The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-04-16
Tells Life Story of
Hon. T. n. Vail

can capital, organizing SIX different
syndicates to purchase the tramway
systems of that city He sold OUT tho
American interests for about
%l2,0O0000 and returned to this
country, expecting to return to his
farm near Boston. Soon after that he
came to Lyndonvillc and was 80
charmed with the view from the foot
bills west Of the village that he
bought the property now known as
SpccdWcll Farms and started on a
large and magnificent plan of dcvel-
opmont. He once told the writer that
IN all his travels in Europe and South
America he never saw a view thar
charmed him more than the view he
hal from "Thc House" overlooking
the Pa5sumpsic river and the hills
beyond. Until recently this has been
his real home and wherever he tray
cled he always registered at hotels as
"Theo. N, Vail, Lyndon, VT"
1t was to this slightly home on
Vermont hillside, in the spring Of
1907, that group Of telephone d.
lector5 came and they found MI
Vail pcrintcnding the construction
OF another big barn, the owner of 20
united farming properties Of nearly
5000 acres ard perfectly contcntcd to
be left to his agricultural pursuit..
Most of these men belonged to the
"Old Guard of telephony; they had
fought under him in the pioneer days.
Now after an absence of 20 yeas
they asked him to return. Nh Vail
laughed at the suggestion. "Non-
/ sense he said, 81 am too old | am
81 years old" But the directors per-
sisted they spoke of the approaching
storm-cloul Of panic, and the need
OF his strong hand at the wheel. They
assured him that the architect had
not finished his job and heypersuaded
! this genius and captain Of finance to
: come back into the Industrial game.
! And the growth of the American Tel
! cphone and Telegraph Company
since that time was very largely ow-
ing to his influence and vision. The
work OF Consolidation was followed
4 by a policy Of publicity. The COM
! pany became at once one of AM
cricas greatest advertisers and NJ.
/ Vail was Away ready to tell the
newspapelmen and the magazine
writers all he knew about the tele-
! phone business. The corps Of invcn-
tors was spulTed up to conquer all
/ problems and there was in the vq,t
| corporation an esprit d'corps and love
Tor the leader that was contributed
much to the efficiency for which this
company is world famous. Mr.. Walls |
annual reports to the stockholders
were widely copied a he held moth |
ing back, but explained in great de- |
tail his broad plans and purposes. |
! About 4 year ago he resigned as pre- (
ldent OF the great corporation, but
| was chairman OF the board OF direc-
tors at the time of his death.
MI Wallis interest in Vermont was
manifested in many way and it was
particularly turned to the town where
| he made his home. He became deeply
| interested in Lyndon Institute and I
was president OF the board OF trustees
Besides giving layShly OF his money
to finance the institute he gave much /
OF his time. At commandments ne
brought to its public exercises men
OF national reputation, including such /
men as Hon. William H. Taft, the late
Col Higginson, Of Boston, Col |
George Harvey, college presidents .
and men distinguished in other walks /
Of life.
The Vail School Of Agriculture was
founded, and until it was given over
to the state, supported by him that T
Vermont boys might become scientific /
farmers, and many boy in Vermont I
can gratefully tell how he was helped .
| by this inancicr to start farm of his .
own after graduating from MI. Wallis |
school Since 1914 this has been .
managed by the state and when it was
decided to the state Mr.. Vail unnounc- |
ed that the plant could not be dupli-
Gated for less than a quarter of mil
lion dollars Mr.. Vail was also pres
dcnt OF the Lyndonvillc National |
Bank and Tor many years head of the
Lyndonvillc Creamery.
His love for agriculture lead him to
become actively interested IN its
broader Development and for years he
has been one of the promoters of the
State fair where hi, thoroughbred
Brown Swiss, his Pcrcheron and his
Wplch Monies were often D1'igp win