Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-05-24
IRA c. -CALEF DEAD
At THE AGE OF 50
Benefactor of Many Institutions,
He Gave Away 100000
in Two Years

washington. W.. May H.-Ira c. Calef.
aged SO, we'll known retired ffnancier
and the benefactor of many institutions
In Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Is
land, died at his home here this forenoon
at $40 o'clock. Early in January he was
taken Ill and for long time. because of
his advanced age much alarm was felt.
but he rallied from n attack of the grip
and seemed to be regainins his health
until three weeks ago. Lately he had
continued to decline steadily.
The funeral will be held here at the
Calef home" Wednesday afternoon at two
o'clock. The Rev. Paul Weller. pastor of
the Universallst Church in this village,
will officiate, and interment is to be made
in the village cemetery.
The death OF M. Calef removes a com
manding figure In the financial life of
Barre and takes from the town of Wash
ington its first citizen. Born here on
March 20, 1928 he as the fourth child OF
Cutting 8. Calef and Martha II. iPainel
Calef, there being y children. all bat one
Of whom live! to an advanced age. With
the death Of Mr.. Calef. only his brother.
John Calef Of Washington. survives. There
are 20 nephews and nieces, one Of the lat
ter being Miss Emily G. Calef, who has
remained at the Calet home since the
death of the deceaseds sister. Miss Lucy
Calef. which occurred in March, 1918.
Mr.. Calef's biography is the story of a
New England boy who overcame many
obstacles in reaching position Of aff1u-
ence among the business men of two gen.
erations.
When he was 16 years old his father died
and year later Mr.. Calef began his
career in Boston. where he sought and
obt oiuaH Svork Of vor{ovs oopfa until "a
went to Providence, R. L.. at the age of
10. There. in a meat shop. he laid the
foundation for successful business
career. BY dint Of his perseverance.
thrift and a native perspicaclty, he was
able, in q year of two, to purchase the
meat business from his first employer in
Providence. Five years after embarkine
upon his first. venture In the meat line he
admitted to partnership in the enterprise
! his two brothers, Stephen and George
Calef.
In the years Immediately preceding the
Civil War ne saw his opportunity in the
West and after disposing of his interest
in the Providence business he migrated
to Cincinnati, Ohio. where he established
himself in the pork packing industry. II
that phase Of the meat business Mr.
Calef was probably one Of the pioneers
The business thrived and 1t was not unit
his packing plant was destroyed that HI
quit Cincinnati and moved to Des Moines
Iowa.
There he ventured into the packing
business on a scale even larger than II
Cincinnati and prospered accordingly. II
the Middle West he remained prominent
figure in the business of packing porl
= for the eastern market until 1883. ,wher
he disposed Of his plant in Des Nome!
I - srtA rs 70 1iAo mr.,
He was not a stranger in Chicago. how
ever. for during his residence in Cincin
natl and Des Moines, he had frequen
dealings with business men in the large
city and for upward of IS years there
after most Of his business interests wer'
to center in the metropolis of the Middl
West. He became large buyer of mea
and the confidence reposed in him b.
business men along the eastern seaboar'
enabled him to find a ready market TO
hundreds and thousands of barrels o
beef tongues, :.
For 30 years he retu-ued each spring t
pass the summers &C the old home ii
Washington. dividing his time in the win
ter between his interests in Chicago AM
on the Pacific coast. In that period. toe
Mr.. Calef travelled extensively and cam
to know nearly every State in the Union
He made trips to Europe, visiting Eng
land and countries on the continent
Although in the later years OF his busi
ness activity he spent much time In trave
} he retained strong grip on his fnancia
interests. AS long ago as 1884 he repre-
sented the town Of Washington In tn
; General Assembly and while his affair
took him away from home much Of tn
time he retained deep interest In Yer
mont and the welfare Of his native town
, as has been shown from time to time b.
, special benefactions.
In the past four years he had passe
much of his time here In Washington
and 1t may be said that many of hi
larger benefactions were made in tn
later years Of his life.
For the past 30 years he had been
member OF the board of trustees a
Goddard Seminary, and long before hi
official connection with the school bega
he was numbered among the few me
whose activities nursed the institutio
along in its infancy. Due very Target
to his munificence, the alumni of God
dard were enabled to present the schoc
with a new building three years ago an
only within a year his generosity in tn
donating Of O large sum of money serve
. to enlarge the opportunities afforde
students from the town Of Washingto
: as we'll as elsewhere In the State. HI
sane counsel In investment matters made
possible for the school to secure stron
financial intrenchment for its endowmer
. fund, a fund which. by the way. ha
been frequently increased by Mr. Calef
) gifts,
In the past two years his benefaction
have aggregated $500. 0cO much OF tn
: money going to deserving institutions nc
conducted for profit. In a very real sens
. Mr.. Calef was the good angel Of the pres
emit Barre City hospital. for 1t was hi
initial gift of $4,000 in 1914 which full
nished the stimulus for a campaign r.
. sulting in the erection of the moder
. building on Washington street Hospital
A; in particular were ever the benefactor
: OF Mr.. Calef's largess and the fact this
/. he found institutions of the sort niue
to his liking as objects of his giving gre
out of an experience of his youth. an 81
periencs which he liked to relate. As
! mere boy and a stranger in Boston h