The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-10
William E. Hawks

They are passing away,
The old of our town-to their final
rest"
Great changes make us pause. The
passing of an old familiar landmark,
Of face that we have known for
lifetime, or a voice, the tones of
which still linger in our ears, make
a profound impression upon us. We
know that they are beyond recall,
and that so long as we shall live we
shall never see them again. only in
htful dreams or in memory that will
slowly fade as time rolls on. These
thoughts came to- me when | heard
that William T.. Hawks had passed
away He was lifelong resident
whose face was almost as familiar to
me as any that ! know. | had known
him from the time that he dreamed
great dreams and set the mark high,
going out boldly into the world to con
quer fortune by his genius and fru-
gality.
first began to know Mr. Hawks
well in the early 70's. He was then
in the full flower of manhood, keen
and active, and stirred by an uncon-
querable ambitions to rise in the
world. His ambition took the form
Of financial operations, and the broad
and growing West was the main field
OF his labors. In those days the 10
cal papers often had bits of news like
this: william Il. Hawks left this
morning Tor a business trip in the
West" or William Il. Hawks is in
New York" or in Boston, or in any
other place as the case might be. For
years these items frequently appear
ed. though few knew little or nothing
OF his struggles in the land of the
setting sun, in the organization of
banks, OF the establishment of cattle
ranches and water and light plants.
His was a nature that shrank from the
publicity of the details OF his private
affairs, and he rarely stood in public
places, telling what he had done or
what he was going to do. The blow
was struck. oftentimes unexpected
| ly, but one must observe the effect
for himself for William f., Hawks
seldom told the result of that blow
The inference must be that it was us
ually successful for the evidences
were plain in many ways.
He was a great traveller in those
days. ! have known him TO come
home from faraway trips tired and
travel stained, only TO receive a
Telegram. perhaps, in a few hours, &c
return to the place from which he
had Just come, or to some other dis
tant point. With his grip and I'm
brella he could be seen nimbly walk
ing TO the station, and In few mo
ments the train was bearing the tired
traveller on the distant journey
These occurrences were very fire
quent and the wonder Is that the ply
steal and mental strain could be with
stood so long and so patiently. Blu
important enterprises call for grea
push and determination for money IL
seldom thrust upon us--it rarel!
comes only by long. hard, well dir
eoted effort and then only in scan
measure to most OF us. Perhaps Mr.
Hawks belief may be summarized al
follows:
Everything comes TO him who waits
But here's q rule that's slicker,
lie who goes and gets II
VIII have II all the quicker
II has been estimated that he tray
eled nearly a million miles durinl
his active business career. in his con
slant trips in different parts of thu
lcountry. In all his travels he wa
never in railroad wreck, or ever
received n scratch In an accident
Even this freedom from acciden
adds sunny chapter In the life OF
remarkable man. With express
trains crossing the continent ut al
times Of the year. in seasons
freshet OF phenomenal storms AM
freezing cold, that there were m
landslides. no broken rails, no wreck
TO kin or main the lone and tire
Traveller In Journeys of n million miles
ia truly remarkable. | recollect on
narrow escape he had In 1871 IN
eastbound express had left Buffalo
one dark night in April. when TN
wind was blowing great guns ana IN
rain falling I'm binding sheets. Abou
forty miles east OF Buffalo. a hridg
had gone out with a froshct. III
train was laundering along TO II
doom, but trackwalker franticall
swung red lantern In time to sto
) the train Just as the big engine wa
within a few feet of the brink.
MIR Hawks had a love, passlo
for fishing that was almost overmal
tering at times. Whenever he tau
ed upon the subject there was o faii
ring Of happiness and gladness IN ~
voice. His love OF the sport was II
born. and perhaps came IRON IN
Pratt family from whom ne uesceh
GA and who were famous fsherme
and trappers in their day. When u
; snrinptime came MIR. Hawks could !
= eeen along the banks OF the ma
! streams. the South Branch, the Fn
mace brook and other streams y
! WAS an acknowledged expert with u
rod and hook, and remember TN