The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-08
VERMONT pARsoN BLACKSMITH
Rev. Charles L. Vickery Solves
Church Problem in Small Town.

| Kew. Charles /. Vlckery fSoiVeS
Church Problem in Small Town.
Most people are familiar with the
| poem, 1.-The Village Blacksmith" 1t
| is the mission of this article to record
| the simple story of the preacher
blacksmith a man who has solved
| the small church problem in at
least several instances, who divides
| his time between the anvil and the
pulpit, pounding iron four days i'll the
week, expounding the gospel on one
day and devoting the other two to pas
toral duties and preparation for his
Sunday work, says the Springfield
Republican
The man who is thus demonstrate
ing the practicability of presiding ov-
er a. small church without suffering
the privation with which many coun-
try ministers are familiar, and with
out burdening the members OF his
flock unduly in the matter of support,
is Rev. Charles l.. Vickery, pastor Of
the Baptist church in Stamford six
| miles southeast of Bennington. In
this village, as in all small communi.
ties. ministers salaries are necessar-
lily small, but through his skill as a
mechanic and willingness to work
hard in two such widely separated
spheres as the blacksmith shop and
the pulpit, Mr.. Vickery has solved the
problem, so far as this particular
church is concerned
The story of this mans life is sim
pie but full of interest He was born
January 8, 1867, at Elmwood. H., to
which place his father had emigrated
from New York state years before.
The boy lived there until he was nine
years Old and then came East to live
with his grandfather in the town of
Nassau, N. Y. His father and grand
father were blacksmiths and he prac-
tically grew up in blacksmith shop
Possessing natural mechanical abili-
ty, he absorbed the trade without any
formal apprenticeship and reached
maturity prepared to take good care
of himself at the forge In addition
he worked for time in Troy, as
blacksmith's helper, and he was mas
ter OF his trade when, soon after
reaching the majority, he located in
Stamford. CT.
1t was there that he had what he
refers to as his Christian expert
ence,' and with this came the feeling, 4
or impression that there was work
for him in the ministry This led him
at the age of % TO enter the academy
at East Greenwich. r. l., where he
studied for a year and a half.
Soon after completing his studies
at the academy he married Miss Clar-
abel Burlingame of Hoag's Corners,
N. Y. In due time he was ordained
and ready to enter upon his work as
minister of the gospel For the
first few years Mr.. Vickery did much
mission work and pulpit supplying
without salary, depending upon his
strong right arm and blacksmith's
hammer to make good the deficit. But
his chance was coming, and at last it
came His first call was received
when he was "a years old. and it was
ito the pastorate of the Baptist church
at Martindale. Columbia county, ~
Y. The church paid the munifcent
salary Of $500 year with a "dona-
ton" and speaking of the first dona-
ton, Mr.. Vickery said with a smile:
They took in SIS. just about
enough to pay for the oysters eaten
by the company"
Failing health of Mrs Vickery led
to the change which ultimately result
ed in making him a resident of Yer
mont His wife went to Lee, Mass,
where she had relatives, for rest and
n change of climate. The Berkshire
air proved so beneficial that the
couple decided to locate in that reg
ion if possible, and when later, Mr.
Vickery received call to the church
in Stamford lie gladly accepted it, He
has been located there for about
three years. His salary is $500 a
year, the use of a commodious par
sonage and an annual donation, and
he also has the use of a blacksmith
shop that the church built especially
for him. In connection with his
church work he carries on thriving
blacksmithing business, the shop be-