The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-29
CHELSEA CITIZENS
PAID DEEP TRIBUTE
To Memory of Hilas E. Roberts, Who
Left Large Requests for Various
Purposes in the Town.

Chelsea, April 29.-The memorial serv
ices for the late Hilas L. Roberts were
held in the opera house Sunday after
noon, when the members of George
Washington lodge, No.-5l F.~and A. M.
of which the deceased was member
the faculty and students of the higf
and graded schools, and a large con
course of the townspeople assembled tC
pay tribute of respect to the memory Of
this loyal son of Chelsea, whose UNI
bounded love for the home of his child
hood prompted him to make such dis
tribution of his worldly possessions as
to enable the present generation and al
succeeding generations which shall be
SO fortunate as to be residents of tho
town he loved so well to partake of and
enjoy the fruits of his labor.
The exercises were opened with pray.
er by Rev. John A. Lawrence after
which chorus from the school sang
Lead Kindly Light" Charles /. Hood
of Lowell, Mass, a close and intimate
friend of Mr.. Roberts, then delivered
with much feeling the following eulogy:
ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and
ANtiSHDOIS
81 feel that l have been highly hon
ored in being invited to be with you to.
day at this memorial service for the
late Hilas +. Roberts. My acquaintance
with and friendship for him makes light
the duty of helping to render just
tribute to the man who so royalty and
generously has shown his love for his
native town. Let us pause for a mo-
ment while | pay loving tribute to
the memory of that hard working, hon
est, widowed mother who labored so
hard to maintain her home that she
might the better impress upon the minds
of her two boys the fact that the inn
portant features of their lives must be
the cultivation of industry, integrity
thrift, economy and hard work. They
went out into the world with this i'm
preston stamped upon their every
thought, and they both made good. I
wonder if this good woman was permit
ted to look through the veil and see how
well her sons wrought. James p, the
older brother, was well known expert
in engineering circles in the city OF Low
ell, Mass, for many years and at one
time was consulted far and wide. No
one could give more accurate estimate
of the amount Of steam obtained from a
ton of coal and its cost per horse power
than he. We are honored to-day by
the presence of his son, the nearest of
kin to Hilas. / am sure it is quite prop
err for me thus publicly to assure this
young man that he will always meet a
most cordial welcome at Chelsea.
u shall not endeavor to offer any ex-
travagant praise for the dead. Were
our friend and brother still living, he
would not approve any such expressions.
and suggestions from the life OF the de-
ceased to which / would like to call
your attention. | have known Hilas
Roberts all my life. Before our teens
at the sessions of the county court, he
peddled delicious molasses candy from
a japanned tray appetizingly spread over
clean white paper, while | peddled high
" polished Baldwin apples from a tin
pail. We were both good statesmen, and
in his later life he developed into one
Of the greatest travelling dry goods sales
men Boston has ever produced.
AS a young boy in this town of Chel-
sea, he worked in a grocery store To-
lated under the Union store, building
that formerly stood on the site now
by the National Bank of Orange
County. The old grocery store was
owned by John Snow, in his day
quaint character of the village, who in
MS early life was one of the famous
concord stage coach drivers on the Bos-
.on line, his route being from Chelsea
L., 49, a.
yich. We next find Hilas in Montpelier;
hen in a retail store on Hanover street
n Boston, and little later with job
,ing house of Stone, Wood & company,
m Franklin street, in the very center
II the great jobbing dry goods district
If those days. In this immediate vi
Unity he spent all his active life as
travelling salesman. In this brief sur
Fey of his activities | can only allude
o the many hours, days and weeks of
lard and untiring industry, to the many
rails and diseouragements he met and
'vercame, as he steadily climbed round
" round from the bottom of the ladder
o the very top thereof in winning phe
lomenal success in his chosen vocation. |
81 was told that at the time he left |
he road, he commanded the largest sal |
ny of any man in Boston in his line. !
AT the early age of 80. as the re-
ult of his eeaseless industry. business
ore-sight, thrift and economy, he had |
ccumulated enough of this worlds goods |
O that the income thereof would pro-
.ide for his comparatively small living
expenses, and. therefore, he retired from
ctive business.
"Theu for over 80 years he pursued |
he even tenor of his way. steadily |
ear by year adding more or less to his |
ssets. In this he showed strength of |
mind and stability of character worthy |
f our admiration and emulation.
1T is appropriate to refer right here
o the many acts of kindness performed |
" him in all these years for those less
in life than he. Many times
e sent to this town gifts of graduated |
ugar, -four confectionery. etc. for the
eedy and the children. He also mani
ested his interest in Chelsea in munifi- |
emit gifts to the town library, the bene-
{ of another honored and much loved
helsea boy, Marcellus Gould, who has
lso passed on to that country from
hose bourne no traveller returns. Il
merely hope this beautiful field will 4
"A