USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 18
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Christmas gifts, Christmas gifts, scatter them 'round Wherever pleasure and fashion are found; Elegant, rare, and exquisitely fine,
Purchase the costliest, now is the time; Give them to persous luxuriously clad, Those who are never heart-broken and sad, Wherever plenty and ease can be found, Christmas gifts, Christmas gifts, scatter them 'round.
But stop! see that poor little child in the street, With her thin purple face, and her half frozen feet; How she shakes with the cold, she's so scantily clad, Hear that piteous wail, how heart-broken and sad. Has she heard, ever heard a kind pi ying tone ? Has she ever one moment of happiness known ? A child's merry Christmas, has ever she seen ? Christmas gifts,-do you think she can know what they mean ?
Just lay your soft delicate hand on her head, Aud look in her face, as she asks you for bread ; Shrink not from a figure so hargard and wild ; Speak gently and kind to the poor weary child. In her sad little heart place a bright sunny spot, Which through toil and privations, can ne'er be forgot, Take the money you spend for the rich and the gay And make the child happy on next Christmas day.
Purchase not gifts that are costly and rare ; Think of the hearts that are crushed by despair ; Think of the tenements, crazy and old, Where they are dying with hunger and cold ; Think of the misery, suffering and woe, Which these poor creatures of sorrow must know. Think of it ! think of it ! then if you dare, Purchase your Christmas gifts, costly and rare.
Oh! child of luxury ! could you but know Half of the joy it is yours to bestow With but the money you're thinking to spend, Purchasing gifts for an opulent friend; Go to the wretched, the suffering, and sad; Give to them, comfort them, make their hearts glad. The pleasure you'll feel will your kindness repay ; So give the poor Christmas gifts, next Christmas day.
Brandon, Dec. 14, 1857.
A. A. NICHOLSON, EsQ., a native of this county, also resided in this town for some years, and at the time that he became a con- tributor to Miss Hemenway's " Poets and Poetry of Vermont," in which he is entered. among the poets of Brandon; but, having removed, and being claimed by his native town for representation, we must, however reluctantly for Brandon, respect the claim.
BRANDON ANECDOTES FROM THE VERMONT RECORD'S PRIZE COLLECTION.
not do, without sinning in that respect. In his explanatory remarks he said if a man practiced shaving but once or twice a week, it would he sin for him to shave on the Sabbath, because it would be unnecessary, but if he practiced shaving every day, it then became necessary to shave on the Sabbath, and was therefore not sinful. The good brother Townshend ejaculated, -" What ! shave every day ! Why I never heard of such a thing in my life !"
Brother Townshend was a very constant attendant at the meetings of the church and always ready to perform his part by way of exhortation or prayer, but would make longer prayers than the priest and some of the lay brethren wanted ; so Mr. Ingraham planned it at one church meeting, to deliver his lecture,-then call on one or two broth- ers for short prayers, when he would pro- nounce the benediction, without giving the good brother Townshend a chance to take any part in the meeting. But brother Townshend was not to be fooled in that way, so he stood while the short prayers were offered, and just as the hands of the pastor commenced rising, brother Townshend commenced pray- ing, and it was said by those present, that he held the people there about an hour longer than priest Ingraham had planned for them to stay !
Aunt Betty Whitlock of Brandon, was an old maid, and rather peculiar in some things. She lived in a small house and kept three chairs ; one of which she usually occupied, and the other two were suspended on nails. When any person called in, before offering them a seat, she would raise the question as to whether they would stay long enough to pay for taking one of the chairs down ! If they answered affirmatively she would take a chair from the nail, but if not the chair would hang there.
BRANDON NEWSPAPERS.
BY J. F. MC COLLAM.
The Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist pa- per, was the first paper printed in Brandon. It was published some 15 years by O. S. Murray, and then discontinued. During the life of the Telegraph, which was started in September, 1828, there was also published in the same office and in connection with it The Rutland and Addison County Whig, a campaign paper in 1810, and the Vermont Argus, (formerly the Middlebury Argus), by E. & H. Drury, from Sept., 1834, to Sept., 1835.
The Voice of Freedom came to Brandon from Montpelier in 1813; published by Hol- comb & Murray, and edited by Holcomb for a while and then by Wm. G. Brown, and was
John Townshend was for many years a devout member of the Congregational church in Brandon. When the Rev. Ira Ingraham was pastor of that church, at one of the church meetings he gave a lecture on the duty of observing the Sabbath, and explamed |published five or six years. Then Wm. C. what people might do and what they might | Conant, in 1919 started The Vermont Union,
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and after publishing it a while here, moved it to Rutland. Pat. Welch then published the Brandon Post, and Wm. C. Rogers start- el the Vermont Tribune, and published it about a year, when it was discontinued and the office stock sold and carried out of the State. After Mr. Welch discontinued the Post in 1856, he sold his office to Julius H. Mott, who published and edited the Western Vermont Transcript, which lived just twenty- two weeks. He sold his office to Rev. A. C. Rose, who published and edited the Northern Christian Advocate. In a short time he sold the office to Rev. Wm. Ford, who published and edited the Northern Visitor. He sold his office to a company, and Hiram Truss published the Brandon Gazette for a year or more. The Gazette was discontinued and the office sold to D. L. Milliken, who started The Monitor, and in about two years he discon- tinued The Monitor and started the Vermont Record, and published it one year and twenty- one weeks, and then moved to Brattleboro. No paper has been published in Brandon since the Record was removed.
DEATHS SUDDEN-BY ACCIDENT OR BY THEIR OWN HANDS.
The first death by accident was that of Mr. Barnes or Barnard, who fell from his horse and broke his neck while intoxicated, some 65 years ago.
A Mr. Tracy went on to the mountain side to pick blueberries, and not returning at the proper time, search was made for him and he was found dead, supposed to have died in a fit.
The wife of Joseph Dutton, while about her household duties, fell and was taken up dead.
Joseph Clemens was drowned, June 17, 1822,
A helpless old lady was burned to death while alone in the house, which took fire in the absence of her daughter with whom she lived.
Elias Clark was killed about the 10th of Feb., 1832, while taking off a yoke of oxen from a sled loaded with wood. While be- twren the oxen, they started, throwing Mr. Clark under the sled which passed over his buly.
Luther Conant died in the hay-field, of heart disease, Aug. 7th, 1834 or '35.
Hiram Brown hung himself.
A boy by the name of Beckhorn hung himself, because he was abused by the family. Sylvester Stafford was accidentally shot while taking a loaded gun from a wagon.
Aaron Barnes was found dead in his bed.
Mrs. Burnell was found dead in the barn- yard, where she had gone to milk.
Wm. Tyler cut his throat.
Charles Johnson shot himself in a school- house. [Some regarded the act as done by his own hand, others as an accident-that he fell upon his gun in climbing into the win- dow to kindle a fire-as the day was cold- to warm himself, as there had been a meet- ing at the school-house and a fire there the night before .- Ed.]
Pat. Mc Kinney fell off the bridge in the village one dark night and was found dead at the bottom of the pond in the morning.
A stranger was found drowned in a small brook, that one could step across, in the south part of the town.
Charles Smith, son of Oliver M. Smith was drowned, while bathing in Otter Creek, in the summer of 1842.
Two French boys were drowned in the Creek near Pittsford line.
George Capron shot himself.
Lorrid Buttles, while at work, dropped down dead.
Elwin Edson, son of Dr. M. F. Edson, was found dead in his bed.
John Kingsley was killed by the sudden starting of a water-wheel which he was clear- ing of ice.
A young man by the name of Bride was caught in a water-wheel that he was cutting the ice from at Selden's marble mill, and was killed.
Alvin Fairbanks cut his throat, while in a desponding mood, at the town-farm.
Adaline V. Goodnow, daughter of Willis Goodnow, about 18 years of age, subject to fits for years, when-recovering from a fit seemed to have an ungovernable desire to wander off and be alone. On the 13th of Feb. 1867, after one of her fits, while the watch of her father was temporarily turned from her, she slily left the house at the back door and went through the woods and pasture to where her brothers were chopping. They sent her home, watching her until she entered the woods between them and the house. This was the last time she was seen alive. Her father missing her, hunted about until he
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found her track in a small patch of snow ; but there being but little snow, he soon lost sight of it. He hunted for her till dark, and the next day, and several successive days, a large number of persons were searching, but could not find any trace of her On the 9th of May following, her remains were found ou the eastern slope of Chaffee mountain, so called, in Chittenden, some 5 miles from her home and near the summit of the mountain, remote from any inhabitants, she probably having died from exposure and exhaustion,
Wm. Hyatt was as usual about the street and did his chores in the evening, went into the house and died almost instantly.
John Rand hung himself in the wash room of the Douglass House, in the summer of 1872.
Lewis Belknap, died almost instantly, the 5th day of October, 1872. He felt more un- well than usual and went into the house and laid down. Some medicine was immediately carried to him; but his breath had about left his bodys
In Brandon, Aug. 20, of congestion of the brain, Mary Gertrude, only daughter of J. F. Mc Collum, a former foreman of the Record Office, aged 25 years. The deceased was in usual health on the morning of her death, and, with other members of the family, was making preparations for attending church. The attack was so sudden and violent that she retained consciousness buit a few mo- ments, and survived only five hours.
[" SOLDIER OF 1812 .- Died in Brandon, very suddenly, Nov. 2, 1562, Capt. John H. Lincoln, soldier of 1812."
"DIED in Brandon, Jan. 21, '186- (2-4)' Mrs. Azubah Kingsley, aged near 90; for more than half a century a worthy member of the Baptist church."
" In Brandon Village, Sunday night, May 15, 1864, of heart disease, Mrs. Hannah Jackson, agel 81 years.
Mrs. J. attended Sabbath services at church as usual during the day, and up to within an hour of her death was in the enjoyment of usual health. She was a kind and estimable lady, whose memory will be cherished by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
Mrs Jackson was born in Shrewsbury- See account of the Finney family, Shrews- bury."
"In Brandon, June 20, 1865, Mrs. Elizabeth Carr, aged 86 years; "taken to Clarendon for intermont."
"DEATHS IN BRANDON, 1870 .- Number. 63, and confined to the extreme, of life-infancy and old age; the latter having the preponder- ance.' - Ed.]
BRANDON ITEMS OF THE WAR OF 1861, AND OTHER MISCELLANY OF THAT PERIOD.
[The man to whom we have been always referred for a history of the Brandon boys during the late war, Capt. E. J. Orms- bee, and whom we particularly invited to contribute this paper, more than a year since, has not, as yet furnished the paper ; we can, therefore, only give at this present time items such as we merely happen to have in hand-trusting yet to receive a full history of the noble part that Brandon, in- deed, took in furnishing men for the field, and toward the suppression of the Rebellion -which paper we will gladly give with va- r.ous papers, from the County and towns of the County, at the close of the general his- tories of the towns, if it comes in, in time, from Mr. O. or any other citizen who may have home-pride and patriotism sufficient to prepare and forward such a military record for Brandon, or, still later, we may give it, perhaps in the closing volume .- Ed.]
Rev. Claudius B. Smith, Baptist minister, resigned his preceptorship of Brandon Sem. inary and went as chaplain of the Vt. 2d Regiment.
Albert Thomas, 21 son of Rev. Cornelius A. Thomas, D. D., of Brandon, served as chaplain's aid to Rev. C. B. Smith.
CAPT. C. J. ORMSBEE.
Cant. Charles James Ormsbee, of the heroic 5th Vt., was the fourth and youngest son of John Mason and Mary (Wilson) Ormsbee ; born in Shoreham, Sept. 27, 1839, thus at the time of his death, in the 25th year of his age. At the age of 11 Charles removed with the family to Brandon, where he resided until his entrance into the army. He received a fair education at dis- trict schools and completed his schooling at the Brandon Seminary.
Capt. Orinsbee was of a patriotic family. His ancestors upon both the father's and mother's side were participators in the Rev- olution, and on the breaking out of the rebellion he, with two brothers,-Capt. E. J. Orinsbee, of the law firm of " Nicholson & Ormabee," Brandon, and John M., Jr., of a California Regiment, now on service in New Mexico-early caught the spirit and helped form the grand Northern uprising that followed the fall of Sumter. He enlisted into the 1st Vt. Regt., Apr. 20, 1861, for the three months' campaign, from which he was
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honorably discharged on the 16th day of August, following.
lle soon after re-enlisted into Co. H, 5th Reg., and Sept. 16th the Company was mus- tered into the service, for three years, he having been, on the organization of the Company chosen 2d Lieut.
He was constantly with the Regiment and early gained an enviable reputation for bravery and fitness for command, and in August of 1862 was promoted to the Captain- cy of Company D of the same regiment.
lle was present with the Regiment, and on duty, in every campaign which the army of the l'otomac had been through, to the time of his death, on the 5th of May 1864, in the " battle of the Wilderness," he being at the time in the extreme front, having command of the skirmish line of the Regiment, He was wounded during the first hour of the en- gageinent and finally received three wounds, one in the right side, one in the left arm and the 3d in the left shoulder or breast. He was buried near the battle field and his grave marked. His friends took early measures for the recovery of his body-his brother, Capt. E. J. Ormsbee, visiting " the front" for that purpose-but without success. Last Sab- bath funeral services in connection with his death were held at the Baptist Church in this (Brandon) village. Rev. C. A. Thomas, D. D., preached an able and exceedingly ap- propriate sermou from Psalms 101, 1. The attendance was very large and the occasion one of much solemn interest.
The high estimation in which Capt. Orms- bee was held as an officer, is witnessed by the elegant army sword presented him by his command a few months after his promotion.
The last time he visited his loved Green Mountain home, at his estimable father's pleasant residence, near Brandon village, was in January, when the re-enlisted Veterans of the 5th, of whom he was one, returned to spend their furlough. He was unmarried. In person he was of medium height, good form with bright hazel eyes and a fresh ruudy com- plexion and really a handsome officer. Phys- ically every way well fitted to endure the hardships of a soldier's hfe he possessed much of the " Old Put " and " Fighting Joe" viin and dash of the real military hero. It is fitting proud tears should embalm his memory .- From Vt. Record.
ITEMS OF THE WAR OF '61 .- Prospect E. Fales, of Brandon, a mere stripling of a boy, but possessed of the Green Mountain pluck, the color bearer of the battery, but then act- ing as cannoneer No. 3, armed with a prim- ing wire and tube pouch, succeeded in captur- ing a 6 foot rebel armed with saber bayonet. and brought him to l'ort Hudson, a distance of 14 miles, for which he was promoted to corporal.
In Sheridan Hospital, Winchester, Va.,
Nov. 13, 1864, of a wound received Oct. 19, at the battle of Cedar Creek, Rial Fayette Carr, son of Caleb and Almina Carr of this town, aged 19 years and 10 days ; a member of Co. H, 11th Vermont Regiment of Heavy Arti.lery. In a letter from the Ward Master of the Hospital, to his parents, informing them of his death, they are assured that it was well with their boy; that he was pre- pared, through the love of Christ, to leave this battle-field of life and lay his armor by for a rest in heaven.
DURING THE WAR .- " At Sea, on the 25th ult., on the passage from New York to New Orleans, of brain fever, after an illness of four or five days, Albert Cheney, a volunteer recruit for the 7th Vermont, son of J. W. Cheney, of Brandon, in the 22d year of his age."
FISK TRAGEDY .- Julius Granger Fisk, eldest son of Edward and Emily Fisk, was born in Brandon in 1828. He was brought up by one of the best mothers that ever lived, but she dying when the boy most needed a mother's care, the home influence was broken and Julius became a rover. He took the voyage around Cape Horn to Call- fornia at an early period of the gold excite- ment, and after a few years' stay returned home, his father dying during his absence. Since then he has been a roving adventurer in the West and South-West. During the rebellion he was major of a Kansas regiment of Cavalry and performed valiant and effect- ive service for his country. We regret to say he was shot on the 17th ult, 1871 by Jennie Droz, a German girl who had formerly work- ed in the house and charged him with seduc- tion. He, with his brother Edward, were keeping the Cliff House at Cleveland, Ohio. lle lived an hour or two, but could not speak .- From the Rutland Independent.
THE VERMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY met at Brandon, Jan. 27, 1864-the meeting one of the most interesting, to the public, ever held.
THE BRANDON MANUFACTURING CO.
BY E. F. DA.YA.
This company are the exclusive owners of the patents for the celebrated "Howe Scales," and are engaged in the manufacture of weighing machines of all kinds. The or g- inal inventors of this scale are Mr. F. M. Strong, now of Vergennes, and Mr. Thomas Ross, of Rutland. The first patent was
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issued to Messrs. Strong & Ross, Jan. 15, the State and in the commercial world as a 1856. The manufacturing of the scales was gentleman of large wealth and great busi- commenced by them in Brandon, in 1857. ness capacitv. In the early part of that year an arrange- During the period which elapsed between the times of the suspension of the " Howe Scale Company " and the sale of their prop- erty, the prosperity or decline of Brandon was a mooted question. The recognized superiority of the " Howe" scale, had become apparent, and many tempting offers were made, to secure the removal of the business to neighboring as well as distant places. At this crisis the action of Mr. Sprague in buying the property, caused a general feeling of relief to all who were interested in the future prosperity of Brandon. Mr. Sprague im- mediately took measures to transfer the prop- erty to a Corporation which had previously been chartered under the name of the " Bras- don Manufacturing Company " and, May 19, 1869, its organization was completed. ment was made between Messrs. Strong & Ross and the late John Howe, of Brandon, by which all the patents taken out by said Strong & Ross for improvements in weighing machines and platform scales, were assigned to the said John Howe, who was at that time engaged in the manufacture of pig iron and car-wheels. Mr. Howe immediately com- menced the manufacture of scales under this patent, retaining the services of both the original inventors, and advertising exten- sively throughout the country the scales, to which he gave the name of " Howe." The arrangement made between Mr. Howe and the original patentees was continued until March, 1864, when Mr. Howe, for a valuable consideration, bought the entire interest of Strong & Ross in the patents and manufac- ture of scales, there having been issued meanwhile five new patents for improve- ments upon the original design, and for various modifications of the scales.
In March, 1857, they manufactured for the Morris Canal Company, (Washington, N. J.) a scale of 200 tons capacity, with a platform 70 feet long, one end being 7 feet higher than the other, which proved high:y satisfactory to the purchasers.
In 1857-'8, the scales were exhibited at the Vermont State Fairs, and at the exhibition of the latter year, after the most severe tests which could be applied, the " Howe" scales were awarded the first premium over all others, and they have met with similar suc- cess at numerous other Fairs.
In 1864, the " Howe Scale Company" was organized, under a charter granted by the Legislature of Vermont, who continued the manufacture of the scales until 1869, when, in consequence of unfortunate management in the transaction of the business, the com- pany became hopelessly insolvent and went into bankruptcy, May 6, 1869. The entire property of the company, consisting of up- wards of 11 acres of land in the center of Brandon village, with all the valuable water- power, buildings, machinery, tools, patterns, patents and stock were offered for sale at auction, and purchased by Nathan T. Sprague, jr., a resident of Brandon from his carly youth, and extensively known throughout
Besides Mr. Sprague, who is the President, there are associated with him several gen- tlemen of wealth, as well as of business capacity and integrity, among whom are Ex. Gov. John B. Page, Mr. W. W. Rey- nolds (who has been Superintendent of the manufacturing department since 1864.) Mr. Brown of the well known Banking House of Brown Brothers & Co, Boston, and Gen. John Schultze of New York City. Work was com- menced again in the factory with 27 men, May 7, 1869, the day after the purchase of the property by Mr. Sprague, and measures were immediately taken to increase the production of the factory. The number of scales manu- factured has increased steadily until the pres- ent time, being limited only by the capacity of the works. Already there have been two large additions made to the buildings, doub- ling the floor room in many of the depart- ments, and still further additions and im- provements are contemplated. During the past year a new steam engine of SO horse power has been added to the motive power of the establishment thereby ensuring in a great measure against the loss and delay caused by freshets and droughts.
On the morning of July 4th, 18;2, the main building was damaged by fire to a con- siderable extent, but the damage was speed- ily repaired, and some changes made in the buildings in order to adapt them the better to new and improved machinery.
The Company manufacture every variety
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o. platform and counter scales from a post- ( ffice scale to those weighing 200 tons. In 1:70, the company purchased the stock, tools, patents and all the manufactured goods of the Sampson Scale Company, of New York, and by this purchase, combined with those valu- able improvements in scales already owned by them, they acquired all the valuable im- provements, which have been made in scales for the last twenty years. There are at pres- eut employed by the Company about 250 workmen, in the various shops and depart- ments, which number will be largely in- creased when the contemplated improvements and additions are completed.
In addition to scales, the Company manufac- ture weighmaster's beams, frames and ware- house trucks in great variety. Their beams or patent balances are notched by machinery, invented expressly for this purpose, by the superintendent of the Company, thereby in- suring greater accuracy and uniformity as well as adding greatly to the appearance of the work when completed. Since the Company has been under its present management, many new and desirable improvements, both in the working portions of, and designs for, the out- Fide frames and other exposed portions of the scales have been introduced, and the Com- pany can safely challenge the world to pro- duce goods in their line of better construc- tion, durability and finish.
BRANDON STATISTICS-1842.
" The surface of the township is generally level. The Green Mountains lie along the elst line and present some lofty summits. The principal streams are Otter Creek, which runs through the town from north to south, and Mill river which rises in Goshen, enters Brandon upon the east, at the foot of the Mountain receives the waters of Spring pond,-a small body of water-becomes a considerable stream with several falls which firuish excellent sites for mills and machin- ery, runs about 10 miles and falls into Otter Creek about a mile from the village. The toil of the town is various but generally a Light loam, easily tilled and productive. The eastern part, an extensive pine plain, is est lered poor land compared with the oth- '! parts of the town, yet capable of being r wartel into good farms. The western ! !: iv a mixture of clay and loam. The al- livial flata, or interval, along Otter Creek afe extensive and beautiful and not surpass-
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