Source, Rutland Vt.Herald--Fri.June 3,1949 STOREKEEPER 90 ON MONDAY. SUDBURY MAN STILL ON JOB. Alberton Jones Recalls Vividly His One-Session Stand in Vermont Legislature. SUDBURY, Vt., June 2--Gone are the pot- bellied stove, the cracker barrel and the checker board, but still on the job in his country store here is Alberton Jones, who on Monday will observe his 90 th birthday. Jones, who came to Sudbury from Shoreham,Vt.to operate a creamery, has been in the general store business here for half a century, 43 years in the present building which he had built in 1906. His physical well-being belies his age. He still puts in a full day daily, in the store, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. "Nothing like the old days, though", he explained. "I used to put in a night stretch too." The years have brought changes in the country store merchandising methods, but Jones has not changed his principal stock in trade. A cheerful greeting foe every customer. He is as anxious to gossip with neighbors and strangers as he is to make a sale. Born in Shoreham, Vt.,the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alberton J.Jones, Jones came to Sudbury with his brother, Clayton W.Jones, to run the Otter Creek creamery, the building of which still stands across the road from his store. The creamery was one of the first in the state, recalls Jones. He operated it for six years, at one time producing as much as 1600 pounds of butter in a day.Cream was brought in from a radius of 25 miles. In 1892 he built a modern creamery. Farmers in the area mistook this as a sign of prosperity and banded together to open four competing co-op creameries. Jones business slumped from 1600 to 500 pounds of butter production daily in the face of his competition, but the other creameries gradually ceased operating. "I had the advantage", said the old storekeeper" ,I knew the ins and outs of the creamery business,. They didn't ". The general creamery business began to slow up after World War 1 when city markets competed for the fluid milk. Jones then began to concentrate more on his store. The Sudbury man still recalls his experiences while a member of the 1980 Vermont Legislature , Charles D.Watson of St.Albans, a Democrat, who is still living, was a pretty important man in that Legislature, Jones recalled. Thomas C. Cheney of Morrisville, who was speaker, became one of Jones' best friend even though they did not see eye-to-eye on a piece of tax legislation. Jones also recalled that Publisher Frank E. Howe of the Bennington Banner, and Harland D. Howe, then of St.Johnsbury and later to become federal judge, were also members of the House that year. The Howes, new to legislative work,were just young fry, laughed Jones. In the operation of his present store, Jones went into partnership with his brother, Clayton, who died some years ago. His interest is held by Jones' niece, Mrs. Stella J. Selleck. Jones has been a board member of the First National bank on Brandon for 41 years. His wife, the former Ada L. Shattuck of West Windsor, Vt., a school teacher, died 27 years ago.