News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-03-26
A Lamoille County Boy
StiIIman Stone of Eden


Mass, paper will be read with interest
by many hereabouts, as Mr. Stone is a
native of Lamoille County and has a
large number Of relatives and friends in
this section
Possessed of a skill in penmanship that
makes his hand writing like copperplate,
and a knowledge Of photography that
kept him on his feet three quarter of an
hour at a recent spelling match at the
Grange, Stillman Stone, when he retires
from the office of town clerk, after the
next town meeting, will leave as mon
ument of his official life, as neat a set of
town records as can be shown in any
town in the state.
Mr.. Stone came to Lunenburg, Mass,
in 1866 and for 26 of the 46 years since
then he has been in the service of the
town i'll one capacity or another. For
the past Is years he has been town clerk.
From 1875 to 1880 inclusive, and in 1892,
! he was selectman, assessor and over
seer of the poor, and in 1884, he repre-
sented this district in the general court.
| AS census enumeration he also has an
enviable record, having taken the census
of Lunenburg for the United States in
| 1880, 1890 and 1900, and the state census
in 1875, 1885,, 1895, and 1905 His returns
were always accepted without question
and he was complimented many times
| by the census officials for the neat less
of his reports. He has been justice of
| the peace since 1895
Before coming to Lunenburg Mr.. Stone
| or Captain Stone, as he has a righ5 to be
called had made fine record o, sea as
| well on land, as sailor, soldier aud bust
ness man, but he has rarely refer ed to
it, and few of the people with whom he
has associated for nearly half a c. lCury,
have any knowledge of it.
Born in Eden, VT, Sept. 20, 1885, he
left home at IA years of age to enter the
employ of his uncle, Col. E lphalet
Stone. who kept grocery store in Ded-
ham, Mass. Here he remained five.
years and then went on the road for
year, as travelling salesman for books
and jewellery. About this time he felt
the call of the sea, which used to have
such powerful influence over the coun-
try-bred boy in the days when American
shipping was something to be proud of
and American ships manned by Ameri-
can sailors dotted every sea. Obeying
the call he shipped ON board whaler
and spent ten months in cruising about
the North and South Atlantic. Not
quite satisfied with his surroundings on
this trip, when the ship clme home he |
left her aud spent a year on shore, when |
he shipped again on board whaler |
This voyage lasted two years, and the |
trip took him all over the North and |
South Atlantic off the coast of Africa |
On this voyage he says he obtained his
Notwithstanding all his spare time
over his books He included the study
of navigation, intending to adopt a sea-
faring life, but when he landed from the
voyage mutterings of the war between
and he remainded Oh shore to take his
part in the stirring times.
The year 1860 he spent travelling in the
West for New York publishing house
When Fort Sumter was fired on in 1861
he was in Philadelphia. He at once
fastened to his Vermont home, and was
the first man to offer to enlist as vol
unteer from Lamoille county The sur
geons who examined him, however, re-
jected him, because of an injury to his
shoulder by an accident some years be-
fore. Later he tried again TO enlist and
was again rejected. In 1862 when the
demand for men was more urgent and
the surgeons were less particular, Mr..
Stone tried again and was accepted in
May OF that year as member of Go. H,
9th Vermont regiment.
In July he was made orderly sergeant
OF his company and proudly cherishes
his warrant for that Office which bears
the signature of the heroic Gen. George
March 10, 1868, he was COM
missioned second lieutenant, and was
promoted to first Lieutenant, June 81, .
1858. Most of his term of service was r
n Virginia and North Carolina, where !
ne saw severe fighting but escaped with ,
)ut wound His health failed, how
ever, and when almost at deaths door d
le resigned and was discharged, October I;
I9, 1868. il
Returning to Vermont he regained his
health and in 1865 joined the Vermont c.
Militia and was commissioned captain of !,
o. I, First Vermont regiment. This Of u
ice he held till his removal to Lunen- :,
burg. P
Capt. Stone has been active in the So ty
ial life of Lunenburg all these years. h,
lie joined Post 10, G.. A. r. soon after L
Us orRdulAaGlOH, anu was one Oh tne :;
ounders and for some years President ~
# the Lunenburg Memorial Association,
which annually has charge of the local b
Memorial Day observances. For many 81
ears he was Secretary of the old Lunen. of
urg Farmers club and when this was
ucceeded by the Grange, he became one a. a.
t its earliest, and has since continued an
ne of its most active members. The or
1cal Tent of Daughters of Veterans was so
AIMED in memory of his daughter, Hat to
lie d. Stone, now deceased, and his w
lree sons, only one of whom is now i he
wing, were early members of the Fitch ", u1i
urg Camp of Sons of Veterans. ss