The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-11-30


hire a minister to preach the ensuing
year. and that tax be assessed on the
Grand List of two Ger IS on the dollar,
payable in one year, - defray the ex-
pensc. Onc-third OF be preaching to
be at the Bay, and tvo-thirds in the
centre. Bates Turn T., Amos Morril
and Asa Fuller were the Committee.
On the 9th of May, 1902, it was voted
that a tax of one cent on the dollar be
assessed to pay the expense Of preach.
ing the ensuing year, and that thirty
five dollars, out of said sum, be deduc-
ted to pay the Rev. MIR Dickinson for
his services the past year On the 9th
of May, 1903, the town voted to in
yite the Rev. Joel Foster to become
the settled minister Of the Town, and
to ay him a salary Of $500 year
The call was accompanied with CON
dition that Mr. Fost = should execute
a bond to the town. conditioned that
he execute "a good and authentic deed
to the town of the right Of land grant
ed to the first settled minister Nh
Foster seems to have accepted the in
yitation on certain conditions. But
for some reason, which does not dis
tinctly appear, Mr.. Foster was not the
first settled minister Of the town.
The first settlers Of all new terri
tories are generally OF an heterogene
Gus character, coming from different
and distant parts of the country, with
different habits, and discordant views
respecting morals and religion, it can
not be expected they will act in per-
feet harmony in all their proceedings.
The first inhabitants of ST. Adams
were not unlike the first settlers in
other parts of the State. They were
mostly men of small means, as is evil
dent from the small amount Of. rata
BILE estate which they possessed. They
were generally laboring men who were
in pursuit of good land, in an eligible
situation, which they could obtain at
low price, and improve into farm,
on which they expected to spend their
lives. The first emigrants into all new
townships are necessarily farmers; for
mechanics and professional men find
but little employment in new coun-
try. until farmers have explored the
way, and fixed their habitations. -
These are necessarily the pioneers in
all new settlements But farmers
soon require the assistance Of mechan-
les. and il was net leHg before such as.
sistance was at hand in the town of
St Adams Men belonging to the
learned professions, Physicians, Law
yers, and Clergymen are soon in re
quest. And in this respect St Adams
was not unlike other townships; pro-
fessional men came into the town as
soon as they were wanted.
The people of St Adams have been
often accused Of great laxity in morals
and religion in the early part Of their
history, and, indeed, up to the com
mencement of, and during the war OF
1912 But it is not probable that the
people of this town were any more Ii
able to such an imputation than those
of other towns in this part of the
State. Many anecdotes and stories
are related of particular individuals, ~
of their ccentricities and immorali-
ties of the early times, which, perhaps,
would not be thought proper or adyis-
able to insert in this sketch. 1t may
be thought that the gravity of history
should not be disturbed with a rela-
ton of the foibles follies and obliqui-
ties of men who have passed off the
stage, and have left descendants and
relatives behind them, who feel an in
terest in their good name and repnta-
ton. The historian, however, has a
duty to perform, 10 tell the truth, The
lohOie truth, and nothing bm The truth
so far as the truth has relation to i'm
portant events, or is illustrative of the
general character ol'the people, whose
habits and manners he attempts tc
describe. History would be very i'm
perfect if it suppressed such facts, and
would often be unintoresting and yapid
without them. The historian is obi,
ged to confess that during the first
twenty years Of the history Of this
town, the majority Of the people die
not exhibit II very rigid regard to tho
moral and Divine law which the gooC
of society requires. At the same time
it must be admitted that there wer,
many men among them who were I'M
contaminated by the vices and irreg
ularities with which they were sur
. i..o,,nlo1 all 1.