Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888, Part 4

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 836

USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 4

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COPPER MINES.

men formed a partnership under the name of Ely-Goddard & Cazin, and carried on the mining and smelting business until June 12th, when they con- veyed the property which they had received of the Vermont Copper Mining Co. to the new corporation called the Vermont Copper Company, reserving, however, the Corinth property. The new corportion was organized in New York city and Mr. Cazin was appointed general manager. He showed him- self to be very energetic and fertile in devising new schemes for the prosperity of the company. The firm of Ely-Goddard & Cazin carried on the business of the extensive store at Ely and commenced the construction of a concen- tration mill for separating the ore from the waste rock by machinery. This was a scheme that Mr. Cazin showed by the figures in his report of July 26, 1882, would give a daily net profit of $349.80. But before the concentra- tion mill was finished the trustees or directors of the new company got very uneasy and could not wait for Mr. Cazin to carry out his experiment. His balance sheet was not satisfactory, and such influences were brought to bear upon him that at a directors' meeting held at Ely, November 15, 1882, he handed in his resignation as general manager and agent of the corporation, to take effect November 3. Mr. Daniel F. Long was put in charge of mat- ters as superintendent, and in a few months, January 13, 1883, the Vermont Copper Company re conveyed the mining property to the old concern, the Vermont Copper Mining Company, and the business went back into the hands of the original corporation. But at this time copper had fallen to seventeen cents and a fraction per pound, and there were a good many leak- ages in the underground work. It has since been disclosed by the men themselves that they did not work near the full time for which they were paid. On the 12th of March, 1883, Mr. Cazin brought suit in chancery against both of the copper companies, Smith Ely and others, claiming a third interest in all of the property, and his bill was duly served upon all the parties. It soon became evident to the officers of the Vermont Copper Min- ing Company that the business was not paying expenses. There was no large surplus of ore already mined and already roasted to fall back upon, the monthly product from the mines was only five or six hundred tons, and in June the price of copper fell to fifteen cents per pound, when it was determined to stop work in the mine.

On the 29th of June the following resolution was adopted at a meeting of the directors, and a copy of it was posted on the store at Ely, where all of the workmen could see it, viz .:---

" WHEREAS, The Vermont Copper Mining Company is embarrassed by several law suits, and the price of copper is so low that it is difficult to pay expenses :

"Resolved, That on and after the 2d day of July, 1883, all work at the mines and wash house shall be suspended except such as may be necessary for the protection of the mine and perhaps a small amount of labor on tribute, unless the men will work at reduced rates.

ORANGE COUNTY.

"Resolved, That the smelting works be run to their utmost extent con- sistent with safety and economy to enable us to raise money as soon as pos- sible to pay the men.

Resolved, That the miners thus thrown out of employment may occupy the tenements they now live in free of rent, while the ores upon the roast-beds are being worked up (that is smelted), provided they are compelled to seek employment elsewhere."

This notice created a ferment among the men at once. The workmen. evidently misunderstood the purpose of the company, and supposing they were to lose the wages that were in arrear, united in a body, ceased work at the smelting furnaces as well as at the mine, and declared that there should be no more work done at the furnaces unless they were also permitted to work in the mines, that they would not work for reduced wages, and that they would not accept any pay unless they had all that was due them. They said they were told that Mr. Ely had made half a million of dollars out of the concern, and he was able to pay the arrears of wages. Of course every man. was idle, not because they all wanted to leave work, but they were influenced by the uneasy leaders. A great many of the men had worked for the com- pany at Ely for years, and many of them had accumulated some property, and they understood the true purpose of the company, but they did not dare do otherwise than as they did, or at least this is what many of them have said since the affair occurred. During the day, Sunday, July I, the men were about the village of Ely discussing the matter. On Monday they began to make violent demonstrations, and marched in a body of two or three hun- dred, from Ely to West Fairlee, where Mr. Ely resided, and surrounded his house, demanding their pay at once. Some of them shouted " Bread or Blood !" They were armed with clubs and knives, and were very violent in their threats, although they were perfectly sober, all sources of drink having at once been shut off upon the beginning of the outbreak. Mr. Ely was sick in bed, and the rioters were so told in answer to their demand for him to come out. They then forced open the doors into the house and were crowding their way up stairs, when General Stephen Thomas met them on the stairway, and by threats of the law and expostulations, and promises as to pay, persuaded them to desist for the time being. The stores in West Fairlee were all closed and the shutters fastened. The mob had taken possession of all of the com- pany's property, including one hundred and twenty-five kegs of gun powder. On Monday the treasurer of the company, who had been at Ely during the attack upon Mr. Ely's house, telegraphed to the vice-president, who was in Boston, as follows :--

" Our property all day in hands of mob. Mr. Ely's house besieged twice. Have telegraphed to send all money on copper sent. On this they pledged me quiet over night. If best, come home. Wait at Bradford."

On the same day he telegraphed the financial agent in New York as fol- lows :-

"Send all money on both shipments of copper. Fail not. Property in

COPPER MINES.

hands of mob all day. They threaten Mr. Ely's life. Have rescued him twice to-day. They threatened to burn all the property to-night, but have pledged to be quiet till your answer comes. Mr. Cowles must send for both shipments or we are destroyed. Don't fail to send money. Now or never. The property and Mr. Ely depend on it. Tell Mr. Ely's friends I wait answer."

These telegrams show the state of feeling and anxiety at Ely and West Fairlee better than words now written can. The rioters waited impatiently until the financial agent arrived on Wednesday the fourth of July with the funds, in the meantime compelling Mr. Cazin to remove with himself and family and goods out of the village of Ely, following him to West Fairlee with jeers and threats, not allowing him to stop there but compelling him to go beyond the latter village. Mr. Ely had also fled from West Fairlee to Bradford feeling that his life was in danger. The financial agent came to Bradford, and proceeded thence with the other officers he found there to Ely, having in all about $3,400 in money with him. When they reached Ely village there was great excitement, the workmen still being in possession of every- thing. The announcement that the agent had come with money to pay them was quite satisfactory at first, but when it became known that he could pay only about twenty per cent. of what was due there was great indignation. They demanded their pay in full. They would have all or none. Attempts were made to explain to them that it was impossible, that the company, as things then were, had neither money nor credit, and that it must have time to smelt the ore on hand in order to raise the money to pay the arrears. They declared that if they were not paid at once they would burn the buildings and blow up the mine, the one hundred and twenty-five kegs of powder still being in their hands. Luke Parish, Esq., the high sheriff of the county, had been on the ground with several of his deputies, but he could do nothing. He called upon the inhabitants of the town for aid as a posse, but no one came. He dared not attempt to make any arrests. And a lame sheriff with deputies not in uniform and without any of the insignia of office that the Irish smelters and Welsh miners were accustomed to see in the old country as indicating the presence of the officers of the government, had but little effect to over- awe the excited crowd. The sheriff determined to go to the governor to ap- ply for military aid to enable him to enforce the law and make arrests. He had been so advised and urged by the townsmen. He was accompaied by Hon. S. B. Hebard, the counsel of Mr. Cazin, and took with him a letter of introduction from ex-Gov. Farnham, the acting president of the company, as follows :-

"ELY, Vt., July 5, 1883.

" His Excellency " John L. Barstow :

"Sir :- Allow me to introduce to you Luke Parish, Esq., the high sheriff of this county. He will inform you of his errand. We are in a great deal of trouble here. The Vermont Copper Mining Co. are unable to pay their

ORANGE COUNTY.

men on the day fixed for the payment and there is a great deal of excite- ment. There has been a riot and mob and two men driven away-President Ely and Mr. Cazin. The trouble of the men now is that they must be paid on Saturday of this week or our property destroyed. We greatly fear they will carry their threats into execution. There are 125 kegs of powder in their hands that belong to the company and we fear what may be done with it. Our property is not insured and there is $100,000 worth on the surface. The sheriff ought to have ample help. There are 300 hands here, many of them men. I think some force ought to be put at the control of the sheriff in case he needs it.

" Yours truly and respectfully,

" ROSWELL FARNHAM,

" Acting president of the Vermont Copper Mining Co."

This letter was written after midnight of July 4th. The bond-holders who were in the vicinity of the mines held a meeting in the office of the company on the demand (not request) of the men to see if some means could not be devised to raise the money and advance it to the company that the men might be paid. It was learned afterwards that the guard at the lower door who prevented any going up stairs except bond-holders, officers of the Ver- mont Copper Mining Co., and the leaders among the men, was in reality placed there to prevent the bond-holders and officers coming out unless they divised some means to the satisfaction of the men for the payment of the wages in arrear. It was a matter of boast among the men that they had the officers and bond-holders prisoners at one time, but those in durance did not understand it while they were in con- sultation. At that meeting one of the leaders, Bagley by name, acknowledged the reasonableness of the proposition of the corpor- ation to smelt the ore on hand and pay the men from the proceeds, but he said it would not do to make any such proposition to the men-he would not go back on the men. When asked about a threat that Pat Ryan had made the day before to burn the property and blow up the mine in case the men were not paid on Saturday, he replied that they would "do just that thing." The gentlemen gathered in consultation could devise no means of raising the money from the holders of the bonds, but some one suggested that as the towns of West Fairlee and Vershire would have to support the families of some of the workmen if they were thrown out of work and were not paid, those towns had better loan the money to the corporation with which to pay the men, and wait for repayment of the loan until the ore was smelted. This proposition met with favor from all parties and seemed feasible, as sev- eral of the leading and influential men of the two towns were in the room and were interested in bringing it about. The meeting broke up with the arrange- ment that certain of those present should see the officers of the two towns and urge the matter upon their consideration for many reasons. As all looked favorable there was no hindrance to free egress from the building. The next day, Friday, was consumed in fruitless negotiations with the officers of the towns above named. Nothing had been accomplished and the fateful

COPPER MINES.

Saturday was approaching. The leaders in the riotous movement still kept up their threats, and Friday evening intimated to some of the officers who were in the village of Ely that they would not be permitted to leave that night. Double guards were placed at all of the points where the leaders had thought it necessary to keep watch, and they themselves, worn out with the strain and excitement, went to bed, some of them for the first time since the riot had commenced. Nothing had been heard from the sheriff and the rioters had no suspicion of what was being done by him. About nine o'clock word was brought that indicated that some help had reached Ely Station with the sheriff. Those who went down the road in that direction met Col. Greenleaf on his way to Ely, with four companies of the National Guard of Vermont, viz .: Co. A, Kingsley Guards of Rutland, thirty-eight men, Capt. C. C. Kinsman ; Co. B, Barlow Grays, St. Albans, thirty men, Capt. H. E. Perkins; Co. F, Northfield, forty men, Capt. E. H. Howes ; Co. H, Montpelier, forty men, Lt. H. W. Kemp, in command. Governor Barstow accompanied the expedition. Transportation was provided the men from the station to West Fairlee, a distance of seven miles, by Col. W. H. Gilmore, of the governor's staff. The forces reached West Fairlee before break of day, and entered Ely village just as it began to be daylight. There had not been so quiet a time in that usually lively hamlet for more than six days. No re- sistance was offered and at first it seemed to the governor and some of his officers that they had been called there on a useless errand. Sheriff Parish and his deputies at once arrested twelve of the ring leaders, many of whom were in bed, and took then immediately to Chelsea. In the meantime Capt. Watson, with the Bradford Guards, who had come to West Fairlee directly over the hills, had, under the guidance of Deputy Sheriff S. K. Berry, made a detour and came down upon the powder magazine near the entrance to the mine on the hill and taken possession of that about the time the other troops had entered the village of Ely below them. Thus ended and collapsed the riot. The moment it was over the rioters and many others began to say that it had been greatly magnified. That nothing dangerous was intended by the men, and that some of the officers of the company and others were scared without any reason. On Gov. Barstow's arrival at the railroad station he had been met by the following telegram, viz :-

" Gov. Barstow, Shelburne, Vt .-

" There is imminent danger of great destruction of property at the mines in this town by the workmen. Send troops at once to quell the riot.

" Vershire, July 6, 1883.

"W. H. EUSTICE, "CHAS. E. PAINE, Selectmen." " SILAS TITUS,

Two days before that a leading citizen of West Fairlee and an important officer in the county, Judge Bean, had written: "There is a reign of terror at the mines. They threaten to burn and destroy the property unless satisfac- tion is given them, and they will not leave until it is done. A meeting of

ORANGE COUNTY.

bond-holders will be held in this place to-morrow morning." The meeting was held in West Fairlee, but the next one was held at Ely, as before related, the men giving as one reason why it should be held at Ely that the bond- holders could ride, while they would have to go on foot if held at West Fairlee.

The men who were arrested were held until Monday, when, no one appear- ing against them, the state's attorney, J. K. Darling, Esq., ordered their release.

So much was said to Governor Barstow while at Ely and West Fairlee on the morning of the seventh, when there with the troops, that he took the trouble to return on the twelfth of July to make further personal inquiry and satisfy himself in regard to the necessity for having the militia called out to assist the sheriff. He became fully satisfied that what he did in ordering out the troops saved a great destruction of property, and probably prevented the shedding of blood. He said that the written statement brought him by the sheriff " was far below the truth, instead of being exaggerated." Before ordering out the troops he had consulted such able counsel as Hon. E. J. Phelps, now United States minister to England, and Hon. Torrey E. Wales, judge of probate at Burlington, as to his legal duty under the circumstances after Sheriff Parish had applied to him for help, and " they agreed that not only was it his legal duty to respond favorably to the call made upon him for troops, but that he would be greatly derelict did he not respond." There is no doubt but that the action of the governor in the premises was in every way wise and prudent. Had a single company marched into Ely village during the daytime of Thursday or Friday, the miners would have assaulted them in some way, and there would have been bloodshed. Had no troops gone there at all, we have only the threats of the rioters often repeated as to what would have happened on Saturday.

From this time forward no work was done at the mines. The money on hand was used to pay the men as far as it would. They received some over twenty per cent. of the amount their due, and the treasury of the company was exhausted, and the concern hopelessly bankrupt, owing more than $200,- 000. C. C. Sargent, Esq., the cautious and accurate treasurer, Daniel F. Long, the very efficient superintendent, and Dr. T. G. Simpson, one of the directors, remained at Ely to look after the property and affairs of the cor- poration without hope of recompense until the property could be sold. Mr. Cazin soon got back into his house, but he had nothing to do with the affairs outside of it. His suit was pending, and both sides were busy with the voluminous papers that it necessitated, and in bearings upon interlocutory motions before the chancellor. Cazin had originally prayed that the property might go into the hands of a receiver, but his prayer was not granted. After the riot, however, the defendants moved that a receiver be appointed, and on the third day of September, 1883, Hon. Samuel M. Gleason was appointed by Chancellor Rowell the receiver of the property, and went at once into

SOIL AND STAPLE PRODUCTIONS-MANUFACTURES.

possession. A few months after he was appointed, he smelted the ore on hand, under order of court, and used the money for the payment of taxes and the purposes of his receivership. On the 28th of April, 1884, Chancellor Rowell issued to the receiver, on motion of the Vermont Copper Mining Co. and of the receiver, an order of sale of all of the property at and about Ely. But the receiver found no opportunity to sell the property at private sale, and on the 12th day of January, A. D., 1888, he sold it at public auction at the Eagle Hotel at West Fairlee for $36,000, to F. M. F. Cazin, the highest bidder. Mr. Cazin paid $2,000 down, but soon after assigned his purchase to Mr. Otto K. Krause, of New York city, who paid $18,000 more to make up the first payment of $20,000. The latter gentleman has since conveyed the property to the Copperfield Mining and Smelting Company, who are now working it with about thirty-five men. This, in a very imperfect way, brings the history of these mines down to April, 1888.

SOIL AND STAPLE PRODUCTIONS.

The soil of the county is generally of good quality, susceptible of cultiva- tion alike on the hills and in the valleys of the several streams, yielding a bounteous return to the husbandman. Some idea of the resources of the ter- ritory may be obtained from the following statistics, shown by the census report of 1880, according to which the county has 3,460 farms, representing an area of 304,391 acres of improved land, valued at $8,500.308, while its total public debt was $144,130. These farms supported 6,838 horses, thirty-four mules and asses, 3,000 working oxen, 13,072 milch cows, 9,267 other cattle, 71,742 sheep, and 7,338 swine. The stock products for the year were 370, 150 pounds of wool, 31,612 gallons of milk, 1,468,6or pounds of butter, and 105,360 pounds of cheese. The products of these farms were 15,330 bushels of barley, 56,574 bushels of buckwheat, 168,980 bushels of Indian corn, 282,824 bushels of oats, 1,643 bushels of rye, 35,417 bushels of wheat, 85, 155 tons of hay, 2,698 pounds of hops, 390,006 bushels of Irish potatoes, and orchard products valued at $72,575. Surely not a bad show- ing for a little tract of country having a population of only 21, So7 souls.

MANUFACTURES.

The manufacture of lumber in its various branches constitutes the principal industry in this line. Paper is also manufactured to a limited extent. Sketches of the manufactories of the county will be given in connection with the history of the towns wherein they are located, however, incorporating their history and resources, so we will dismiss the subject at this point with the following statistics from the census report of 1880: There were 190 manu- facturing establishments, giving employment to 609 persons. There were $694,720 invested in manufacturing interests, while the manufactured

ORANGE COUNTY.

products were valued at $959,635. The total value of materials used was $604,789, and the total amount paid in wages during the year $135,717.

ORANGE COUNTY BAR.

[BY Ex .- GOV ROSWELL FARNHAM ]

The following brief sketches of the lives of the members of the bar of Orange county, Vt., includes those who have been admitted to the bar therein, as well as those who have lived and practiced within the county. It does not include members of the bar of other counties who have come within this county to attend court and practice their profession temporarily. The judges of the first courts organized in the county are included, although some of them were not lawyers. These sketches are not memoirs and are hardly biographical, except in a few instances. They are rather statistical, as befits a gazetteer. These biographical notes have been collected and compiled under the pressure of other duties, and from all accessible sources, without, in every instance, giving full credit. The following books have furnished con siderable of the material for these lines, viz .: "The Governor and Council of Vermont," edited by Hon. E. P. Walton ; Miss Hemenway's " Historical Gazetteer of Vermont ;" " Biographical Encyclopedia of Vermont ;" " Biog- raphy of the Bar of Orleans County ": Dr. McKeen's " History of Bradford;" " Thompson's History of Montpelier," and various pamphlets. No attempt has been made at any extended or complete history of the courts of the county for want of time. The records of some of the earlier ones are given as a matter of interest and curiosity.

On the roth day of April, 1765, Hon. Cadwallader Colden, governor of New York, issued a proclamation announcing the order in council of King George the Third of Great Britian, making "Connecticut river the boundary between New York and New Hampshire. The words used in the order as quoted by Gov. Colden are as follows, viz .: "His majesty * doth hereby order and declare the western banks of the river Connecticut from where it enters the province of Massachusetts Bay, as far north as the forty-fifth degree of northern latitude, to be the boundary line between the said two provinces of New Hampshire and New York." The order of the king was dated July 20, 1764.

This order annexed to New York the entire territory that now coustitutes the state of Vermont, and which before this time had been considered as a part of New Hampshire, and a large portion of it had been granted in town- ships to settlers by Gov. Benning Wentworth of that province. Says Hon. Hiland Hall, in his Early History of Vermont, " The charters of these town- ships had been issued under the great seal of the province in the name of the king 'George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.,' being the grantor, 'by and

BENCH AND BAR.

with the advice of our trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., our governor and commander in chief, of our said province of New Hampshire in New England,' etc."

Among the towns that had been granted or chartered by Gov. Wentworth before the order of the king in council was made public by the proclamation of Gov. Colden, April 10, 1765, within the limits of what is now Orange ounty, were the towns of Thetford and Strafford, chartered August 12, 1761 ; Tunbridge, chartered September 3, 1761 ; Fairlee, chartered September 9, 1761 ; Newbury, chartered March 18, 1763 ; and Topsham, chartered June 17, 1763. A settlement was made in Bradford in 1765, and perhaps settle- ments had been commenced in some of the other towns of Orange county ; but no other charters were granted at this time. The towns above named, although granted by Gov. Wentworth, were not attached to any county in New Hampshire, nor were courts of justice established nor magistrates appointed to aid in enforcing the laws of New Hampshire. In fact, that state was not divided into counties until March 19, 1771.

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Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888, Part 4

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers Number of Pages: 836

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 836