The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-05-14
o. l.. FRENCH DEAD.
CONTINUED from Page ID

from that school to the professorship of
Latin and Greek at Lombard college,
Galesburg, H., filling that position for
more than 30 years, until near the end OF
his long and useful life.
Mr.. French went to Keene. y. H., at
the age of II years, in the fall of 1861.
He attended the keene high school during
the winter, and in May, 1862, went to the
office of the New Hampshire Sentinel in
Keene to learn the printers trade. At the
end OF a three-yearS apprenticeship he be-
came part owner of the paper. and he re-
manned as part or sole owner and pub
Usher until Sept. /. 1872. On Sept. l.,
1873. he bought the half interest of
Charles A. Prouty in The Vermont Phoe-
nix of this town, and became associate
editor and publisher with u. Il. Stedman.
now of Springfield, Mass. lie became sole
owner Jan. 1. 1888. retiring in March,
1910. when he sold the paper to Walter e..
Hubbard, who for many years had been
associate editor Of The Phoenix and who
is now editor and publisher of the Bey-
erly Evening Times, Beverly, Mass. He
! published a daily newspapers. The Brat
, tleboro Evening Phoenix, from April ~,
! 1898, to Sept. 81 of the same year. to
supply the people of the community the
I news of the Spanish-American war.
! On Nov. Il, 1867 Mr.. French married
1 Emma II. Freeman, daughter of Mr.. and
| AlES. \. II. II EeelitlH III heeHe. y. II
| Mrs. French died in BrattlebOrO May 30,
! 1874. \ son, Lester Gray French. was
born to them in Keene April 26, 1869.
| He graduated from the Massachusetts In
stiute of Technology in the class of 1891,
and was editor and manager of the Jour
nal Of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers. now Mechanical Engineering,
in New York from March 1, 1905, untn
his death April Is, 1921.
b AIR French was 1op1nhpr of tbT
/ Unitarian society. and for many years
was a member of the board of trustees
of the Brattleboro Free library
I Mr., French leaves his daughter-in-law
Mary Deane) French, and two grand
children. Sylvia and Freeman Lee French
Iof White Plains. n Y; two nieces. Mrs
| +, \. Cheney of st. Louis, Mo-, and Mrs
Wright of Manchester. \. H; and fouI
cousins, George Gray of keene, Daniel
Gray of Rochester. y. Y. DIR. c. L.
French Of Clinton, Mass, and Mrs. l.
Villa Rich of Glover
In his day and generation O. l.. French
occupied a high place in newspaper cir
Giles. The Vermont Phoenix was de
tyeloped under his management so that il
was known not only in its own state but
throughout New England as a mode
country weekly. In its Typography ant
letter press it was iur a class by itScI
as a handsome specimen of the art pre-
news columns as well as in the wide Sc
lection of miscellaneous readings it wa,
edited with Intelligence and fine discrim
nation. Among his professional con
tcmporaries-uow all gone-who counte,
him as a staunch friend were the lat,
c. NJ. Stone of the St JohnSbury Gale
DOMAIN, \. y. Swain of the Bellows FAN,
Times, q. G.. Benedict and Il. II. Wolcot
Iof the Burlington Free Press. and Col
Albert Clark of the Rutland Herald ant
afterwards for many years secretary o.
the Home Market club in Boston,
= Mr.. French was a master of detail il
his affairs and a master of clear and con
else English in his writings His cdi
tqrials ON important subjects were viril'
aid convincing.
Small in stature, retiring almost to thu
point of difidencc. he was not a man VIII,
made acquaintance easily. but the few
whose privilege it was to know him in
timatcly realized the innate nobility o
his nature. Pope has said. An homes
man is the noblest work of God" q. J.