Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-04-01
No, Is IN JOURNALS SERIES OF
I WATERv|LLE BUSINESS HEADS,
!, the PROFESSIONS and TRADES
IOHN H. BURLEIGH, Civil
Engineer-R Rounds Out 25
Years of Business.-Has Very
Thorough knowledge of City
Has Wonderful Collection
of Plans, Dating Way Back

Has Wonderful Collection
\ of Plans, Dating Way Back
| 10 man in Water: lle knows as
kucb about the city geographically
Hs John Henry Burleigh, civil en-
kinoer who today rounds out a 25
lbars' business career at SO Main
lErcet. the same Office he started in A
Nuarter Of a century ago when he !
lLme back to Maine from Massachu |
Yotts TO manage the estate of his dc
leased father. Hall C. B';rleigh, alo : /
NTH his other business.
| There are two reasons for -lr.
hurleighs exceptional knowledge in !
tcrard 10 Watcrville zeal estate. One
As the large amount Of general prac-
lice he has enjoyed during his %
lears' business here and another is
kbn wonderful collection of plans
| khich he possesses. some of them
Hating back as early as 1885. These
lhrlier plans, Mr.. Burleigh acquired
T. purchase from the late Ira +.
u;etchell whose business he bought
but when lie established himself in
kyatelvillc. His collection of plans
re nearly all on linen paper ID
humber about 5000. Fully so per
tont. Of these refer TO Watcrville
property. These valuable plans are
bept in d large wooden cabinet and
re thoroughly indcXcd. Unfortun-
toly they are in one of the oldl
,Eoooon buildings on Main street
Where the fire hazard is more than
ITO which such valuable property
khould DO exposed.
II Mr.. Burlcigh says hat he can't af-
l}ord to build a vault and he has been
D. otlatng with city for four
wears for sale of the copies lof the
ans. There is iarIly a day goes by
hut what someone is asking infor-
hation from him ':hich he freely
gives. hut which he Lclieyes should
'he preserved Ivy the city of Water
Vile for free use of the tax payers of
tie city. who wish &c lock up mat
might some time he worth the price
I1ai for the copies Or all.
John Henry Burlciah is member
'of ono Of The oldest Waterville fami-
lies. His grandfather, John Bur-
lo0gh came 20 Watorville between
, 500 and 1904 and published the town
paper at that time which was called
,thc "Watcrvillonan." His grand
father also bull, the house next to
Ithc First Baptist church which was
.LLoWn as Hanson cottage for a long
'tmc and is now Hanson hall, the
| ."'n Of the Houscrc' Arts depart
tlont Of Coburn. Mr.. Burleigh' faith
r and unclos were born here, al
Etiough later his father moved to
|p aIIflcll Center whore the subject f
PMS sketch was born on November
Is 1865. lis father being Hall {. Bur
ID p and his mother. Clara X. (G;"-
tand) Burlelgh.
John II7nry Burlci2h was brought
fp in Fairfield Center until 1881. In
Narch az that year T. Q family NOV
N to NIssllhoro ..acrC they after
II d hy"d and where the old home
fead " the Burleighs is occupied
day by Thomas Bufleigh, one of the
tons. Mr.. Burleigh "as educated in
Pc town school and High school at
Held Center : .ftcr mo ing to
Nassdlhoro attended Oak Grove Sem
|Enary from which he graduated and
Then entered the Jniver.ity of Mai. 9
Whcro he took Il 60 VS. in civil en-
3rlncerinG. graduating in 1887. He
Eclonged 10 the Latin letter society,
w T. L.. which was later merged
pinto the Greek letter fraternity, Phi
Gamma Delta. but he never has aftil-
lated with the latter. While in col
lese MIR Burleigh was on the VAR
baseball team = ere he played in
oltor field, $ "ond base ana at
mes, pitcher. lie had the distinc-
I,oh OF being able to throw n ball
jiar'her than any man in the State at
/ 'Hat time and was used only ocCa-
sonaliy as pitcher because no one
'oHId hold him. Mr.. Burleigh is six
iee' ana six inches high and that fact
Il N''iuS m part his t.eat strength of
/" H' When he liCd Maine there
were - stu ets. ute different from
1'he number today. Military drill vas
u' or the requirements of the COL
|'He az that time ard Mr. Burleigh
vas captain OF his company the last
!'ar no vas in college. He has al
WAYS been very erect. in spite of his
great height and believes that lis
hlary training in college has much
10 90 with this. He unhesitatinsly
|,'gommcnds military drill for coll6-e
hos.
A!''r graduating from college, Mr..
nufIeIsh entered the employ of T..
w hpwditch of Boston at 60 Devon
sure street at the munificent salary
10 cents an hour. He worked
'"ehtVer there was work for him
Nu uuilng the time he stayed there
| ' tue years 1887 and IS, he was on
4 JOBS IN nearly all of the New Eng
ana states and in New York and
-,c" Jersey. In the fall of 1889 he
/ vas working for Frederick Danforth
~ gardiner, being transit man of
'"e kennebec Central railroad.
l''row gauge running from Ran
1Ypn 10 Togus. After that he went
~ 70 surveying job leading from
, ,.,'''a"amkeag to Houiton and given
,te name Of the Northern Maine. The
D'igor and Aroostook road was later
, o'li' on some of the same location
so"o over by Mr.. Burleigh. He was
al hnesman and transit man on
"' job and received S25 a month
~ ms expenses. He remained In
n"ihe until 1892, when he went to