The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-12-09
SUDDEN DEATH OF
MILTON p. BARRY
Saxtons River Resident Once Had
Charge of washington Claim Agency
of Sanitary Commission.
Especial to The Reformer.

SaAIONS RIVER, Dec. 9. |
Milton P. Barry of Saxtons River died
very suddenly last5Friday morning. The
funeral was held Sunday afternoon in
the house that had been his home for L
half century. s - - -
! Though in his S4th year, Mr.. Barry l
during the summer and fall had been in II
exceptionally good health for one of his II
age, and on Friday morning he took his
customary walk to the postofiice Re- II
/ snrning home. he seated himself in his II
easy chair, remarking' cheerfully upon
the fine crispness of the air. A few MIN II
ntes later a sudden failure of the hearts
i action removed him from life without II
suffering or apparent realization that
the end was at hand.
The funeral was attended by large
number from Saxtons River and out of II
town. Rev. George +. Chaplin, pastor of /
the Congregational church. and Rev. Ed L
ward A. Mason of Bellows Falls, partici-
pated in the services with scripture |
reading, prayer and remarks Miss
Maude Mark sang Lead, Kindly Light,
and Abide With Me, responding to an |
expressed wish that Mr. Barry made |
some time ago when she sang for him. |
The bearers, all near and personal friends, |
were Messrs. John H. Baker, +. W. Dill |
ingham, ". B. Glvnn, Hugh Hatfield, F. |
b. Locke and G. ~ Richardson. Both |
clergymen paid high tribute to the life |
and character of Mr. Barry,sAlr. Chaplin |
referring to his sudden departure as "al- |
most a translation" ~
Milton Perry Barry was born in SAX
tons River Feb 3, 1896. the second son of
Kendall Patten (lS02 1887, and Clarissa
Perry Barry (lS05-lS9 He re-
ceived his early education in the Saxtons
River village school and later studied
for a time in the Saxtons River seminary,
which years afterwards became the home
of the public school. In the fall of 1856,
at the age of 20, he made what was for
that time an unusually long journey. ac-
eompanying his elder brother, Lucius p,
and young man friend, Jud Cobb, to
Minnesota for the purpose OF taking up
a tract of government land in a land
grant which had been opened to the pub
lie. Finding, however, that because not
vet 81 he could not secure title to this
land Mr.. Barry came back as far as I'LL
nois, stopping at Galva, where several
fasteners whom he knew We're loeat-
ed Not long after his arrival he learned
of an opportunity to obtain a place as
teacher in public school in Brimfeld
Il. Il
set out on foot for that place and walked
the entire distance in day. sFor teach.
ing this school he received S25 month
and his board. ~.
The following spring (s574- he and his
brother Lucius drove pair.o horses
from Illinois into northern Iowa, but not
finding land there suited To their needs
and available for pre-emptingyt hey con-
tinued their drive through thelceuntry to
Moore county, MiRnesetasand there took
mp a claim OF, land to the number of 100
tacres The brothers had brought with
them In their wagon quantity of lum
= Der from Iowa, and they built shack
with this material and temporarily set
al tied there for the summer. proving up
n their claim the following autumn at
Chatfield, Mimi. Mr.. Barry then returned
to Galva. and the next year, 1858. came
Of back to SaXtons River, engaging in the
tinware business for about two years
- In 1860 he went into business in
Winchendon. Mass opening In stove
store, and continued in that enterprise
until the fall of 1861 In September
1861, he went to Washington, D. c.. and
took a position as paymaster's clerk
serving under Major James W. Carpen-
ter. A year later, on Sept. "a, 1862. he
married in Galva. Ill. Sarah Adelaide
Johnson of Saxtons River, who at that
time was with her sister in the West
Mrs. Barry died Sept. 9.~l9oS, aged "a
wears One son was born to them, Henry
Milton, who now lives in Washington, d
G.
In the spring of 1864 Mr.. Barry became
clerk in the pension office at Washing
ton. where he remained about two years
resigning to take charge of the Wash
ington claim agency of the Sanitary Com
mission. an office whose chief activity
was in the preparation of pension. claims
In the course of his duties there he be
came deputy clerk of the supreme
court of the District of Columbia, so a;
to facilitate his work with the commits
sion. Late in the fall of 1856 he was
transferred to the commissions New
York office on similar service. continuing
there until he wound up the affairs O.
that Office May /. 1867,
Returning then to Saxtons River, III
engaged in business here, also IN Green
field Mass. for short time In Septem
Der, 1877 he bought of the estate o
Charles Hubbard at auction the WOO
pullery in Saxtons River, and with tn
late Frank B. Seofield formed the firn