USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 39
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ROYALTON'S COLLEGE RECORD.
Ainsworth, George W .- A. B .- 1905-U. V. M.
Allen, Horace P .- 1837, one year-Norwich University; cadet at West Point; business, town clerk.
Ashley, Lester-A. B .- 1907-Dartmouth-teacher, clerk.
Belknap, Philip O .- 1910, student-Nor. Univ.
Belknap, William Orlando-1884-86-Nor. Univ .- merchant.
Billings, Frederick-A. M .- 1844-U. V. M .- LL. D .- 1890-lawyer, banker, railroad president.
Bingham, Daniel Havens-1821-24-Nor. Univ .- teacher, editor.
Bliss, Calvin Parkhurst-A. B., A. M .- 1836-Middlebury Coll .- Teacher and farmer.
Bliss, William Henry-A. B .- 1871-U. V. M .- Judge of Probate.
Bloss, Richard-M. D .- 1823-Dart .- physician.
Bosworth, Stephen-1836-38-Nor. Univ .- business.
Boyd, Loring P .- A. B .- 1860-Dart .- lawyer, journalist.
Bradstreet, George Pierce-A. B .- 1871, A. M .- 1874-U. V. M .- lawyer. Brownson, Orestes Augustus-LL. D. honorary-1846-Nor. Univ .- pastor, editor, author.
Buck, Oel Alfred-A. M .- 1842-Nor. Univ .- professor-in gov't em- ploy.
Burnett, Mrs. Grace Martin-1886, one year-N. E. Conserv. of Music. Carrington, Albert-A. B .- 1833-Dartmouth-joined the Mormons.
Collamer, William B .- A. B .- 1844-U. V. M .- lawyer.
Culver, Theron C .- 1909, student-Mid. Coll.
Cushing, Edward Hopkins-A. B .- 1850-Dart .- journalist.
Cutter, Charles-1822-Nor. Univ .- merchant.
Danforth, William Burke-A. B .- 1871-Dart., Yale Divinity School- 1874-clergyman.
Davis, Kathrina-A. B .- 1901-Wellesley-teacher.
Davis, Leroy H .- 1907-Nor. Univ .- electrical engineer.
Denison, Dudley Chase-A. M .- 1840-U. V. M .- lawyer, statesman.
Denison, Franklin-LL. B .- 1866-Harvard,-A. M .- 1868-lawyer.
Denison, Charles-A. B .- 1867-Williams-M. D .- 1869-U. V. M .- doctor.
Denison, George Stanton-A. B .- 1854-U. V. M .- lawyer.
Denison, Joseph Dudley-A. M .- 1868-U. V. M .- lawyer.
Denison, John Henry-A. B .- 1877-U. V. M .- lawyer.
Dewey, Katharine E .- 1909, student-U. V. M.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
Dewey, Nathaniel Wright-A. B .- 1837-Dart .- clergyman.
Dudley, Daniel Bliss-A. M .- 1856-Dart .- LL.B .- Albany Law School -1862-lawyer.
Dunham, James H .- 1820 (?) -23-U. V. M.
Dutton, George-A. M .- 1855-Dart .- M. D .- 1861-Nat. Med. Coll .- teacher and physician.
Ellis, Oliver Justin-M. D .- 1905-Univ. of Maryland-physician.
Fay, George Washington-M. D .- 1848-Dart .- physician and land agent.
Fish, Harold D .- A. B .- 1907-Dart .- clerk.
Follett, Ammi Ward-M. D .- 1882-Dart .- physician.
Fox, Charles-1842-43-Nor. Univ.
Fox, Jacob-1820-22-Nor. Univ .- farmer.
Francis, George W .- A. B .- 1836-U. V. M .- merchant.
Francis, Lewis-A. B .- 1856-U. V. M .- A. M .- 1863-D. D .- 1898- Rutgers-clergyman.
Freeman, Edmund A .- 1910, student-Dart.
Freeman, Charles W .- 1910, student-Northwestern Univ.
Goodrich, Julian O .- 1907-student-Nor. Univ.
Harvey, William Francis-A. M .- 1864-Dart .- M. D .- 1868-George- town Med. Coll .- physician.
Harvey, Daniel Bliss-LL. B .- 1854-Albany Law School-lawyer, pro- fessor.
Hewitt, Ernest J .- A. B .- 1897-Tufts-merchant.
Hewitt, Winfred H .- 1905-10-N. E. Conserv. of Music-teacher of music in college.
Latham, Alden C .- M. D.
Lewis, Sarah-1908-student-Mid. Coll.
Lathrop, Glenn Edward-A. B .- 1884-Mid. Coll .- banker.
Lovejoy, Daniel Webster-M. D .- Dart .- physician.
Lyman, George Briggs-1843-46-Nor. Univ .- merchant.
Lyman, Elias-1844-46-Nor. Univ .- business.
Marcy, Henry Sullivan-1856-Dart .- business, railroad president.
Marcy, Frederick Vose-A. B .- 1852-Dart .- lawyer.
Metcalf, Ernest B .- 1901-Albany Business Coll.
Metcalf, John W .- 1854-56-Nor. Univ .- farmer.
Morse, Fred J .- M. D .- 1892 ( ?)-Baltimore, Md., Coll .- physician. Noble, James Jacob-A. M .- 1855-U. V. M .- teacher and lawyer.
Noble, William-A. B .- 1810-U. V. M .- A. M .- 1820-lawyer.
Page, Alfred-M. D .- Yale Med. Coll .- physician.
Pierce, Caleb-M. D .- 1842-Castleton Med. Coll .- honorary M. D .- 1872-Dart .- physician.
Pierce, Albigence-M. D.
Reynolds, Roland W .- 1897-Nor. Univ.
Rix, Lyman Lewis-A. B .- 1827-Dart .- farmer.
Rix, William-1834, one year-honorary A. M .- 1843-U. V. M .- mer- chant.
Rix, Levi-M. D.
Root, Stephen Eastman-Hillsdale Coll., Mich .- Baptist minister.
Safford, Henry-A. B .- 1817-Dart .- 1820-Princeton Theo. Sem .- clergyman and missionary.
Safford, DeForest-1861-62-Harvard-1869-Newton Theo. Sem .- editor, teacher, Baptist pastor.
Sargent, Mrs. Erva Martin-1886-N. E. Conserv. of Music.
Shepard, Burton M .- 1907-Nor. Univ.
Shepard, George S .- 1847-48-Nor. Univ.
Sherburne, Mary Ann Burbank-M. D .- 1900-College of Osteopathy, Kirksville, Mo .- physician.
345
HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
Shipman, William R .- A. B .- Mid. Coll .- A. M .- D. D .- 1882-St. Lawrence Coll .- LL. D .- 1899-Tufts-1900-Mid. Coll .- profes- sor, Universalist clergyman.
Skinner, Calvin-1836-38-U. V. M .- M. D .- 1841-Dart .- physician and surgeon.
Skinner, Daniel H .- A. B .- 1816-Mid. Coll .- A. M .- 1820-Dart .- physician.
Skinner, Leon Anson-1896-Nor. Univ .- merchant.
Smith, Douglass-A. B .- 1841-Dart .- lawyer.
Soper, Ralph C .- A. B., C. E .- 1902-Dart .- civil engineer.
Storrs, Hiram-A. M .- 1793-Dart .- lawyer.
Tucker, Jireh, Jr .- Madison Univ., Hamilton, N. Y .- clergyman. Tucker, Cyrus (College not known) clergyman.
Tullar, Daniel-A. B .- 1840-Nor. Univ .- civil engineer, lawyer.
Washburn, Royal-A. M .- 1820-U. V. M .- 1824-And. Theo. Sem .- Congregational clergyman.
Wild, Daniel G .- A. B .- 1857-Dart .- lawyer.
Wild, Levi-A. B .- 1883-Dart .- 1886-Union Theo. Sem .- pastor and farmer.
Williams, Lottie Julia-1879-80-U. V. M .- teacher.
Winslow, Mary E .- 1909, student-U. V. M.
Woodward, Walter Carleton-B. L .- 1899-Dart .- surgeon.
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CHAPTER XXI.
MATTERS RELATING TO TOWN MEETINGS.
TOWN OFFICERS.
It would be interesting to know how the first town meetings were warned, whether notice was put on a private house, on a tree, or announced from house to house by a carrier. They are declared to be "legally warned" before the town actually ac- knowledged the authority of the new state, before there was any public building, or any store, so far as is known. Not even sign posts had then been provided. The General Assembly in March, 1778, had passed an act regulating the method of holding town meetings, and the term "legally warned," as used in December, 1778, and March, 1779, doubtless had reference to the require- ments of that act.
The officers chosen at the first town meeting, so far as records show, were a moderator, town clerk, three selectmen, a treasurer, constable, four surveyors, two listers, a collector, two grand jurymen, two tythingmen, a sealer of weights and meas- ures, two to read the Psalms, two choristers, and five to act as ministerial committee. A part of these were merely church offi- cers, leaving nine dealing with purely town business.
Justices of Peace were authorized by act of the Assembly at Bennington, June 17, 1778. Comfort Sever was the first justice, chosen at a Freeman's meeting Dec. 30, 1779.
The next year additional officers were elected, a leather sealer, a brander of horses, and a pound keeper. Several offices necessary then have become extinct. The tythingman's duties were multiple, and accompanied at times with disagreeable fea- tures. He was not chosen on the principle that "it takes a rogue to catch a rogue," but was usually selected from the most austere and dignified members of the church. Armed with his black staff, two feet long, tipped at one end with brass or pewter three inches in length, as the badge of his office, he was well calculated to strike terror into the hearts of mischievous boys, who might take a fancy to bump heads at they sat back to back in the square pews, or who were inclined to make fun of the parson's wig, as he went patiently on with his long-winded prayer.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
The duty of keeping refractory youngsters in order was only one of his laborious duties. He was, also, to look after Sabbath breakers, and the profane youth or man, and to hale him before the proper court for trial. It was his business, too, to inspect licensed houses. He was a most useful member of soci- ety, though not always well beloved.
In old Connecticut he did not have the privilege of declining the honor of an election without paying a fine of forty shillings. It is told of one official who was annoyed by the shouts of Metho- dist brethren, whose religious ardor could not be restrained even by the threatened pain of the metal-tipped staff, that with sore heads they all began praying for the tythingmen, and thus they conquered, and were allowed to continue their shouts of "Glory !"
The chorister was selected with quite as much reference to his sonorous voice as to his ability to read music. His voice must be strong enough to overcome any squeaky discords from the toothless aged, or any profane interpolations of youngsters, whom the tythingman failed to notice. He had to be one who could lead the entire congregation on to "Zion's Hill," and put them in a proper mood for the long sermon, so that the tired farmer and his wife would not fall asleep before the sixthly was reached.
In the days when fences were scarce, and an ambitious animal could easily pierce through the primitive hedgeways, it was necessary for each owner of stock to have some mark that would distinguish his property. Just as the almost limitless ranches of the West make the branding of horses and cattle a necessity to-day, so in the earliest days in Vermont, branding was resorted to as a seal of ownership. That it might be done decently and with authority, so that no two owners should quar- rel, because both had the same mark, a "brander of horses" was annually chosen. The ears of cattle were cropped and pierced, and each had his own "ear mark" recorded. Isaac Morgan's was a "crop of the Right Eare & Sowlers (swallow's) Taile in the Left"; Daniel Havens' was a "Round Whole in the offe Eare"; Daniel Rix's, "a Crop of the End of the Right Ear"; David Bowen's, "a round hole in ye right Ear and a slit from ye same to ye end of ye Ear."
Hog haywards were chosen first in 1783. It is probable that for some years, swine were making their investigations and root- ing around quite free from restraint, and that sometimes they were even given shelter in the log houses. As their numbers increased, and more land came to be cultivated, they could no longer be allowed free range in the neighborhood, and for lack of suitable places of confinement, hog haywards were elected to look after them, and see that they did not trespass.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
The demand for fence viewers was answered first in 1784, when Benjamin Day, Benjamin Parkhurst, Daniel Rix, Lieut. Medad Benton, Daniel Tullar, and Comfort Sever were chosen for this office.
The selectmen were requested to settle with the treasurer in 1790, and report at some future meeting. Their report, per- haps, had been given direct to the voters at the annual meeting before that time, or no report may have been made. There was evidently some laxity on the part of town officers, which the voters intended to remedy. At the town meeting 1791, the selectmen were requested to give "immediately" a report of the last year's proceedings. The report is not recorded, but that it was satisfactory is evidenced from the fact, that the same men were again elected.
At a September meeting of that year, a committee was chosen "to call on ye Selectmen for ye year 1786 for a settle- ment for ye Land tax & if they decline to settle to apply to ye County Court to call them to settlement." Notwithstanding this drastic action by the town, the report was not forthcoming, and in May, 1792, another committee composed of entirely differ- ent men was chosen for the same purpose. This committee proved efficient, and at an adjourned meeting, June 6, it offered the following report :
"To ye Inhabitants of Royalton in town meeting met. Your committe that was chose to make a settlement with ye Selectmen for ye Year 1786 concerning ye Land tax report that on a final settlement with Sd Selectmen they find due to ye Town Twenty one Pounds seventeen Shillings & eight pence.
Benjamin Parkhurst for Comtee."
The report was accepted, and the selectmen of 1792 were instructed to take obligations from the selectmen of 1786 for what was due on the land tax, and give a discharge for the same.
The 1786 selectmen were either refractory or unable to pay the sum due the town, and the matter came up again in 1796. In the warning for a special meeting called for December 6, one article read, "To call on ye Selectmen of 1786 for a settlement of the then land tax," and it was voted, "To appoint a Com- mittee to call on ye Selectmen for the Year 1786 for a Settle- ment & if any money is in their hands sd Committee are directed to pay the same into ye Town Treasury," and furthermore the same committee was instructed "to call on all former Committees & all Selectmen since the year 1786 who have had concern with money matters & make a complete settlement with them & if anything shall be found due sd Committee to receive the same and pay it into the Town Treasury." This committee had the astute lawyer, Jacob Smith, on it, and after this date nothing more is heard of the land tax of 1786.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
Petit jurors were first elected in 1788, when six men were chosen for that purpose. The number varied from time to time, reaching thirteen in 1798. The first record of town officers taking the oath is in 1793.
In 1801 a committee was chosen to settle "with the overseer of the Poor & Town Treasurer." No overseer was elected in 1801, nor previous to that time, so far as records show. If such an office existed, it was probably appointive. In 1807 they voted to elect overseers of the poor, and Jacob Smith, Elias Stevens, and Daniel Tullar were chosen. Mr. Stevens was excused and Isaac Skinner chosen in his place. The next year it was for- mally voted to choose three overseers, but in 1809 they were chosen like other officers without first voting to have them.
This year they elected "auditors." Heretofore the select- men or a committee chosen at the end of the year were empow- ered to look over the treasurer's account and report. The audi- tors of this year had the same duty. The next year these audi- tors were to examine, also, the accounts against the town. Ad- journment was necessary to give time to look over these accounts. For some years auditors were chosen for special work, and other committees for other accounts, and the usual adjournment took place, sometimes for shorter, sometimes for longer time.
In 1822 a committee was elected to settle with both over- seers and treasurer, and they did not adjourn as usual, but dis- solved, and the reports were acted on at the next March meeting. Some accounts were brought in and allowed or disallowed by vote. Two committees had been chosen in 1821 to audit a part of the accounts for the "ensuing" year. Gradually they were coming to see the advisability of accounts being audited before the meeting was held.
Eight town meetings were held in 1834. They began the series early, issuing the warning for the first one on January third. This meeting was necessitated by reason of the failure of the Fox bridge, so-called. Three Freemen's meetings were held, one in March, when the Council of Censors was chosen, and two in the fall for election of a Congressman and state officers.
The following year it was resolved that all accounts must be presented to the selectmen before coming to the voters or be rejected. Just how the list had been taken previous to 1835 is not stated, but that year it was voted, that the listers were to begin April 1, by going to the house of each one liable, and take his or her list of personal property. In 1837, instead of choos- ing a committee to settle with the treasurer, as formerly, he was directed to give a report at the next meeting.
About 1832 a committee, whose appointment is not recorded, and whose report is not dated, reported that they had examined
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
and compared the books of the treasurer and overseer of the poor from 1827 to 1831, and found that they agreed with the orders on the books of the selectmen. That year the selectmen were directed to put in collection within six months after due, all rents, notes, and demands due to the town. The taxpayers were growing more critical in the examination of accounts, but did not yet entrust the matter wholly to auditors. In 1835 the report of the auditors on the treasurer's account was ordered back for a new examination. Two years later, the treasurer was directed to settle all bills with the collectors of more than two years' standing, and was empowered to begin suits against delinquents.
In 1836 trustees of the surplus revenue were elected for the first time, providing for the care of the share which should come to the town by act of the legislature November 17 of that year. This was done at a special meeting called for that purpose in December. After that the trustees were chosen at the March meeting with other town officers.
From time to time an agent had been chosen by the town to look after special cases in which lawsuits were threatened. In 1841 Daniel Woodward was chosen regularly like other town officers. He was to attend to any cases that might arise involv- ing litigation. He continued to serve until 1857, when Daniel L. Lyman was elected.
Tythingmen and hog haywards were last elected in 1839. From 1845 onward auditors were elected in the regular course, without their specific duties being named, and the appointment of other committees for the examination of accounts was omitted. Reports, however, of selectmen, and trustees of the surplus revenue were given orally in town meeting.
In 1846 it was voted that the selectmen nominate three per- sons to serve as superintendents of common schools, and Dudley C. Denison, Samuel W. Slade, and Cyrus B. Drake were chosen for this duty, which was the beginning of this specific office. As early as Oct. 22, 1782, the law had provided for the appointment of trustees in each town for the general superintendence of schools, but the matter of supervision had very generally been left to each school district.
In 1824 a law was passed requiring selectmen to appoint one or more surveyors of wood, whose duty it should be to measure wood, receiving therefor four cents a cord or load. It is not to be supposed that the town found no necessity for such an officer before 1870, but that is the first date when any record is found of such appointment. In that year the residents of Royalton village secured by petition the appointment of Chauncey Wolcott and Henry Doubleday for one year. In 1906 the offices of pound
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
keeper, surveyors of wood, and inspector of lumber became ap- pointive in the selectmen. A tree warden was also provided for, and Amos J. Eaton was the first appointee. In 1904 he was appointed fish and game warden.
By the laws of 1892 road commissioners, school directors, and health officers were to be provided. The first health officer in Royalton was Dr. William H. Gerrish. Dr. W. L. Paine acted as such officer for a time, and Dr. E. J. Fish served for a term of years. The present officer is Marvin H. Hazen. Though health officers are not elected, they are local officers.
In 1896 trustees of the public library were first elected. By rotation in office, one lister, one selectman, one school director only are elected each year, serving three years, and one trustee of the public library is elected yearly, serving five years.
Although a legislative act of 1870 provided for truant offi- cers, Royalton does not seem to have had any until 1893, when the South Royalton Graded School had one appointed. James M. Whitney has been the truant officer for several years.
The town officers elected in March, 1910, were as follows: Moderator, Ernest J. Hewitt; clerk, William Skinner ; selectman, James M. Hinckley-the other selectmen are Hiram Russ and George L. Dutton; treasurer, Arthur Whitham; overseer of the poor, Charles E. Black; constable, James M. Whitney; col- lector, the treasurer; lister, Amos J. Eaton-the other listers are Walter E. Webster and D. W. Bliss; auditors, J. O. Belknap, George K. Taggart, E. J. Hewitt; trustee of public money, George A. Laird; town grand juror, Amos J. Eaton; road commissioner, Albert Merrill; school director, Fred Allen; A. G. Whitham was later appointed deputy town clerk, with authority to file deeds, mortgages, and other papers for the accommodation of the peo- ple in the south part of the town.
PLACE OF TOWN MEETINGS.
There are records of ten town meetings before the Indian raid, in none of which is there any mention of the place where they were held. An adjournment was taken to the house of Isaac Morgan, Aug. 23, 1779, and another to the house of Daniel Rix, Dec. 30, 1779. At the first meeting after the raid, March 20, 1781, an adjournment was at once taken to Comfort Sever's dwelling house. The houses that had been hastily put up were probably not suitable for town meeting purposes. Mr. Sever lived near the schoolhouse in District Nine, and his house es- caped destruction. The next meeting the same month was at Lieut. Durkee's. It is understood that he fitted up his barn as best he could for a winter residence, and it would be more
a
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
commodious than the majority of the houses, so we find the meeting there again in December.
In September of that year they had met at Lieut. Park- hurst's and voted to have future meetings at Mr. Lyon's. In January of the next year, however, a meeting was held at David Fish's. In November, 1782, when they divided the town into school districts, they are found at Zebulon Lyon's, but the ad- journed meeting was at Lieut. Durkee's. The numerous meet- ings between this one and the one of March 30, 1785, were all held at Mr. Lyon's. How well Mrs. Lyon enjoyed this inter- ruption of her home life is not recorded. Mr. Lyon soon pro- posed to build a meeting-house to be used for town purposes for ten years, as explained in another place, and on the date last named the voters gathered there in the new building.
Here they convened from time to time, as they did Feb. 5, 1787. At this time they chose a moderator, and at once ad- journed to the house of Isaac Skinner, presumably, because the meeting-house was not comfortable. The Proprietors held sep- arate meetings occasionally on the same day and at the same place as the town meetings. They met at Timothy Durkee's, Calvin and Joseph Parkhurst's, and Zebulon Lyon's, and, after the meeting-house was built, in that building. In December, 1789, the town meeting was adjourned to the house of Lieut. Lyon, and in March following, to the "scenter school house." Through the warm weather, the several meetings were held in the meeting-house, but the March meeting of 1792 was warned to meet at Isaac Skinner's. The day was doubtless a mild one, for they adjourned to the meeting-house.
There was a new meeting-house now, and this served as the place for the town meetings, apparently a satisfactory one, until the meeting of October 20, 1795, when they adjourned for fif- teen minutes to Elkanah Stevens' house, where, for some reason, perhaps a domestic one, they adjourned again to the schoolhouse. On December 8th they tried the meeting-house again. Whether it was too cold, or Major and Mrs. Curtis had decided to have a housewarming that day cannot be asserted, but it is recorded that they met and adjourned to the "new house" of Major Cur- tis. This was, no doubt, Zabad Curtis, who had bought several acres in Royalton village, and built himself a house there.
The next year two adjournments were taken to private dwellings, one to the house of Elkanah Stevens, who had a store and hotel in the village, and another to the house of Elisha Bartholemew. There are few records found of Mr. Barthole- mew. He may not have lived in the village, as an adjournment of half an hour was taken.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
This was the last meeting in a private house. The voters continued to meet in the meeting-house, until it was purchased by the town, and removed to the lower side of the common, and became the "town house." At their first meeting in the town house, which was, probably, not repaired sufficiently for such a purpose, they adjourned to the academy, and after the town house was burned, the meetings were held in the schoolhouse, until the present town building was erected.
MANNER OF CONDUCTING TOWN MEETINGS.
Little can be directly learned from our early records of the method of warning and conducting town meetings. The act of the General Assembly passed Feb. 28, 1797, made an annual meeting obligatory some day in the month of March, and a no- tice was to be set up "on the sign post, or at such other place or places as have been or may hereafter be agreed upon at least twelve days before the time mentioned in such notifica- tion, warning all the freeholders and other inhabitants of such town, qualified to vote in town meeting, to meet at such time and place." That the meeting might be properly conducted, all persons were required to be silent at the desire of the moderator, or pay a fine of one dollar, and a further fine of $3.00, if they persisted in remaining after a request to withdraw had been made. This act specified the officers to be elected, and directed the election of a committee of not less than three to audit ac- counts of the overseer of the poor for the preceding year, also one for auditing the account of the treasurer.
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