The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-04
BARRE'S OLDEST
SH0PMAN DEAD
Henry z. Mills Had Stood
Behind the Counter over
Half a Century
WAS FOUND DEAD
IN HIS BED TO-DAY
Retired in His Usual Health
Last Night-Age Uncer-
tain--Relatives Sought

erations of people during his more than
half century of business in Barre, died
early this morning of heart failure, su
perinduced by heat, at his room in the
residence of Mr.. and Mrs. G. NJ. Bur
roughs, IL Church street. Mr.. Mills re-
tired in his usual health last night, hav-
ing come home from his little store on
Elm street at 10 o'clock.
When Mrs. Burroughs noticed that the
pitcher of water, which she placed just
outside of Mr.. Mills door each morning,
had not been moved at o'clock she
raped at the door and asked if Mr.. Mills
was not feeling as we'll as usual Get
ting no response, she entered the room
and found the elderly man had passed
away, A physician, who was at once
summoned, said that death had probably
come two hours before the body was
found and that death was due to heart
failure, which, in turn, was probably
caused by the high temperature.
As Mr.. Mills had no relatives in Barre
and no confidants, States Attorney T. r.
Davis was summoned to look over Mr.
Mills belongings A little cloth bag
which Mr.. Mills was accustomed to carry
back and forth between his place of
business and his room was opened and
was found to contain considerable
amount of money and valuables. A
pasteboard box contained 81 900 in bills,
all neatly arranged in packages of 500
each. Another box contained approx
imately 5000 in bills. In addition, there
was some money in coins, Liberty bond
of 500 and a book of war savings
stamps, Several bank books carried de-
posits ranging as high as 5000, one Of
the books being on Boston bank.
There was nothing else in his room
except some articles Of clothing. In the
four years that he had roomed at the
Burroughs house Mr.. Mills brought no
trunk or other receptacle there. Think
ing that there might be some papers at
the store which might shed some light on
Mr.. Mills relatives, the states attorney
spent some time there but To no avail.
Older residents of Barre recall, how
ever, that Mr.. Mills had a sister, Mrs.
Samuel Robie, who was last heard from
at Chelsea, Mass. Prior to her residence
there Mrs. Robie had lived in Franklin,
n. H., where her husband, an editor, had
conducted newspaper. Mr.. Robie' s
newspaper office at Chelsea was burned
out in the big eonfagration which swept
over that place many years ago but he
had published a paper there since that
time. 1t is understood that Mr., Mills
had not had communication with his
sister for many years, although long
time ago Mrs. Robie was accustomed TO
come to Barre Efforts are being made
to get into touch with this sister
Mr.. Mills lived solitary and more or
less secluded life in Barre for several
decades, having a speaking acquaintance
with large number of people but never
taking any of them into his confidence
to any extent. He was generally reput-
ed To be quite well to do. He was recog-
nized as man Of sterling honesty in
business dealings and he retained large
patronage in his line of dry goods and
small articles even though he moved his
business from Main street.
Wherever he went, business followed
him closely, whether it was in the base
ment of the old Methodist church on
Church street or in the little, unpreten-
tious store on Elm street, into which he
had moved two years ago when the shirt
factory began TO encroach on him in the
old church, In fact, he had all the busi-
ness he could attend to-he and a young
boy helper who did the odd chores about
the store. When asked by friends re-
Gently about the amount of business he
was doing, he remarked that it was more
than he wanted.
1t was suspected by friends many
times that he was in the habit of carry
ing large sums Of money and his friends
worried lest the aged and somewhat
feeble old gentleman should be the OBJ
iect of attack by robbers either in his
store or on his lonely walks homeward.
But Mr.. Mills moved about his custom
ary routine undisturbed. Aud the short,
slight figure with snow white hair was
familiar figure on the streets bounded
by Church, Washington. Elm and Sum-
mer streets, for he rarely was accus-
toned to traverse other sections OF the
city.
No one hereabouts knows exactly how
old Mr. Mills was but his age was sup
posed to be in the vicinity of 70. When
asked last summer how old he was, he
replied; "0ver TO-" And to another
question how long he had been in bust
ness he made another non -committal re-
ply by saying @0ver go"
SO for over half century Mr. Mills
had been merchant in Barre, coming
here from Northiield and entering the
employ of Courser's store. Soon he
started business for himself and was for
probably 35 years located in the store
now occupied by 2. A. browns automo-
bile show room in the Drown block
Later he moved to the basement of the
old Methodist church and subsequently
to Elm street, as already stated. Lat
terly he never carried large stock of
goods, probably not more than $4,000 or
$4,000; but it was said of him that he
bought for the trade that is, he knew
Just what to buy and how much of it.
Travelling men have remarked that he
was one of the keenest buyers in their
experience He always followed the
practice of paying at once and saving his
discounts, which practice enabled him
to give attractive prices to his trade.
Mr.. Mills branched out in real estate
considerably some decades ago, owning
several houses on the upper part Of Hall
street as well as one on upper Elm
street. The amount of his possessions
will probably not be known until an ad-
ministrator can be appointed to collect
the various details of his estate.
Mr.. Mills was never married. He did
not enter much into public life but his
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