USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Rutland > Centennial celebration of the settlement of Rutland, Vt., October 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th, 1870, including the addresses, historical papers, poems, responses at the dinner table, etc. > Part 10
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Events transpiring now in any part of Europe in the evening are transmitted by ocean cable and chronicled the next morning in the dailies throughout the country in season to be read by our people before breakfast. Important local events are also flashed over the telegraph wires of the country, and are read simultaneously in New York, New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco. Such has been the growth of the press in forty years.
In the days of our fathers, the press fulfilled an important mission in diffusing intelligence among the people and furthering the 7
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advance of civilization. But how much greater to-day is its power for good or evil. And how important is it that it should be, not only zealous and patriotic, but elevated and pure.
When I reflect upon the weighty responsibilities resting upon the conductors of the press of our time, I almost feel like invoking upon them from Heaven divine guidance and protection, that they may be saved from the corrupting tendencies of the age, and that their mission may be nobly accomplished in furthering the great interests of brotherhood and humanity.
I come now to the press of Rutland, and in whatever I may say in relation to its history, I must be pardoned if a little vanity is manifested on my part, as I have been personally identified with it for over thirty years, and feel a just pride in the position it has held and the work it has done.
The first newspaper published in Rutland was established by Anthony Haswell, June 18, 1792, and was called the Herald of Vermont or Rutland Courier. Thirteen numbers of it had been published when the office was burned and the paper discontinued.
In 1793, Mr. Lyon commenced the publication of the Farmers' Library, which publication was continued for about two years when the concern was purchased by Judge Samuel Williams and Rev. Samuel Williams, LL. D., and on the 8th day of December, 1794, the first number of the present Rutland Herald was issued by them.
Copies of all these papers are now on exhibition at the Museum Hall, and contrasted with the papers of to-day show what changes and improvements seventy years have wrought. Those early papers on exhibition are a little larger than a sheet of foolscap paper, and are printed on very large type.
The Herald was continued by the two Williams' until the first part of the present century, when it fell into the hands of the late William Fay, who was connected with its publication nearly all the time until his death in 1839. It was published under the names of William Fay, Fay & Davison, Fay, Davison & Burt, Ephraim Maxham, and Fay, Brown & Co. After the death of Mr. Fay, its publication was continued for a short time by Horace T. White, and then by White & Guernsey.
In 1843 or 1844 the Herald was purchased by Geo. H. Beaman,
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who continued its publication to 1853. After that it was published for a short time by Mr. L. Barney, and was purchased of him by Mr. Chauncey H. Hayden. He published it for about two years, when he died and the paper fell into the hands of the present pro- prietors. It has since been published by G. A. Tuttle & Co., Tuttle & Gay, Tuttle, Gay & Co., and now by Tuttle & Co.,-he who now addresses you all of the time holding a connection with it.
ยท The Rutland Daily Herald was first published April 29, 1861, and has been continued up to the present time, a part of the time as a morning and evening paper. It grew out of the exi- gencies of the late war,-was started as an experiment,-and has become one of the fixed institutions of Rutland.
Whatever success the Herald has had financially, when I look back upon its illustrious founders and its subsequent guidance under the direction of some of our best men now gone, I cannot repress a feeling of pride in the belief that the Herald has performed no humble part in furthering those instrumentalities which have made Rutland what it is to-day, and that its mission has been one of good. It has had its faults. But I believe it has ever been the object of all its proprietors so to conduct it as to serve the best interests of morality, religion and humanity.
The other papers of Rutland have been: the Union Whig, first issued in 1849, and published for about two years; the Rutland Courier, first issued August 14, 1857, by John Cain, and continued to to-day ; the Rutland Independent, commenced July, 1866, and still continued.
There have also been published at various times and for short periods: the Rural Magazine, a literary publication; the Vermont Courier, the Vermont Farmer, the Guard of American Liberty, What's the News? and several other papers of minor importance.
All these papers have done more or less in moulding the senti- ment of the people, and many of them have aided much in for- warding the growth and prosperity of Rutland. And when we look around and witness the virtue and intelligence of our people, . who can say their mission has been in vain, or that their "teachings have not been worthy of their immeasurable power," and, judging from the past, who will not feel assured that their future will be one of usefulness ?
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The following is the response of John Cain, Esq., of the Courier, to the same toast:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: The toast I am called upon to respond to is rather a dry toast, since my neighbor Tuttle, of the Herald has eaten all the butter off, and I will, therefore, like the elergyman who took the brief text, "God is love," expand a little and talk about old times.
A long time ago, when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, their first born child of all the earth was little Cain. No child was ever born before, and Mother Eve felt proud and delighted. Cain grew up to be quite a boy, and he has been continually raising Cain ever since the day he was born. Cain had a brother by the name of Abel, who was noisy, boisterous, and a very wicked man. He attacked his brother while under the influence of some new cider made from the apples Mrs. Adam advised her husband to eat. Cain, in self-defense, slew his brother Abel, and that was the end of him. A short time after, and according to the laws of nature ever since, Cain felt inclined to take to himself a wife, and his mother recommended him to go into the land of Nod to do his courting.
Now, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, if Adam was the first man and Eve the first woman, there were only three human beings on all the earth after the death of Abel. Why then does Cain go into the land of Nod for the purpose of getting him a wife? Who could he find there ? Did Cain and Abel have a sister? Even were this so, what was she doing down in the land of Nod? Why was she not at home with her parents in the Garden of Eden? Who could she have been visiting away off in this land? But whether at home, or off on a visit, does any one believe that she would marry her own brother? This is too horrible to believe, and as we have never heard of the "old folks" making a fuss about Cain taking him a wife, we do not believe in any such theory.
The Rutland Independent once said that Cain got his wife out of a second story window of a brick house, one mile southwest of this place. If this were so, I ought to know something about it, and think it could have no reference whatever to old Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, but to a very remote descendant of theirs, who married some thirty-six years ago, when girls were as plenty as
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blackberries. Here present, Mr. President, I see the venerable Elder Packer, 85 years of age. He has married as many couples as any clergyman in Rutland county. I have.often asked him to explain to me as to who it was that Cain took for his wife, how long they were courting, and whether Adam and Eve approved of the match? All I could ever learn from him and other divines was that Cain found her in the land of Nod.
As we have met here to-day to celebrate the one hundredth anni- versary of the organization of Rutland as a town, and as
" A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest men,"
I would ask Dr. Todd, Rev. Dr. Butler, Elder Packer and other clergymen here, to search the Scriptures and report to us, at this place, one hundred years from to-day, who Cain took for his wife; and as we all claim to be descendants of Cain, whether she was a black woman or a white woman.
To the eleventh toast, Agriculture, J. Grafton Griggs was to have responded as follows:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: When I look upon the green pastures of these hillsides, when I wander through the mead- ows bordered by these beautiful streams, when I see these cottage homes or more stately mansions nestling so sweetly in these happy valleys .- I can hardly believe that only one hundred years ago Rutland was an unbroken wilderness, and had remained so, for aught we know, from the dawn of creation.
Who first came here to subdue this wilderness? What class of men were they? Was it the merchant? Did he come to open trade, with his boxes and bales of goods, with savage hearts and red men more savage? Was it the lawyer? Did he come, with his briefs under one arm and Blackstone under the other, to explain and expound to the bears, wolves and panthers the awful majesty of the law, and how for the consideration of one of their pelts he could show them how they could evade that law? Was it the physician? Did he come here, with his pills and potions, offering to row these wild men and beasts over the river Styx at two dol- lars a stroke of the oar?
No, sir ; none of these. It was the agriculturist who came first, and he bore ou his shoulder that simple instrument the ax, which,
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in New England, has been a mightier implement in civilization then the pen or sword, or both combined. With. this he swept away the accumulated rubbish of centuries, and caused the sunlight of heaven to fall unobscured on this virgin soil, giving life and happi- ness to men !
Mr. President : Do the spirits of departed ones ever visit earth ? Do they sometimes come to view the scenes of their sojourn while here? Then, I doubt not, but the souls of Timothy Boardman, James Mead, Zebulon Mead, Wait Chatterton, Maj. Cheney and their associates are hovering within the folds of this pavillion. All honor to their sacred memory ! They caused the wilderness to bud and blossom as the rose ! They plowed the first furrows in this soil. They sowed in those furrows the seed of that prosperity which we reap to-day.
THE PROMENADE CONCERT.
We copy from the Rutland Herald the following account of the closing exercises of the Centennial Celebration :
The Promenade Concert that was held in the mammoth pavilion, was a fitting "finale" to the Centennial Celebration. The music was excellent, and whatever may be said of Vermont bands, the music furnished last night was of a high order. The pavilion was handsomely decorated and tastily lighted, reflecting great credit upon those that had the matter in charge, When we entered the pavilion, there must have been over a thousand present, still, all had plenty of room, and but for the number of different faces one would meet in a promenade, we would say that there were few present.
Dancing commenced at 10 o'clock, and was entered into with a zest that was refreshing. Everybody danced, old and young, rich and poor, high and low. Dancing was indeed the order of the night! We saw many that had not tried the "mazy measures" in many a long year, again wooing the fickle godess, Terpsichore.
Quite a number figured in the costume of " ye olden time." We
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have place only for a few particularly noticeable for the antiqueness of their costume. Miss Merrill wore a white crape dress, spangled, that was worn by Madame Williams at a Commencement Ball at Yale College, in 1808. It was much admired; the dress was itself a study, and brought the costumes and manners of our grand- mothers vividly to our eyes. Miss Goldsmith wore a handsome green brocade, over a white wrought muslin, and had her hair in keeping with her dress. Miss Dorr was elaborately dressed in a white satin skirt, with black russet waist and mutton leg sleeves, that were quite overpowering, She wore, in lieu of a necklace, a medallion, as was the fashion long ago. Miss Cain was tastily dressed in a white silk, with a garnet velvet tunic, and was the happy possessor of a medallion. Miss Owen wore a white satin wedding dress, imported from Ireland in 1770. Miss Nott wore a white crape dress, and followed the fashion plates, if they had such things in those days, rigidly. Miss E. Hall was handsomely attired in a green satin, tastily looped over white ; the effect was striking. Miss C. Hall wore a black velvet jacket and pink satin dress, with black lace flounces ; it was much noticed. Miss Harris was dressed in a striped satin, and wore a yellow silk scarf, and her hair pompa- dour, as was the fashion long ago. Several ladies personated prim spinsters of bygone times. Huge tortoise combs and large fan, and work bags, were worn with grace.
Messrs. Kingsley, Liscomb, Baxter, Salsbury, etc., represented the Continental soldiery. Messrs. Hathaway, Cross, Dorr, etc., old style gentlemen.
It was a queer sight to see matronly ladies, with caps and spec- tacles, courtesying and balancing to sack coats and spike tails ; Washington's own tried veterans of Valley Forge, doing the "gallant" to demure-looking ladies in scant satin skirts and short waisted dresses ; gay old fops dancing those " horrid round dances," as though " sich things" had been known in their day. It was a gay sight, and those that appeared in costume are deserving of a great deal of credit for their pains.
The Centennial was happily terminated. Much has been said, pro and con, in regard to its merits as a whole, but reviewed in the light of its Promenade Concert, it was a success, and one that will " ne'er be forgotten till every rafter in the place is rotten."
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ANTIQUARIAN MUSEUM.
As a Memorial of the Centennial of Rutland would be incom- plete without a description of the Antiquarian Museum, and the relics therein contained, we give herewith, with a few alterations and corrections, the description thereof as published in the Rutland Daily Herald:
The relic, or memorial department, is in itself a museum of antiqui- ty, and is well worthy of a visit from all who may come to our town during the present week, as well as from our own citizens. For here are found reminders of " our grandfather's days," and of days far more remote ; and when we look upon the articles of wearing apparel, of household furniture, the implements of war, agriculture and mechanism used by them, and compare them with those used by us at the present day, we can but wonder how our forefathers existed under such difficulties as they had to contend with, when we consider that with all modern means of livelihood by which we are surrounded, so many of us are still discontent, and feel a void which genius, and the arts and sciences are constantly laboring to fill.
The display is in the building adjoining the Bardwell House Block, which will be open every day during the celebration.
Our attention was first called to the military branch of this museum, and in it to the gun, now the property of Dr. C. L. Allen, which was formerly owned by Gen. Ethan Allen, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys. The gun was owned and used by Ethan Allen about 1760. Ethan Allen and Robert Torrence were inti- mate friends when they were young men, and exchanged guns for keepsakes. Robert Torrence gave the gun to his grandson, Orleans P. Torrence, from whom it was obtained by its present owner. Be side this gun is one taken from Long John, an Indian, at the Battle of Bennington, by Captain William Jenkins, whom many of our citizens remember as one of the wealthiest men and largest land owners in this section. The Indian afterwards resided here, and is undoubtedly remembered by our oldest citizens. It is the contri- bution of Miss Isabella M. Brown, which lady makes several valu- able contributions to the display, which we shall take occasion to mention hereafter.
Next comes a gun, the barrel of which was carried by Lieutenant
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Zebulon Mead in the French and Indian war-was used on Lake Champlain, when Old Put was taken, and was taken into Ticon- deroga on the 10th of May, 1775, when Ethen Allen was there, and was carried in the Revolution by Henry Mead. It is the con- tribution of their descendant, Joel M. Mead.
Besides these guns were a Continental $4.00 bill, a piece of Haytien money, a fragment of a Boston play-bill of March 10th, 1797, by G. C. Hathaway ; a musket flint-lock, old Continental, by C. Carpenter ; a musket, flint-lock, old, Continental, by Darius Carruth; a musket, flint-lock, old, Continental, by S. Hinckley ; a musket, flint-lock, old, Continental, by B. Capron ; a musket, flint- lock, 1812, by Mrs. Foster ; a musket, flint-lock, old, Continental, A. Buck ; a musket, flint-lock, 1812, S. P. ; a musket, flint-lock, old, Continental, E. P. ; a Queen's arm, old, Continental ; a gun, T. S. Gilson ; a breech loading musket, brought from Quebec, Louis Martell ; a gun, old, by Amos Pike ; a gun, old, by S. Hinckley ; a Continental sword, by same; a Continental sword, old, by L. Long ; a sword found on the farm of William Lincoln, in Shrewsbury, about 1800, supposed to have belonged to some one of Burgoyne's officers, it being found where it is supposed his army crossed the mountain, by Parkhurst ; a sword, captured from the Hessians by Gen. Stark, at the Battle of Bennington, and now owned by his sister's daughter, by J. C. Dunn ; a sword captured from the Hessians at the Battle of Bennington, by Jonathan War- ren ; a Scotch sword, by James Thompson ; a sword, old, by Wmn. L. Dyer ; a English sword, captured at the South, by - Peverly ; a pair horse pistols, old, by Azor Capron ; a cartridge box, by Jonathan Warren ; a powder-horn, very old, by J. Warren; a powder-horn, by James Pooler ; a powder-flask, by Eli Farmer ; a powder-horn, used by Captain Jenkins in the war of 1812; a powder-horn, seventy-five years old, by A. S. Cramton; a pair horse pistols, which belonged to Captain Jenkins, 100 years old or more ; a military hat, very old, by J. Warren ; a Captain's hat, 80 years old. used by Captain Bachot, by J. C. Dunn ; a pair saddle- . bags, over 90 years old. by A. Reed ; a pair saddle-bags, old, by .1. Capron ; a Hessian coat and hat, by HI. R. Dyer : a " Red Coat," by A. Capron ; a Indian frock, captured from the Indians at the time of the massacre in Iowa, Peverly.
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In ancient books and periodicals, we noticed a Bible 109 years old, used by Mrs. H. H. Albee's great grandfather; Vols. 10, 11 and 12 of Spooner's Vermont Journal, printed in Windsor in 1792-3-4, presented by M. Cook; Copies of the Rutland Herald ' of 1808, 1820, and 1827, and Burlington Centinel of 1812, by Horace Kingsley ; a Dictionary dated 1777, by T. K. Horton ; a Geography dated 1797, by J. Carruth ; a Geography, 1789, by the same ; a book, " Kingdom of Algiers," very old, by Mrs. H. H. Al- bee ; a parchment indenture, made in 1785, by Eli Farmer ; a bundle of writs of 1815, and a shinplaster issued by Vermont Glass Factory of Salisbury, of the denonrination of $1.75, dated 1814, by William Y. Ripley ; a copy of Spooner's Vermont Journal, of 1799, by G. C. Hathaway, and a Vermont Gazette of 1799, by the same ; a Psalm book 105 years old, by Dr. J. D. Green ; a book entitled, "Christ, the King Witness of Truth," dated 1744, by H. H. Paine ; a singing book of 1708, by the same ; Edinburgh Dis- pensatory of 1805, by Dr. C. Porter ; Treatises of 1750, by H. W .. Porter ; a Book of sermons, very old, by A. H. Post ; five Books of Moses, 1737, by Miss Pierpoint ; a work of John Knox's Writ- ings, owned by James Ferguson, of Barnet-the owner being now past 99 years of age, and the book over 300 years old, presented by J. C. Dunn, of Rutland.
Passing this department, we take up a case that stands next in order, and find in it a soup turreen, and a wash-bowl and pitcher, by Mrs. C. B. Davis ; a sugar bowl, very old, by Jonathan Warren; a pitcher, 113 years old, owned by Addison Buck; 1 sugar-bowl and creamer, very old, by Mrs. P. M. Lamphear ; one gravy dish, over 100 years old, by Mrs. Buckham; a turtle-shell imitation crockery plate, by Mrs. G. A. R. Bissell, which was her father's grandfather's, and now over 200 years old; a tea cup, 140 years old, by Dr. Cyrus Porter ; a slop-bowl and plate, by Mrs. Sarah T. French, which her grandmother had at the time of her marriage, 108 years ago: one plate, very old. by Miss Mary Baxter; one china tea cup and saucer, 150 years old, came from Holland, by the same ; a punch tumbler, very handsome and old, also a wine glass and hand bellows, all very old, by the same lady; a set of china purchased 50 years ago, by Miss Isabella M. Brown, the former property of and purchased by her mother; one china creamer, 80
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years old, by the same ; one china child's cup, very old, by the same ; one cream pitcher, 130 years old, by Miss Pierpoint ; one mug, 115 years old, by A. S. Cook, of Brandon ; one pepper-box, 85 years old, by Charles J. Randall; one pewter porringer, 110 years old, by Mrs. Cyrus Porter, and a silver-plated lamp, 60 years old, by the same; an ink-stand, 108 years old, by A. B. Jones; six teapots, of ancient patterns, age unknown, and a spittoon, also very old, by Dunn, Sawyer & Co. ; a teapot, sugar bowl and creamer, 86 years old, by J. G. Pitkin ; a spy glass, very aged, and known to have been used by mariners in olden times, also a tinder-box used by Capt. Ebenezer Markham, going through the woods from Maine to Nova Scotia in 1796 ; a pair of silk stockings worn by Captain Markham, February 7th, 1775, on the occasion of his marriage ; a vest worn by him two years earlier ; a frisk worn by Mrs. Mark- ham before her marriage ; a waist worn by the same lady, and a set of coin balances used by Capt. Markham in the West Indies in 1768, all presented by J. B. Spaulding, who likewise shows a baby's shirt worn by the late Hon. Isaac Kellogg in 1776. Then there is a bull's-eye lantern, very old, by Dunn, Sawyer & Co. ; a wooden sugar-bowl, 125 years old, by Mrs. H. Glynn ; a fish spear, very old, by Miss Pierpoint : several stone arrow-heads, by A. H. Post ; one by James Buckham, picked up 60 years ago; two wooden arrows, feather-tipped and steel. pointed, taken, with fifteen others, from the body of a soldier; they were shot into him by the Indians during the late war in the Rocky Mountains, and brought home by William A. Blossom, son of William R. Blossom, of Pittsfield, Vt., who was a soldier in the late rebellion ; one very old timepiece, by II. L. Gray ; a dagger, very old, by A. H. Post ; a cocoanut tunnel, 97 years old, by D. Hall; three spectacles and cases, one 100 years old, one 107 years old, one 115 years old ; a handkerchief-bag, 80 years old, a nighteap, 80 years old, a pocket, 80 years old, a collar, very old, all by Mrs. Nathan Howard; a tortoise-shell back comb, very old. by Mrs. Isaac MeDaniels, and two of the same by Mrs. Cyrus Porter ; a cane by S. Hinckley, which was the property of the great grandfather of Gilbert Breed, and now known to be over 200 years old; a mirror, known to be over 215 years old, and now in the hands of the fourth generation, by J. C. Dunn; a mirror,
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which was brought over in the Mayflower, by D. K. Hall ; a razor and case, over 80 years old, by Friend Weeks.
In other parts of the room we noticed one tray, made in England 150 years ago, by Miss I. M. Brown ; one birch bark basket, made by an Indian named " Long John," by the same ; two pitch forks, very old, by James McConnell ; a bit stock, 1782, by T. A. Board- man ; a pod auger, 105 years old, by Oliver Tinney ; a pewter plate and tea salver, over 100 years old, by R. E. Pattison ; a pew- ter plate, 60 years old, by F. A. Burk ; a wooden plate and pewter plate, 70 years old, A. Reed; three pewter plates, very old, by L- R -; five pewter plates, very old, by S. G. Dunton ; a pewter plate and basin, very old, Mrs. E. W. Huntoon ; two pewter dishes, 1776, by A. B. Allen ; a pewter plate, one of a set buried at the time of Burgoyne's surrender, remaining buried 52 years on the farm in Addison, Vt., known as the late Hon. John Story's farm, by J. B. Spaulding; a pewter plate, very old, by Mrs. Ira Fisher ; an 18-inch pewter platter, belonging to Miss I. M. Brown's father's great aunt, very old, by Miss I. M. Brown ; a tea tray, very old, by the same; a pewter mug, 95 years old, by Miner Hilliard ; a whet- stone, very old, by the same; a wooden skimmer, 105 years old, by F. Weeks ; a pewter platter very old, by D. S. Squires ; a pewter plate and two spoons, by Mrs. B. Parker; a foot-stove, 100 years or more old, by J. Haskell ; a brass kettle, 95 years old, by E. Boardman ; a brass kettle, 137 years old, by T. L. Fisk ; an earthen arm flask, 97 years old, by A. Reed ; a pipe and tobacco box, 80 years old, by Mrs. Nathan Howard ; a wooden salt morter, 150 years old, by Mrs. Caswell; a wooden mortar, 100 years old by F. Weeks; an iron kettle, over 100 years old, by Miss Pierpoint; a brass dish and warming-pan, very old, by S. G. Dunton ; an ax, used by the great grandfather of John C. Thompson, which has passed down three generations, by A. II. Post ; the eye and tongue of the old court house bell, taken from the ruins, by C. Carpenter ; a table, chair and trunk that was J. C. Duun's mother's grandmother's, very old, by J. C. Dunn; two old silk hats, by Dr. C. Porter; two chairs, of a set used in the first State House in the State of Vermont, located in Rutland, on West street, in the dwelling more recently known as the Jenkins farm house, it being 86 years since it was used for
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