Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-06-23
Che Neus Hleaner.
Notes and Comments.

DhNChUfI, HYDE " W lNEW toOhh'U
MILL.-Wbile noting, a few .,ionths ago, The
FIGURING Establishment of Burhankr Il Lang
don, in this place, we mentioned that another
and adjoining mill was in the process Of erection
by Messrs. Bancrofi, Hyde g. Co That Estab-
lishment has now sometime been flushed and IN
successful operation, turning out usually about
100 barrels of different grades of -four per day,
and all of it fully equal to that manufactured at
the beat of The Western mills. The machinery
Is of the most superior kind, throughout, doing
credit alike to the enicrprIslng owners who fur
nished The means, and architects, who either &C !
ted under ,he super, islou of that most noted OF
Vermont M llwtights, Mr.. Twlng Of Barre, or
were of the superior schnoI which he has eslab-
llshed IN this State. These two great FIGURING
Establishments are now adding very essentially
to the business of Montpelier.
MELANCHOLY INCIDENT OF THE EARLY SET
I'll Among the most melancholy OF all
the casualties that marked the first settlement OF
Montpelier and its VICINITY, was that wh'ch
awaited a faslve gathering, thanksgiving day
evening, about sixty years ago, and which 'r-
suited in he death Of Mr.. Theoph'lns Brooks
spectpd and promising of all the Young couples
'uthe settlement. A social DANCE had bern ap
polnted for that evening. Mt The huuse ct the late
NJ ,ior Jones. on the Berlin sid" OF Onion River,
Il n. Ill -, Af,.nl.Ar Vhurp
being at that period no bridges across The river,
the young company going from Montpelier
passed down their own side nf The river to q
canoe landing, nearly opposite 10 their des'loa
ton. for the purpose of terrylng over IN a log
canoe. Among this party were the two sisters
of the Rev James Hobart, the first settled MIN
lister of Berlin. who, with their lovers, Young
Books before named, and the late Capt. lsaac
Putnam, one of the most fIerculean men OF tue
early times. embarked together in the canoe.
Tue River was swollen by a recent rain aud the
curren, was strong and rapid, nd this, with the
prob bile failure of the young ladies' to preserve
The balance of their rolling vehicle in their alarm.
caused the canoe to upset, when the tour were
preclpitated into the deepest part OF the high
w,ntry stream. Twice Cap, Putnam succeeded,
bv his almost superbuman efforts, in righiing
thu canoe. aud placing the three others within
it, bu, they had lost all their self-possesslon, and
u third time overset themselves; when exhausted
and desparing of saving but one, he grUsped
his own girl, and soon succeeded in placing her
in safety on the shore. while the screams OF the
fated Brooks and his fair companion were lost
in he rushing murinnrs of the dark and angry
food, beneath which they now disappeared for
ever.
1t IS needless to say how f~earfully that eve
ming of anticipated joy anl f~estivity was turned
ITO one of sadness and mourning. not only 10
the assembling party, bat to the infant settle
ment at large, over which it cast a genera
gloom.
The SHADwooD TREE..-Almost everv ont
knows this beautiful tree, or bush. which, thu
first 10 blossom, marks our New England forests
wrh its Gowery robes Of peerless white, abou'
the time Of corn planting; bot few know The
orlgla u he sesmlngly incongrsous appelatioI
by which it is generally known, or It's botanlcs
name. 1t received its present appelIa,ion, thu
shad bush from the people OF Connecticut, living
III the vicinity OF Connecticut River, in couse
quence OF the fact that when this tree blvssomeC
the shad began 10 make their appearance in thu
river and he bIossoning was taken AS a sigma
by The fisherman for repairing thilhcr for sup
plies OF that coveted ifs !.
THIS fact. II seems pretty certain, led to the
name of the Tree, and the name was spread BY
those emlgrating fron that part OF the country
Ii is common IN NV Englind, the Canadas
and IN the Middle States, where It is generally
called the May cherry AMI June berry. 1t be-
longs to no general class of trees. but goes undel
the botanical name OF .4ronia Botryapium,
The HARDwICK SERPENT, AGAIN.-Havlng
beeh III Hardwick since We published, SOM
weeks ago, our article respecting the alleged
appearance Of a monsirlus serpent crossing thu
road IN the year 1881, and OF the recent finding
Of the skeleton OF that, or a similar one, in the
vicinity, we took pains, as We promised, to as
certain all that could be kGown Gpon the sub
ject from the only actual witnesses, leaving the
guessers. both pro and con, to 60 nnraportcd.
We found we were mistaken IN our statement
tuat 1t was q man whO saw the serpent crossing
,he road. 1t was u woman, Mrs. N yes, and
. her son, then SIX years old, both still residents d
that town, and Of undispu,e1 character Tor truth
and general accuracy of statement.
They concur in saying that being in the yard
of their house, their attention was suddenly
arrested by a rustlius mise IN the 'ence, lane
rs or 80 feet wide, running iro II the road to the
house, when looking up they saw a Inonstrou'
snake unroliing itself" across the lane. wrh It
head raised two or three feet high that whei
IT'S head had reached the fence % one side, anC
it was pausing and /" making passes at the diff
erent openings Between The rats on the o,he
side, lis tail had only cleared the fence III It
rear by two or three feet-that its colur was al
asny brown, but as the sun glanced on its bod,
lighter and strongly marked spots were very dis
tluctly seem"
The AMI nal rapidly passed on, and disappeared
in the adjoining field of heading rye. 'hrongI
which its waving wake was traced Tor some dls
lance. The alarm was then given, and abou
forty men, armed with guns. &c, soon assem-
bled for the pursuit. which was kept up through
the day, but the trail was lost in the brakes an'
woods, and nothing was found.
A reliable gentleman who had repaired to The
spot with the rest with his r,fa, says, "all the
appear noes seemed 10 confirm the woman
story-the trail through the rye was very heavy
aud strongly defined on The crushed rye ant