The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-23
TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH BArTELL.
Paid by President Thomas at Middlebury
College Alumni Meeting.

being present. At the formal exercises
Hon. 7. M. Meldon, 80, president of tn
association, presided. Congressman
j.. Greene and Ex-Governor John A. MeaC
81, were among the speakers and bot
referred appreciately TO the public spr
it of Joseph Battell, donor of Brea
Loaf and the Battell forests to Middle
bury college. Thomas Il. Boyce, rs, lon
secretary of Mr.. Battell, gave a descrip
ton of the property.
President Thomas made an address
saying in part: 81 have asked you
chairman for permission to say wor,
at this time and in this place in homo
of the man, to whom our thoughts hay,
turned, continuously throughout th
day. shall use words of high appre
citation, but want you to believe tina
they are every one sincere.
II honored Joseph Battell as / hav'
honored but few men l have known.
veneratcd him for his public spirit, hi
generosity, his answering devotion Il
principle and to the Hottest ideals, hi
consistency in devotion to benefcent aims
and for the absolute supremacy in al
his conduct of the motive of the highest
good of his fellow men. ! respected Mr.
Battell for intellectual gifts of very
high order-far sightedness, shrewdness
in business, keen judgment of character
originality of conception, independence OF
opinion, and force and patience in the
execution of purpose. | was forced to
attribute to him at times the power OF
divination OF truths unsupported by the
dull world and OF the course of events
in the far future yelled from common
eyes.
SIN his death the town of Middlebury
lost her best friend, and the stata of
Vermont one of her most loyal and de-
voted sons. Joseph Battell worked for
our village and town, in his own way,
but patiently, persistently, far-sighted-
ly, and generously, through all his active
life. Our beautiful and substantial vii
lage, in its central portion is a monu-
ment to his faith, his industry, and his
generosity.
There is not town in Vermont which
had changed its outward look more sub
stantally for the better in tie last quar-
ter century, than our own Middlebury,
and the major portion of the improve
ment has been due to the labor of Mr.
Battell. Memories of my student days
include the steep hill on Main street from
the railroad to the bridge, the decayed
and unsightly structure where the new
part of the Battell block stands, the
Nancy store where is now the fountain
and park, and the ugly and totterng
bridge over the Otter. How different
must be the impression upon the visitor
of to-day. and how much of the change
was brought about by the careful plan
ming and self sacrificing labor of our
good, true friend.
HE loved the village and wanted his
home TO be in the very center of its
life. He loved the town and worked
for everything that would make it a
better town. He loved this entire region
and thought and felt that nowhere else
in the world had God made a land more
fair. He loved our state and prided him
self in its mountains and hills, its val
leys and fields, its noble men and WON
en-, its heroic history and story. His
soul was filed with strong and tender
affection toward all that pertained in
any way to his home and TO his native
state / have stood with him on the
height of the land which he generously
gave TO the college and watched the tears
rain down his face as he looked down
upon the village, with the fair church |
spire framed in the trees and Noe river |
cleaning bright between the fields, and |
off 20 the majestic mountains whose ma.
. skFa ha he ant ha aaif
touch. He loved our rocks and rills, our |
woods and tempted hills-no man ever
loved them more.
Mr.. Battell was a man OF sentiment |
Beauty stirred him, whether of outward |
nature, or music, or a work Of art. Sen
timent governed his conduct in situa.
tons where others would have acted
from lesser motives. Ii is common 10
slur at sentiment, as a weak and un.
worthy indulgence of the idle and incap-
ible. But sentiment in its nobler forms
Df passion for ones home and birth
place, delight in old scenes and boyhood
memories, emotion from the grand or
he exquisitely beautiful in nature, is a
ioble quality Of the strongest natures.
such was the sentiment Of David when
,e longed for a drink of the water from
he well by the gate of Bethlehem. the
ointment OF Washington for the state.
y trees OF Mount Vernon, the sentiment
Il Scott for the heathered mountains Of
scotland. and Of Wordsworth for the
axes OF Cumberland. Like Wordsworth,
ir. Bsttell began in youth TO yield him.
eli 90 nature. with a strong and holy
,assion. We have had no men among
Il the past years who appreciated more
ruly at their worth the beauty Of the
'ermont hills and forests than did Jo-
eph Battell.
"Gratitude. respect, veneratiou, honor
bould On our hearts when We think
{ him. He vas the friend Of the hum
lest, and his charity knew no bounds
4 creed or social station. He was
rue American in devotion 10 the prin.
piles Of liberty and equality. He was
ireless worker, and knew not h0W 20
est. and al his work was for the public
God he did good in his own way. but
o did IL. and for what be did. and for
he generous and loysl impulse which
romptsd ell hs did. town and state and
ollegs vii bless his memory many /
sys.
an the midst ~ these scenes b. loved !.
b loyalty. looking out On The forest he |.
lbored forty years 10 Esotsct and 10
reserve. bet ne e. > college dedicate Z
urseltes 20 the wofk 10 - notiy b.