Page:One of a thousand.djvu/523

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

RICE. KICK. 509 the Winchendon and Leicester academies. He was a teacher in the public schools of Massachusetts for twelve years. In 1861 he began his business career as a lumber dealer, in the firm of Bigelow, VVyman & Rice. A change in the firm occurred in 1869, to Raymond, Forristall & Rice, and in 1872, Mr. Forristall having deceased, the firm became Raymond & Rice — the name of the present company. Mr. Rice was married, February 1, 1872, to Sarah M., daughter of George and Miranda (Moore) Cummings. They have no children. From 1862 to '71 Mr. Rice held the position of deputy collector of internal revenue for what was then the 9th con- gressional district, comprising northern Worcester and Franklin counties. He has been a director of the First National Bank from 1865 to the present time. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 18S5 and '86. He has been a member of the Winchendon school board for sev- eral years, and at present is its chairman. RICE, JOHN W., son of John and Alice (Ames) Rice, was born in Rutland, Wor- cester county, December 8, 18 iS. JOHN W. RICE. His early education was obtained in the common schools and at the normal school at Barre. In 1843 he began business life with Noah Humphrey in Barre, manufacturing boots and shoes. After one year he assumed the entire business, and continued it alone for twenty years, during which time he had connected a mercantile business with the former. He then associated his son with him, under the firm name of J. W. Rice & Son. This relation continued about ten years. Latterly Mr. Rice has turned his atten- tion to horticulture, in Barre, where he resides. He also holds a fire insurance broker's license, and does quite an extensive and prosperous business. Mr. Rice was married in Barre, Novem- ber 16, 1843, to Myra, daughter of Ethan and Phebe (Harwood) Holden. Of this union were three children : Albert E., Maria L. Jervis, and Martha A. (Stone), now deceased. Mr. Rice has held the office of select- man and town treasurer, and in 1874 repre- sented the town in the House of Repre- sentatives. Mr. Rice, though a Republican, was succeeded in the Legislature by his son, Albert E. Rice, who was elected on the Democratic ticket. At the time the town was raising her quota of men for the war he was very active in the Union cause, and without waiting for the sanction of the proper authorities, paid out, as treasurer, over ten thousand dollars in bounties, on his own responsi- bility. Mr. Rice was a charter member of the Barre National, and also of the Bane Savings Bank, and served many years as a director in one, and as a trustee in the other. His son, Albert E., was a member of the famous "Sleeper's battery," and received an honorable discharge at the close of the war. RICE, WILLIAM, son of William and Jerusha (Warriner) Rice, was born in Springfield, Hampden county, March 10, 1821. He is descended from Edmund Rice, who settled in Sudbury in 1639. His father came to Springfield in 1817. After receiving the education afforded by the public schools of Springfield, he attended the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, graduating from that institution with honor at the age of nineteen. He entered the ministry of the M. E. church in 1841, and, under its system, served, as pastor, various large and influ- ential churches of the denomination. His health becoming impaired, he retired from