Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-12-25
Gbc Mus Glcaurr.
Notes and Comments.


Thermometers at Montpelier ou he morning of
the l7tb etoUd at Is anu 20 below zero, and
but degree or two above zeo during the day
The snJw is about two aud a half feet deep ::
and this depth, 1t would seem, from the various
accounts that have cached US, very nearly holds
good III ough the interior Of northern New Eng
land, Canada, and New York. Thi., probably,
Is he most cold and snowy December we have
had for Tie last fifteen years.
"LAeKn yET."-We have received commu-
nicatlon with this caption, from Mr.. r. 5. Bates
Of Brook6eld, stating that, "Mr. Loomis of
that town has a half blood Shanghai hen that
LAID, Nov. %, an egg measuring ga inches in
the largest and l.2 in The shortest circumter-
ence, and weighing four ounces" and winding
up with, Try again, madam Cochin China"
-Four eggs TO the pound three pounds 10 the
dozen! meal for six men We fear the North
field " madam" will be discouraged but there is
no telling what competition will do.
New BUILpINGs IN MoNTpELIER.-B Besides
the large and commodous depot now nearly
completed, there have been erected in Montpe.
her village, the past season, quite a number of
fine dwellng-honses. Among these, is the neat
and substantial two story house of Jacob Scott,
OIL Hubbard street, the two story house Of Eras-
tus Camp, on Elm street, and the large addition
Of F F. Merrill, on Main street. In the way Of
ornamental cottage building, we have the very
fine and tasty Gothic cottage Of George w.
Scott, wholly designed by himself and lldy. and
the larger and more costly one Of Carlos Ban.
croft. The latter is beautiful combination Of
Gothic and Oriental architecture, and taken in.
SIDE and out, one of the most commodlous, best
arranged and handso he dwellings in the State,
being an ornament to the place and doing credit
10 the architect, B. +, Walker, by whom It wa,
designed and erected.
STEVENS BRANCH.-The large tributary Of
Onion rIger which flows from the western slopes
Of the highlands of Grunge county, and empties
into that stream Two miles above Montpelier viii
age, is called Stevens Branch. Soulr, but not
all the circumstances connected with the mel
ancholy late Of the man fiom whom the name
of the stream was derived, are to be found in
| hmnpsoiI's invaluabl under the head
of Berlin. Well does the writer of this article
remember listening with feelings of mysterious
dread, when small boy, to the remarks he Of
ten heard about The dead mAn" that lay buried
somewhere on his fathers farm, near the mouth
Of this qnet stream. Aud SIN more wildly
does he recall the scene, when subsequently, his
father, in breaking up balk on the bank Iurn-
ed ont, with his pu"-s share, some strange luok-
ing bones, which he said, as he reveremlJ drove
hi, team aside, il" must be those Of poor Stevens,
the hunter who died, it was said, near the spot.''
About md way of the bones we found large
jack knife, nearly eat up win the rust, indca-
ung TINT he unn was buried in his clothes, and
tlat his knife was in his ,cket pocket. This
was that was then discovered going to show
any pccuIiHrty attending hls delth or burial;
but subsequent inquiries amOnJ The old first set
tiers put US III possession Of the romlnuc plrllc-
ulars of his fate which was once the theme IF
Tany sud, FIRE side comment IN the then from.
tier settlement on Connecticut river, which he
had 50 strangely left tor some unknown retreat
in the Wilderness Stevens was resident oi
NeNbury. VI, carpenter by trade, fine So
cal young man, and much es:ccned by all who
knew him. can remember, as Of yesterday"
said one of the most minute Of our iniormants,
sprightly old lady Of reary ninety, gong
into his shop with other little girls, all then v-
inc in his neighborhood in Newhury, when he
would payfuly decorate our heads with fest0ons
of the long, ribbon like shavings that came from
his plane. He was good and lively young
nan--the incest of the settlement; bnt there
was tickle one, who became blind 10 his worth,
and though solennly engaged to him, she dis
carded hin for another, which he took so much
to heart that hc quilted all society and soon
retreated into the depths Of the wild forrest never
to return"
Some months after his disappearance Stevens
was found dead by two hunters on the banks of
the stream and buried near by on the spot where
his bones were found IN the manner we have
mentioned His body lay resting on All old log
on the bank, bcnalh Which was deep cove
favorable for fishing. A fish pole, equipped with
hook and line, lay by his side. In his rude SHAH
ty, rod distant, were found his gun and steel
trap. On pointed knot, on a spruce tree close
by, we're strung few iurs, while over some
charred wood, or brands, before The door of the
snanty hung a small kettle partly filled with wa
ter and medicinal herbs. And these were all
the facts ever discovered to shrw the manner of
the life and the death of the poor selfbanished
Stevens, who dropped, sckened and died, Of a
broken heart it was said, alone in the dark and
dreary wilderness.
In France, lately, while train was pas.
sing on The St.FIoreatn and Tonnerre Rail-
road a wolf suddenly sprang upon the ten
der and attacked the fireman, who had the
presence Of mind, however, to repeI his ag-
crcssor with shovel. The wolf fell upon the
rails. and was crushed in an instant.
The Hon. Joel r. Ponsett, Of South
Carolina, died at his residence, in States
bury, on Friday last, aged % years.
A few gentlemen Of Birmingham, Eng
land have rcmlted TO Kossuth present of
obout flOO1 Tor $5,OeO) since his depar-
ture for the United States.
gentleman Of Newburgh, on overhaul
, ing, some old family papers the other day,
came across the origina! order book of Bur
goyne used by him III his march from Cal-
ada 10 Saratoga.
nrrcrNnANrs ~ Pnrs1nrM1, EnM AIMS