Putnam patriot., 1918-05-03

every man. woman and child in east
ern Windham county as Guard
Wright, died at his home on School
street at 1880 o'clock Thursday
morning at the age of 50 years. He
had been in failing health for some
time due to advanced years. The last
time Mr.. Wright was down town was
week ago last Tuesday, but since that
time he has been up and around the
house Wednesday he said he thought
he would not get up, and continued to
grow weaker until 1880 o'clock
Thursday morning, when he died
from general breakdown due to old
age
Mr. Wright was one of the three
oldest residents of Putnam and often
said that Ashael Battey and DIR Will
liam H. Sharpe are the only other
citizens now living that were in Pom
fret Factory. now Putnam, when he
came here.
1t was twelve years ago that the
name of Phineas Gardner Wright was
heralded from Maine to California
Mr.. Wright at that time gained coun-
trywide notoriety by causing to be
erected upon his lot in Grove street
cemetery monument. There was
nothing out of the ordinary in this,
but when the monument was uncov-
cred, it was found to contain carved
| thereon bust of Mr. Wright, chin
whiskers and all, and the following
cription--"Going But Know Not
Where" The unwilling of the monu-
ment caused as much surprise to Mr.
| Wright as it did TO the citizens.
VALE Mr.. Wright knew that his
bust and the Inscription were to APP
pear, he was not prepared for the
sculptor's artistic touch in parting his
flowing whiskers, in fact Mr.. Wright
was very much displeased with this, as
it was not true to life, and he said it
made him look like a d dude. He
ordered the monument removed, TAX
en- back to Worcester, from whence
it came, and done over again without
the part to which he SO strenuously
objected.
Within a few days after the cree
ton of this unusual monument with
its unusual inscription, newspaper
men from all parts of the country,
camera iends, tourists and curious
people came from miles around to see
the monument and to interview the
man who caused it to be erected The
Wright home was beseiRed by inter-
viewers and curious people and from
all parts of the country came post
cards and letters asking for auto
graphs The quiet of the cemetery +
was broken by the tramp of many
feet as people filed in and out to see
if such monument was really there.
1t was rumored at the time that the
Wright had said that he had caused
several bottles of spirits to be planted
so that the grave digger might not go
dry while preparing Mr.. Wright's last
resting place. In subsequent years
Mr. Wright denied that this was so.
And so with the erection of the
monument came notoriety that made
Mr. Wright the most widely known /
man in Putnam. He said only a short
time before his death that more peo-
pie visit his monument each year than
call on the president of the United
States.
Phineas Gardner Wright was born
in Fitzwilliam. N. H., April 8, 1929.
He was but two years old when he
came with his father to the adjoin-
ing town of Woodstock. Mr.. Wright +
often visited Pomfret Factory before
it took the name Of the renowned
general who left his pillow in the field
to join the Continental Army and
fought at Bunker Hill against the red
coats, who entered the historic wolf I
den at Pomfret and killed the wolf +
that was killing the farmers she -
General Israel Putnam.
Mr. Wright often talked of the I'D
days. There we're no railroads then I
He said he well remembered the first
train over the road now running be- |
tween New London and Worcester. |
This was in 1849. He himself had
charge of gang of men when the
Boston & Erie, which subsequently
became the New England and now is
the Midland division of the New Hav-
en- road, was put through, in 1868. He
enjoyed nothing more than sitting in
the Office of the Putnam Inn on an af-
ternoon and relating historical facts
of interest and recalling men and wo-
men who have long since died. And
he told his stories in an interesting
manner.
In his younger days Mr.. Wright |