon Mr., and Mrs; Gus
until they were ushered INTO the dining
room which was decorated with howers.
An elaborate dinner had been prepared to
which 10 persons sat down.
Though Mr.. and Mrs. Otis were born IN
Windham county towns only few miles
apart he confessed yesterday IN speaking
OF his courtship that he saw Miss Caroline
Frances BOYD of Wilmington but once be
fore he met her in lonkers, \, y, many
wears afterward. Mr.. Otis, who was born
and lived for number of years IN Halifax
said that he saw his future wife standing
in the vestibue of the old Baptist church
in Halifax one Sunday and made up his
mind that she was a pretty good looking
young lady. AT that time he did not know
her. Some years afterwad Mr.. Otis $
e. 10 - nt no OLE
vator, married widow-the mother Of
Caroline Boyd Thus Charles Otis and Miss
BOYD became step-brother and sister.
When Elisha G.. Otis died in April, 1861,
his son, Charles, became the head OF the
elevator business then in its infancy. Tins
did not mean much in the way OF an IN
heritance for the young man. Elisha G.
Otis died insolvent and his debts amounted
to about $4,000. There were assets amount
ing to $500 The younger Otis decided
that he ought to have wife to help HIM
work out the problems which he had IN
mind and accordingly he married Miss
Boyd Aug. 2s. 1861 Mrs. Otis became her
husbands bookkeeper The first tive, con.
tracts Mr.. Otis received after the death
of his father called for S35 worth OF equip
ment for each Job. A few years later he
was building passenger elevators at Sl0,VOO
each and when he severed his connection
with the business 20 years ago. as mention
ed in a recent issue of the Reformer, the
company was doing a gross business
amounting to about Sl5,000,00O annually.
During so years and more spent in 9onkers
Mr.. Otis held but one public office For
"a years he was member of the board of
education and during his administration
introduced freproof stairways into all OF
the school buildings of the city, He was
the originator of the fire drills now in use
in the schools OF Honkers.
Mr. and Mrs. Otis will spend the winter
at Tarpon Springs, Fla, The celebration
Of their golden wedding anniversary was
an enjoyable affair and Mr.. Otis spoke
briefly in reminiscent way of the so years
during which he and Mrs, Otis have lived
together. Mr.. Otis is compiling material
for a story OF the elevator business together
with a sketch of the life and achievements
OF his father and il will be published within
a few years.
Those present at the supper were Mr..
and Mrs Otis. Miss Margaret Nesbitt and
Miss Lillian Clark Of Yonkers, Lowell OTIS
of Bethlehem, Penn. Mrs. Mary Ballou.
Mrs. Ella Allen and daughter, Miss Alice
Allen, Miss Susan Z Clark, Mrs, w. H.
Bigelow, Miss Helen Bigelow and Mr. and
Mrs Hayes Bigelow all Of this town,