The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-31
Long Time Town Lister and
Auditor Had Cancer
Gus Trouble
WIDELY INFORMED
ON TAX MATTERS
Official of Baptist Church Many Years
and Man of Recognized Integrity -
Connected with Various Local Or
ganizations.

Herbert Bella Chamberlain Is. for over
Is years town auditor and for 20 wears
a lister of the town, prominent mem
Der of the First Baptist church which he
served for p years as an usher and in
which he was a trustee many years, died
this morning at 345 o'clock i'm his
home, p Western avenue. of cancer
of the intestines. He had been in failing
health two years and last January un
derwent an operation which gave tempo
airy relief He had been confined to his
bed four months.
Mr.. Chamberlain was born in Newport.
n. H., Aug. l., lS49. son of Bella Net
Itleton and Jane Gram Chamberlain
When he was an infant his parents
moved to Peterboro, \. H.. and at the
lage OF five years he came to Brattleboro
where he had since made his home He
graduated from the Brattleboro high
school in the class of 1867 and imme
ldiately took employment in the hat store
conducted by his father where the Brat
tleborO Trust Co. is now located. After
his fathers death, in 1887, he continued
the business about five years and sold it
to S. W. Edgett
After disposing of his business Mr.
chamberlain confined his activities prin-
ieipally to town affairs and to doing ac-
counting for the state board of health
lduring the long term of the late DR..
Henry ID. Holton as secretary. He com
Ipiled the vital statistics for the state
Hoard of health for years
MIR. Chamberlain was elected a town
,uditor in 1884 and continued to serve
las such for Is years. In 1895 he was
lected lister and continued in that ca .
pacity for 20 years, failing of reelection
n 1913 but receiving appointment as
lerk of the board To do the office work.
Once before that he failed of re-elec-
ion, in 1909, but Ernest :. Hall. who
was elected in his place, promptly re-
tsigned and the selectmen appointed Mr.
chamberlain.
: Mr. Chamberlain was secretary and
treasurer of the Brattleboro Free library
and for years had been secretary and
70 reasuTer of the Brattleboro Water Co
: He was appointed a trustee of the Aus
a. time Institution after the death of John
. ialvin in 1911. and is the third member
of that board te die recently, the other.
. being DR. Henry ID. Holton and George
C. Averill.
His connection with the First Bapt ist
church had been since young manhood
nd his interest in the church was second
My To that of his home He was :
| haTter member of the Chamberlain As
lsociation Of America, an associate mem
Ter of Sedgwick post. c. A. r.. and
lmember of the Valley Fair association
G He married, May l3, 1896, Miss Netti
IL. Phillips, daughter of the late Henri
&c. and Alice tGibsonl Phillips of thi
town. They had one daughter, who die,
In infancy. Mr.. Chamberlain is the las
e of his family and is survived only by hi
t wife
e1 No man in Brattleboro had a wide
o knowledge of property valuations tina
ibid Mr.. Chamberlain, nor more int
Innate knowledge of the workings of Ia
+ t]lws and the manner in which the pay
e lment of taxes il evaded. He could tai
Il for hours on this subject in highly er
'r tertaining fashion. His ideas in tn
II. framing of tax laws were sought by PEE
+ sons engaged in that work
Il He was a man of cheerful disposition
Is accustomed always to look on the brigl
side of life, and even to the last of h
e. illness his cheerfulness did not lea,
ie him. He was scrupulously honest and
Il imam whose opinions were valued in tow
:. land church affairs. He was also a vel
; accommodating man, many time goiI
4 out of his way to do person a fave
~ There are very many persons in Bra
IS. Itleboro and elsewhere who will cheri
NJ 1.-THE memory of Mr.. Chamberlain.
ld The funeral will be held Thursday af
rnoon at 80 o'clock at the house. Re
VI. Compton, pastor OF the West Bra
leboro Baptist church. officiating, assis
ar by Rev. +. Q. S. Osgood, pastor of t
Unitarian church. The burial will ta
ct place in Prospect Hill cemetery, in t
ng tflmily lot.
Ds-