Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-12-31
A TALK WITH BOYS.

Every boy in Addison county ought to
know about the brave, noble life of
Mr.. Joseph A. DeBoer, who died
Christmas morning at his home in
Montpelier. He was a great friend of
boys, of all Vermont boys, but especial
ly of boys who do not have quite fair
chance in life and are compelled to I'M
dergo many hardships before they get a
start. His life should be an inspiration
to every boy in Vermont and should
bring close home the lessons of such
great men as Lincoln and Garfield, who
worked their way from poverty and
hardship to honor and eminence.
There is probably not boy in Yer
mont to-day who is in harder place, a
more discouraging situation, than was
Joseph A. DeBoer at about ten years of
age. He was very poor, news-bov on
the streets of Albany. He knew only a
few words of the English language,
enough to sell papers but not enough to
read them. But he was plucky en-
terprising little fellow, with good eye
for business, and the kind man from
whom he bought his papers took a
liking to him. One thing which made
this man interested in young DeBoer
was that when he got few pennies
ahead he began to bargain for book
on the mans shelves, one of the plays
of Shakespeare. He had seen the name
of that book on theatre bill board and
made up his mind he must have it and
read it, By careful saving he got the
book and began to spell out the words,
with the aid of the kind book seller.
This man invited him to a Sunday
School, which was valuable to him as a
place to learn English as well for its
teaching on character and religion.
Soon he had mastered English suffi-
GENTLY to enter the public school, and
then his progress was steady and rapid
until he graduated with high honors
from Dartmouth College and became
himself schoolmaster.
Later Mr.. DeBoer decided to go into
business and entered the office of the
National Life Insurance Company OF
Montpelier His great ability, coupled
with love of work, soon made him pres
ident of the company. He threw his
whole soul into his task, and the com
pany made rapid progress. In compe
! ttion with the strongest financial or
| Of nf,.u ub of
J GERS received many times the salary Of
Mr.. DeBoer, and which had many ad
vantages because of their location il
large cities, he built up the Vermont
. institution until to-day it stands, moi
| only as the strongest financial organiza
ton of Vermont, but as one of the
, soundest of the country.
Mr. DeBoer had many opportunities
, to leave Vermont, indeed to take hi
whole company to great city. But HI
always said he preferred the ndepen
dence of Vermont to any advantage
which a metropolis might offer him
l He became most useful citizen of oul
: State. He was the father of our per
t manent school fund, by which thousand
: of dollars are distributed every year t,
S Vermont's country schools. He was {
2 close student of the taxation problem
: and said many wise things on that diff
S cult subject.
! Everybody respected Joseph A. De
! Boer Those who knew him well lovet
him so much they would have givel
their very lives for him. He never die
a mean, small thing. He was a man o
S great mind and of great soul. He ha,
t a keen sense of honor and he never for
! got friend. In any company of mel
t he was leader. He was one of thos,
= whose strength is felt, and he did no
g need to speak to exert influence. Blu
/ when he did speak, he pushed aside tn
r small things about a subject and wen
e straight to its heart and center. H,
S was a strong, noble man, man VIII
did great things and who has left
S name to be honored among the grea
r men of Vermont.
What he did, other boys of to-day ma,
j do. If that little news-boy, fresh from
4 Holland, spelling out the words on
= slgn-board in Albany, could fight hi
3 way up, there is not boy in distrc
e school in Addison county who can say h,
a has no chance.