Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-23

.rom the rermnnt ohristInn Me.senger

Weston was formerly a part of Andover. and
Oct. l6 l76l. But when the lots were survey
ed, it was found that the centre of the town
would come nearly upon the top of range OF
mountains, SO for the sake of convenience it was
divided longitudinally; the EASTERN portion
retaining the name of Andover, the other half
being called Weston, My grandfather Dea.
Henry Hall, was one of its earliest settlers
lie was born at Mason, N. II. in 1857.
When eighteen years of age he enlisted as a
soldier in the Revolutionary war and served du-
ring one campaign, and in 1872 was married to
Abigail Reyes of Ashford, CT. James Keyes my
Igrandmother's brother, and Mr.. BaDcock ORR
glnally owned large portion of the present
townships of Andover and Weston. About the
year 1774, MIR. Reyes came with his family con-
ssting Of wife and one child, and settled in
the town for the purpose of selling out his land.
He remained seven years, and then returned to
Ct. After his return, he offered my grandfath-
er lot of one hundred acres in the new town
of Andover, if he would come and settle on it.
This he did partly to aid his brother-m-law
and partly to induce others to come here and
sattle. The offer was accepted, and in 1885 he
came up and looked out his land, built a log
cabin. chopped down the trees and cleared off a
piece. AT the end of six months he returned to
hIs flther-in-law S, where he had left his family
a vile and two children. 1t was in the month
of April, 1856 They came in carriage as far
as Keene, N. H., when they found the snow 50
deep that it became necessary to leave theiy
wagon and proceed on horseback. Grandmoth,
err was mounted upon the horse, while mother, Il
child then, Of hardly three summers, was placed
behind her, and lusty babe of year and
half old in her lap, and the few ne sdful articles
which they must have to keep house with for.
the next six months were brought along with
them, while grandfather came on foot, driving
his two COWS and yoke Of oxen Thedstance
from Keene to this place is forty miles: and
tumbled off the horse. They picked her up
now probably wide awake, placed her again
upon the horse, and passing u handkerchief
around her waist, tied her to grandmother, and
in this manner about noon Of the second day
they arrived safely at the place of their destin-
alton. There were then but two families in.
what is now the present town Of Wcston-they
constituting the third Late in the an they
returned to CT, to spend the winter. The fol.
lowing spring they came up again, and be.
lieve ever after spent their winters in Vermont
During Mr.. Reyes seven years stay, and while
they were the only residents in the town, an
incident occurred which may in some degree
show the Inconvenience under which they la
bored, and will Illustrate the energy OF the wo-
men in those days. At enc time in the middle
Of winter, it became necessary for Mr.. Reyes to
be gor from his home over night When his
vile arose in the morning, she found that the
fire had gone out 1t will BE- remembered that
this was long before the invention of Lucifer
matches, and if the finder and steel were not at
hand, the only rcmrdy was to go to the neigh
bors for fire. Now, it happened that there
were no neIghbors nearer than Chester, a dis
lance of seven miles. But nothing daupted, she
saddles her horse, takes something in which she
Can conveniently bring the fre,-leaves her
babe asleep in the eradle--rides to Chester and
hurries back in time to make her home comfort
able before her babe awakes from his morning
nap Think of this, ye modern ladies, who
consider it almost sin to get up of winter
morning till your better half has got the room
nicely warmed
A granddaughter of this energetic woman,
(the wife Of Asa B, Foster, Esp resides in this
town at the present time Another incident
TRANSFERRED few years later, in the same neigh
borhood, which exhibits poor human nature in
less favorable light. A very poor man by
the name Of Bryant lived neighbor to Esq. B.,
and being cut of provisions, he sent his daugh-
ter, girl of about fourteen years, to the Es9rs.
to buy peck of potatoes. They refused to sell
her any but as she passed through the field on
her way home, she stopped and filled her bas-
ket. She was discovered in the act of getting
them, and arrested for theft. At that time,
the penalty for petty larceny, was fine Of a
few shilings, or in default thereof to be pub
licly whipped. The fine she could not pay, for
they were extremely poor.
But what makes the conduct Of the magis
trate appear the more Odieus, was the fact that
a neighbor offered to pay the fine, il the ESQ,
would wait till he could ride homo. distance