The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-02-14
For the Register.
Lettors from the West.-No. %. |

For the Register.
Letters from the West.-No. 30.
Anccdotc of the war of 1S12--Arrival in CO.
lumbus-Mceting with Vcrmonters-Char-
table Institutions-New State House.
Columns, O., Jan. so, 1865.
We left Cleveland at 9 o'clock p. NJ.
and arrived in this city at s in the ovo-
ming. We took lodgings at the Amer.
ican'-a new FIRST class hotel, and arose
the next morning, to greet as pleasant a
day, as ever dawned upon that city in the
month of January. The sun shone down
beautifully upon the city-the church
spires glistened in the boams-thc air
was soft and balmy, and everything wore
the appearance ola day in spring In
stead Of cncasing ourselves in overcoat,
muller and mittens, and rubbing our
cars to keep them from freezing as stiff
as marble, we walked forth to view the
city, uuincunbcred by these protectives
against Jack Frost and his tormcntiug
jsssssav--7Ff. ....a --.,..si.. ~ 4.
On our way to this city, wo met an
acquaintance, who had spent much of his
carly life in the Forest City At the
close Of the war of 1912, the citizens Of
Cleveland resolved to celebrate as he
termed it. Accordingly they prepared.
by procuring cannon and powder and
barrel of whiskoy, to do honor to so glo
/ rous an occasion Most Of tho farmers.
for miles around, went to unitc in the
celebration. Among the number. was
/ Uncle Jake who had rendered himself
quite unpopular by selling his hay in the
city, at cxorbi;aut prices, during the war.
His fine meadows yielded bountifully.
aud had afforded fine revenue. The
war was now closed. and Uncle Jake
must make the most out of the occasion
lie felt patriotic, aud to kill two birds
with a stone, resolved to take his oxen
and cart and haul load Of hay to town.
This be put into execution, but alas, he
never sold it, While Urclc jake went
to celebrate, leaving his team chained to
the fence, some wag, in order to punish
him for his previous oxtortions, un-
loosed the oxen, drove them on to the
Common and set fire to TIE load. 1t
was OF course soon converted into ashes
But this was not the only blunder on
this memorable occasion. Uncle Ned
tit appears that unclcs were numerous in
those days) who was n son of Vulcan,
and bad driven lis trade Lrskiy during
the war. forging horse shoes, hoes, and
pick axes, thus adding smartly to his
pile, became a victim to his incautious
zeal lie oficiatod by carrying q tin
pail full Of powder on his arm from which
he dealt out charges for tho cannon
Now Uncle Ned had a stalwart frame.
brawny arm, and courageous heart.
chock full Of burning patriotism, and
glorious zeal. For the fifteenth time
the ordnance was loaded and ready to
be fred. lie had stepped back aud !
taken his position, as one calnc swinging
fire brand past him, with which to
touch of the cannon. \ spark fell from
the fire brand into Uncle Nod's mag
aziuc, Or Tin pail, and lie was suddenly
thrown sky high-no mistake. Like a
true magnet the festivities of the occa-
sion attracted him to the earth again,
aud he was immediately seen on all fours,
crying out" I'm killed, I'm killed, Tn
killed" On examination, it was found
that tie only material loss he had sus.
tanned, was ono eighth Of his courage,
and his leather apron, no part Of which
was ever seen afterwards
The reply Of the traveller. to the high
wayman, who accostcd him with" give I.
me your purse or Tll blow your brains
out"-saying, with perfect GOODNESS,
blow away, for | could do full as well
in London withoat brains as without
monoy lis sugges tive at least of prac-
teal philosoph-. Accordingly, we
halted ON our way and "mado collcc-
tious" ere we took up our abode in this
city,
Columbus is city Of abou, %, 900 in.
habtants aud rapidly increasing. Being
surrounded by large extent of some of
the best farming lands in the'Stato, it of
coufse commands large trade. Among
its most euterprising merchants, may be
reckoned the firm of Mcssrs. Richards
& Slalc, formerly of Cornwall. Vt They
are engaged in the Wholesale and retail
dry goods trade, Their store is unsur-
passed for architectural beauty aud Gle,
ganee, BY any in the city. 1t is three
stories in height and filled judicously
throughout. They are doing large aud
lucrative business. Mr. Chauneey Gil
lett, from Bridpori, Vt, is the proprietor
aud conductor Of an establishment for the
sale of Musical Books, Piano fories, and
other instruments of music. lie too is
doing extremely well.
The several Charitable Institutions Of
The State such as the Lunatic Asylum,
lhe Asylum for the deaf aud dumb, the