Edward Burnett 



Over fifty years ago the eleven children 

 of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Burnett filled the 

 large homestead at Southborough with 

 shouts and laughter. In the half-century I 

 since then there has been only one brealc in 

 the circle until this week, when tho eldest, 

 lidward, died. Ten children were born to j' 

 him, too, Of whom nine are living. These ' 

 family facts suggest dominant notes in his ^ 

 character and life— friendliness, adaptabil- ! 

 ity, enjoyment of lite and family lo.valty. I 

 + + + 



St. Mark's School was founded hy his 

 father, partly for the education of his 

 boys, and Edward was in tho first class. 

 Entering Harvard with the class of J 871, 

 he was popular throughout the four years. 

 Though well built, vigorous and full of the ' 

 spirit of play, he was never a foremost' 

 athlete, but was good in everytliing except 

 academic rank. Singularly enough, James 

 Russell Lowell kindled in him an interest 

 in literature, and Edward fell into the 

 habit of liaving evening talks with .Mr. 

 Lowell at Elmwood, which were soon trans- 

 ferred to his only daughter, Mabel, whom 

 he married less than a year after gradua- 

 ; tion. 



Farming was his chief interest, and to 

 be a farmer was his ambition. Hence ho 

 assumed responsibility for his father's es- 



. tate. Deerfoot Farm, as well as his herd; 

 and within a few years Deerfoot Farm 

 milk, cream and butter, and later sausages, 

 became a familiar product tiiroughout the 

 Eastern citie.s. He also developed the 

 centrifugal process of separating cream 

 from milk. Unable to supply the demand, 

 he set standards of stock and of upkeep to 

 the surrounding farmers and close inspec- 

 tion, so that in time he improved the pro- 

 ces.-jes of farming and created on the part 



; of the people a taste for the best products. 



' We cannot fully realiKO at this distance 

 of time tho groat slRnUlcance of this work 

 and the benefits which the whole people 

 are reaping from such leadership. 



Larger entei-prises led him to New York, 

 I where as an expert in farm construction 

 * as well as in all kinds of stock, cown- 

 , horses, pigs and sheep, he laid out large 

 ! estates and farms, equipped and stocked 

 them; Thereby the Influence of his work 

 widened so that his services were sought : 

 for in various parts of the country. 



Elected on the Democratic ticket in 18S8 

 from the Ninth Massachusetts District, he 

 served in Congress. His Washington career 

 1.1, however, best known in the vivacity, 

 hospitality and cheer which ho and Sigour- i 

 ney Butler, also a roproeent..itive from Mas- ' 

 sachusetts, g-ave to the social life of the r 

 White House. Mrs. Cleveland, beautiful ^ 

 and gracious, Was a winning hostess, the 

 President was sympathetic with the gayety 

 but ponderous. At all events, for two sea- 

 sons tho White House enjoyed one of its 

 occasional, very occasional outbur.sts of 

 genuine social life. Although he was pres- 

 ident of the Bay State Agricultural Society 

 and held other offloe.'s, his chief interests 

 were in promoting personally hero and 

 there, wherever needed, tmprovements in 

 the standards and efficiency of American 

 farming. 



Some years after the death of his first 

 wife, he married the widow of his brother 

 Charles, formerly Miss Mason of Provi- 

 dence, and in his later yea.rs had devoted 

 himself to domestic life and the upbringing . 

 of a younger brood of chlldi-en. ■ 

 -f + + 



Edward Burnett had a genius for friend- 

 ship: those who held hii» in deep areec- 

 I tion are scattered throughout the country 

 : he was loyal to them all. Hampered as he ' 

 ; was in later years by illness and partial 

 ; blindness, he retained his youthful spirit ' 

 and his interests in fanning ; while his chief c 

 sa,tisfaction lay in tho thought of his large < 

 , family coming on to sustain the tradi- r 

 , tlons of New England In which he took 1 

 pride. , 

 St. Mark's 'Church, Southborough, found- ' 

 I ed by his father, his beloved church home, 

 i was filled this afternoon with the mem- 

 ( bers of an exceptional family and with - 

 ' neighbors In every walk of life. His body 

 now rests in God's Acre under tho very 

 eaves of the church. L. 



