Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-07-09
For the Herald
The Historical society, Windsor,
Weed stock. &c.


Historical Society a, Windsor, was the
occasion Of much good social feeling and
an increase of historic knowledge, The
meeting ON the ID INST. was in commeomra-
ton of the first Constitutional Convention
OF this State, held at Windsor on the %
july, M. The building in which the
Convention met So years ago is still stand
ing with additions thereto, 1T was then a
tavern, il Is now occupied as a shoemakers
shop, &c.
The REV, Pliny Ii, White of Coventry,
read paper upon that Convention, giving
us the names and residence of twenty-iour
of It's members, a copy of the Proclama-
lion for State Fast, held June 18th, l777,
a brief history of the assemblage, and its
doings, and exhibited printed copy of
the sermon preached before the Conyen-
tion, on its convenlng, by the Rev. Aaron
Hutchinson of Pomfret.
The Hon. Jacob Collamer of Woodstock
called attention to the Importance of hav-
ing the history of Gen. Ira Allen thor
oughly investigated and suitably written,
treating briefly of his adroitness and sue
cess IN the negotiations with Canada, his
management of the finances Of our infant
State, and of his reported connection with
the attempt TO revolutonize Canada in
1894, &c.
The Rev. l.. r. Hull of Bennington,
furnished an essay on the causes of the
fertility of the land in Vermont, portraying
the peculiar nature of our rocks and their
effects upon the sofia paper which should
be published and read by every one.
The Rev. F. A. Shelton of Montpelier,
read an elegant contribution to our nation
al literature upon the subject of Hendrick
Hudson's voyage in 1909 up the Hudson
River,-the article being part of large
work designed to be published.
The Rev. DIR. Jonathan Clement of
Woodstock, pronounced an elaborate dis
course upon the character and influences
of the Mayfower Pilgrims, gathering il
Illustrations and argumentsf rom the history
and philosophy of the past aid present,
infusing into the whole solemn religious
tone.
The Hon. Hampden Cults of Brattle-
borough, read a paper upon 1t. Gov.
Paul Spooner, of much interest and con-
tanning some amusing anecdotes.
The biographical sketches of the Hon.
Joseph Bowker and DR.. Jacob Ruback of
Rutland, and of Philip Skew of White
hall, possess interest for the town and
county of Rutland,
WINDSOR
Is one of the oldest towns in the State,
having been settled as early as l764. The
location of the village so near the Connec-
ticut River, with its broad meadows on
the north, its venerable trees everarching
and sometimes darkening the streets, its
billy surroundings with one respectable
, mountain to wit Ascutney, the quiet
ude of its Streets the fort like appear
, ance of its wall-encircled State Prison, the
, busy clatter of the Rife Factory, the dull
dusty, snubbed look of the United States
Court House with the Babel like dssonance
t of echoes in its Court Room, the few tasty
, gardens and dwellings, the picturesque
, views, especially from in front of the Epls
copal Parsonage, Its grave yard with slabs
almost ninety years old, the cordial courte
r sizes of portion of IFS citizens, the vlclnl
tv and cheer Of the Levee at the Windsor
. House-all tend to leave in the memory o
its recent visitors cloud of pleasing fan
e ces modified by regret that the interesting
5 early history of the town is so greatly IN
d known to its present denlzens.
" The State Prison contains seventy
/ nine convicts, about two-thirds of whor
: are French and irish, and of this humble
IF six are females. The male convicts ar
IS occupied chiefly in the manufacture
If scythes. Thirty dozen are made dali,
the concern being run by Goodnow
10 Lamson, SO Bleekman Street, New Yorl
/ The company furnishes all the machiner
# and some workmen and pays the State thi
;r ty-fve cents per day for each man. III
State has about dozen men as polio
supplied with loaded muskets. The i,
70 come the last ten years has about paid tt
ar expenses to wit, about $1,000. II
= Episcopal rector, the Rev. Malcolm Doug
n las, breaches to the convicts at one o'cloC
m p. NJ. every Sabbath, many of them takir
= part in the exercises. The solitary Gel
90 tier above tier with their iron bedstead
70 some of them decorated with crosses ar
is pictures, the convicts with their endle
IL industry, their dress one side grey and tt
n. other almost black, the huge style of COO
a. ing, the high walls with the bastion-hl
in houses thereon, the neatness and goo
=. order prevailing over the whole, and Il
~ kindness and skill of the superintendent