Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-02

heard. One of the earliest, IT not the very
first, settlers was man named Cutler. He
was one day engaged in making a
clearing, and in telling timber he, in
some way, was caught by falling limb,
and he halloed Justify for help. without
thinking that there was no one nearer
than Clarendon to help him. While in
this fix he made the VOW that if he got
out he never would get caught SO sgain.
He finally extricated himself, and i'm
mediately packed up his pewter platters
and other goods and buried them in the
ground, and to mark the spot, he placed
a pile of logs over the spot. At the close
of the war he returned to Brandon, and
went to find his goods, but in the mean
while the Indians had been there and the
logs were burned and he was never again
able to find the spot. Another OF the
early settlers went to Clarendon to obtain
supplies, there being none to be found any
nearer, but during his absence, his family
found themselves with nothing to eat, and
his wife went out, shot squirrel, which
she said was the most delicious meal that
she ever tasted Of
In those days there were no telegraphs,
railroads, mails or newspapers, all news
and information was conveyed by tradi-
ton and by word of mouth. Seventy-fve
or eighty years ago, Smith, Simons and
Conant traded here. They sold their
goods to the settlers and farmers, and
took ashes, wheat, etc., for goods, these
they sent to Troy, by teams, and there
sold them. The teamsters would 60 to
Troy in one day and return the next,
using only one day between Brandon
and Troy. 1t cannot bo done at this
time.
In the early days of the history of
Brandon, each house was, in some meas
ure manufacturing establishment.
Wool was made into yarn and cloth.
Shoes, hats, ETC., were also made by the
settlers for themselves and their neigh
bors. Each person made something, and
what one could not manufacture another
could, and so all were supplied. The first
wool carding machine in Brandon was
owned by Penuel Childs, and wool was
brought to him, not only by the residents
of the town, but from the adjoining towns
bat after it was carded, eachEfamily made
their own cloth. Hoes, also, at an early
day, were manufactured here, and there
was also a trip hammer in town.
In 1911, Mervin and Wood erected q
forge in the Eastern part of Brandon, but
in short time thereafter there came q
heavy freshet and the building was swept
away and went about mile down the
stream, the people rallied to the assistance
of the proprietors, and it was replaced; il
remained in operation, however, only fol
brief period.
/ John Conant was the most " go ahead
man" there ever was in Brandon, ht
started furnace and did an extensive
business. He furnished quite circulat
ing Medium for the people. This wa
the first start of Brandon village. HI
employed thirty or forty moulders in th
furnace. He obtained the coal for tn
furnace from the farmers. From all part
of the town they in order to get the mean
for clearing their land would contrac
with him to take their coal, but il did no
prove profitable to the farmers
Everything was done, of course, in s
primitive style. Roofs were made by
splitting Eastwood logs and were then
fastened on with withes. Cbimneys were
built of sticks, and the fires were in fire
places with large back log as the found.
alton, and arranged to last for, at least
twenty-four hours. All the zails thai
were used were of home manufacture
being made by blacksmiths.
| A Mr.. Cluff, and also a Mr.. Keeler
made hats here at an early day, and there
were probably more different article:
manufactured here 40 or so years ago than
now.
The first postmaster in Brandon, as he
had understood, was Walter Sessions, who
lived and had the post office on the spot
where Col. A. s. Cook now lives.
The amusements that the early settlers
INDUCED in were of more manly charac.
ter than those of the present day. In
this matter we have sadly degenerated.
He alluded to the apple parings, corn
huskings, etc. Wrestling was also fa-
vorite pastime. 1t is related that when
the forge was raised, it was superintended
by one Call. There were two Calls; this
one was Joe Call. There was to be a
wrestling match. Connected with the
forge was a large hammer, part of the
trip hammer, and two of the men who
were to take part in the match tried to
lift it, but succeeded in just moving it,
when Joe Call, who was also to take a
part in the match, took hold of it and,
with comparative ease, raised it some two
feet. This put an end to the wrestling
for that day; no one could be found to
wrestle with him. How much better
and more manly were these sports than
the amusenents of to-day, croquet,
euchre, ETC..
Horace Ellis next took part in the dis
cussion. He said that some of the first
settlers came from Connecticut. One of
them came on horseback with his chill
dren, the youngest in the mothers lap and
the other strapped on behind. They
stopped at Bennington and procured an
iron boiler, which was also strapped on
behind and in this way they come to
Brandon-how many people, he asked,
would now travel in this way. During
the revolutionary war, a man, who had
lived in Clarendon, was driving some
cattle to Brandon, and when on the road
where is now the stone house on the
Richardson place, the cattle became
frightened, and it subsequently appeared