The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-02-26

The following sketch of this " old settler,
was handed us by Cephas Fsssett, of this
t,wn. By whom prepared We do not know.
We wish, however, the writer would give Us
more of the same sort:
Comfort Olds, one of the first settlers
of Morristown, was born in Brcokfeld,
Mass, July 29th, l76O. He moved from
Brookfeld TO Morristown, Vt, March, 1871.
He came with an oxteam; he had wife
and two small children. The distance was
little short Of two hundred miles, and he
was about four weeks on the way. There
was no road through Morristown or Stowe
nothing but marked trees to 60 by-sO
that he had to 60 around upon the other side
of the mountain, through Underhill, Cam
bridge and Johnson, TO get to Morristown.
He had previously bought lot of land, the
place afterward called the Geo. Poor farm,
now owned by IL. bingham, S. Rand and
- Griswell, on the Laport road in said
town. AS there was no prospect of there
ever being road near him, he without doing
much on the place, exchanged it for the place
where he afterwards lived and died. His
nearest neighbor south was ten miles from
him. After few years, a man by the name
of Luce moved into Stowe, with his family
distance, three miles from him-which was
comparatively about near enough. By that
time he had got something Of road. His
nearest neighbor north, for a while was two
miles from him. He was the first town clerk
chosen in town, which was in March, 1896,
and he held the Office for six years. He was
regular member of the Methodist denom-
ination from 1900 as long as he lived, and q
class leader for more than thirty years. He
died April 22d, 1889. aged 79yrs.
One or two Incidents to show how the
first settlers got along with their hard
ships:
10 get their grinding done, they had to 60
to Cambridge to mill. Mr.. Olds had lost
one of his oxen soon after he came into town
He borrowed pair of one Mr.. Goodale to
so toI mill with expecting TO get back about
the middle of the week, but a severe snow
storm prevented. Thinking he had only
wood enough to last few days, he must re-
turn himself and leave the team. So on
Wednesday night, though late, he arrived at
his home. Mrs. Olds had sat up late, wait
ing for him, till she had burnt up all the
wood she had, and went to bed with her two
little children fearing the consequence Of the
storm. After she had been in bed awhile.
he cane 20 the dor and called to come in.
At first she was so startled that she did
not know his voice. She supposed somebody
! had come to tell her that Mr.. Olds had
perished in the storm. She let him in, and he
| cut wood enough to make fire to get warm
BY. Next morning he got wood enough to
last th rough the remainder of the week, and
started ba * for Cambridge to get his team
and on Satu. day he got home with his grist'
Soon after NJ. 0lds came into town, the
mex, spring 1 think, as he used to tell the
circumstance, he lost his onls cnw. He had
brother living in Ran dolph, and N order
TO get another COW, started for his broths.
by marked trees, through Stowe and Water
qury, to his first Ieighbor's ten miles dis
tant. From there he crossed what is called
the " Hogbaek," keeping on the north side
Of the river till he sot TO Montpelier, as
there was no bridges in Middlesex and Wa
,erbury. He went OF to his brothers in
Randolph, hoping he could find a COW that he
could buy. He bought heifer. His broth
er told him the heifer would not do to take
into the woods; SO he exchanged with him
letting him have an older COW with bell on
her. He told him to let the COW go with
that On, as he would want il in the woods
He drove the COW along for home; when he
got back to Waterbury TO lis last neighbor,
Mr. Hill, he made call. He got home and
put her in yard which be had made by fall
ing trees, for the purpose of keeping her n
nights. A few mornings after be went out
and could not find her. and without telling
his family he started after her. Finding her
track, he hurried on, hoping he should hear
the bell, but he could hear nothing, and at
last arrived at Mr. Hills. Mr.. Hill hearing
bell in the night, happened to think of Mr..
Olds and his COW, had got up and found her
in his yard. Mr.. Olds stayed and got some
breakfast, and got home with his COW the
same day.-Newsdealer