Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-06-06

home here at 1855 o'clock tonight. Death
was due to interstitial nephritis which
has been chronic ailment with him but
not rek0~ded as particularly serious until
recently. All members Of the former vice.
presidents family except Major Richard
Fairbanks. who is in France. we're at his
bedside.
The distinction of birth in a log cabin.
which illustrious Americans OF an earlier
day commonly had, was also that Of
former Vice-President Fairbanks. 1t is
probable that he was the last of Amer
lean statesmen to have been born in one
Of these humble cabins.
The one where he was born on May 11s
1852 was at Unionville Center. Ohio. 1t
came dangerously near being the funeral
pyre for the future statesman. When Mr.
Fairbanks was boy Of four. his father
built a new home. and the one-room log
cabin was used as a carpenter shop. One
day while the workmen we're at lunch
Charles wandered into the shop and care
lessy threw a bunch of shavings into the
open place. The cabin caught fire and
when the boy realized his danger he was
forced to scramble through a window.
Mr.. Fairbanks traced his ancestors to
the days of Oliver Cromwell, who counted
"Fayerbankes" among his supporters.
Jonathan Fayerbankes. the first member
Of the family to come to America. landed
at Boston in 1896 Mr.. Fairbanks father
was Loriston Monroe Fairbanks, wagon
maker of Vermont, who emgrated TO
Union County. Ohio. His mother was
sister of the late William Henry Smith.
once general manager Of The Associated
Press.
The Fairbanks home frequently was the
hiding place of runaway slaves and no
blackman ever was turned away from the
door Fairbanks was eight years old when
| Abraham Lincoln was elected president.
Then followed the Civil War the stirring
scene Of which the future vice-president
followed with keen interest
| Fairbanks, at Is. entered Ohio Wesleyan
College at Delaware. Ohio. sharing an
attic room with the son Of another farmer,
and the two cooked their own meals Fair
banks did carpenter work to earn his first
law books.
| Soon after he was graduated. Mr.. Fair
banks was appointed agent of The AS
sociated Press at Pittsburg. Pa holding
| that position for one year His most i'm
portant assignment was the rally OF the
democrats and liberal republicans in 1877
This was one of the largest meeting OF
the campaign and was addressed by
Horace Greeley. Later In life he frequently
referred with keen delight to his work as
a newspaper man.
From Pittsburg, Mr.. Fairbanks went to
Cleveland and completed his law course.
In 1874 he married Miss Cornelia Cole, the
elimination of a romance that began
when both were members of the editorial
stanf Of their college paper. To them were
born Ave children, one daughter and four
sons.
After marriage Mr. Fairbanks moved to
indianapolis and opened a law office. He
took deep interest In politics and assisted
in local, State and national campaigns.
managed Walter @. Gresham's campa ign
for the republican nomination for the
presidency in 1858 and later labored in
dustriously for Benjamin Harrsons NOM
ination.
1t has been stated many times that Mr..
Fairbanks did more to commit the Re-
publican party in Indiana to the gold
standard in 1896 than any other man and
that he wrote the money plank in the
national platform adopted at the St.
Louis convention, over which he presided
as temporary chairman. When William
Mckinley was nominated for the presi-
dency Mr.. Fairbanks toured the country
in his interests.
In January. 1897, Mr.. Fairbanks was
elected to the United States Senate. He
took his seat on March l. the day on
which Mckinley became president. He
became a close adviser of the President
in the trying times before and during
the Spanish American War.
Among Mr. Fairbanks greatest serv-
ices to his country were those performed
while he was member of the United
States and British Joint commission.
which dealt with the Alaskan boundary,
lake fishing and other questions.
Mr.. Fairbanks was recognized as one
Of the national leaders Of the Republican
: party and as such was made chairman
of the committee on resolutions at the
Philadelphia national convention In 1900
He resigned from the Senate March l.
, 1905. having been elected vice-president
on the republican ticket with Theodore
Roosevelt.
3 While he was vice president. Mr.. Fair
banks, in 1908 became candidate for the
d nomination Of president. He was dc
n feated by William II. Taft and aftei
d his term as vice president ended he went
p back to the practice of law.