The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-28

his long and useful career. He has been
a delegate to several Republican national
conventions For many years he was con-
nected with the Republican 4ate commit
ktde! filling the offices of secretary, treas
iurer and chairman. He was also state
bank examiner and later governor When
Senator Proctor died in 1908 Mr.. Page
was chosen to fill out the unexpired term
and he was reelected for the full term.
Comes from Tiny Village. +'s gfB 4
Senator Pages comes from a tiny vii
lage with less than 800 inhabitants, about
| half way between Burlington and St
Johnsbury, but it is the county seat of La.
mobile county. 'a '.~
Here in this little out of way pocket
borough, Senator Page has built his great
| calfskin industry known to the trade the
world over. The senator is the leading
citizen of the community by virtue of his
office. His home coming is hailed with
delight by his fellow tOwnsmen and they
manage to have, last word with him
before his departure for Washington. He
knows everybody, men, women and chill
dren, and calls them. by their Christian
/ names.
Senator Page is the towns biggest
! business man. He also is its banker He
is everybodys friend and counsellor The
success of Hyde Parker delights him.
| IF | were to consult my own wishes
and interests l would resign from the
| senate this moment, but / have decided
to serve out my term be declared re-
Gently. while l have enjoyed my -
| years service in Washington and have
made many friends. l feel that at my
| time of life my place is right in my
| home town among my neighbOrs and my
| friends. | have a good hide business,
a lumber business and a little bank with
| s.. 900. 900 in it which need my personal
attention. My hide business is not as
brisk as it used to be, still it is a siz-
able proposition. You see the big pack
erS get most of the skins today, but we
are getting n fair share of the business.
Il had chance to sell out to the
| Swifts once but declined. Mr. Swift
and | were good friends. He came to
me with an offer of a big salary for my
self and my son, who is in business
mess. We were to be advisers. that's
all, but told him that there was some
thing else in the world besides money
and that was family pride and sentiment,
and that I'd keep my business.
Started When Small Boy.
Speaking of the beginnings of his bus
mess. he said:
When 1 was only a small boy be-
gan buying calfskins from the farmers
about here, curing them and selling them
to the tanners After | got through
school. a lad about sixteen, my father,
who was an invalid, said to me that he
wanted me to stay with him as long as
he lived. | promised | would not leave
him. | worked hard, early and late, and
! had the satisfaction of seeing my hide
venture grow. ! made up my mind that
as long as | had 10 stay in Hyde Park
| must find some way to increase my bus
| mess and | determined to make it a big
success
Il advertised somewhat recklessly
in all of the trade papers of the country,
asking for shipments of green hides and
promising early cash returns based upon
the market value of the date of ship
tment The building of the st. Johns
bury and Lake Champlain railroad in
the early seventies made it easier to
handle the merchandise, and my business
Increased rapidly. Shippers found that
| Carroll :. Page, or, as / came to lie
known, 'Calfskin Page did what he
agreed to do.
over the country and rs far west as Den
YER. At one time | had 100000 calf
skins in my StorehOuSe. | was adJudged
the largest dealer In calfskins in the
country My nearest, competitors. New
| York man, declined 60 show his books
Ito determine the question
You were a delegate to the Republi-
can national convention which nominated
Gariield?" Ire was asked.
Il was. and also"thc bearer of letter
from Senator 1sumWNUS, our lfbSlieNlldi
choice. in which he said that under no
circumstances would he be n candidate
for the nomination.
} The contents Of that letter was known
to only a few of us and il was determined
hest not to make it public until the choice
of candidate was settled. Senator Hoar
of Massachusetts, was one of the Ed
Inuntlai leaders. John Sherman had his
fhcart set on the nomination and. 1athiuk
ntil his death he believed that he had
been betrayed by Garfield and others of
his own delegation. | never shared ms
belief and | always had high opinion OF
Carfield."Ei US @7e.
Greatest Public Service. """.
Asked what he considered his greatest
i public service. he said:
while | am proud of my work as en-
bodied i'm the vocational training bill now
i'm operation i'm many of the states. l con
slider my work as state bank examiner my
most important contribution to the people
of Vermont Some years ago. a number
of our banks were Il little shaky. | was
asked to take hold and help straiChteT
them out The salary was only 5000 :
wear. but | felt that could do some SooC
ihy accepting the position and putting oul
banking laws on safer and tirmer found
alton. | found that some of the bank
were head over heels in Western farm
| mortgages, which were a poor inycstmen
at that time, and that others were do
ing a banking bsiness on unsafe lines