Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-22
For the Rutland HERALD
The Rutland Centennial
A HUMOROUS LETTER.
INVITE THE LIVE NATIVE.

Editor Rut7a1d Herald: - The ap-
preaching centennial anniversary of the
settlement of Rutland promises, I learn,
TO be very interesting occasion. I know
something of the good cheer and High
land Welcomes" Of your beautiful town
nestled among the Green bills of dear old
Vermont. The virtue and intelligence of
your people are not surpassed anywhere,
Your festivals and anniversaries are
models of good taste. Speaking of the
taste, how it makes my mouth water to
think of some of our Thanksgiving times
in "auld lang syne"
Wheat bread, chicken pie and plumb
buildings, did.'t they go to the spot. Our
daily fare (pork and beans, brown bread,
bean porridee, etc. was delicious, though
it was big jump to go from chicken pie
to bean porridge, still we come down
good naturally, thankful for wheat bread
and chicken fxings one day in the year.
Still I was never so thankful as the woman
was who said she hadn't any thing for
Thanksgiving and she was thankful for
that. She lived on faith. | never could
but could live on faith and apple dump.
lings, for with Vermont maple molasses
they went out of sight Just as easy. Now
my good friend, I write you to see if you
can't get me place among the natives
Do it for acquaintance sake, for you re
member when you was a jour. printer
was a counter jumper. I will mention t.
you some of my claims for the high homo
of being invited as native and treated
as snch.-Pleaso see the committee for me
1t is true, [ was so young when l wa
born, though I was there myself I re
member very little about it, and I shall
not refer to it, and you need not tell tn
committee | was ever born at all. 70
my present purpose, the least said on tina
subject the better, but don't tell the com
mittee so.
You may tell them, however, some @
my first recollections and early history
but only such parts as you think proper
FIRST will mention as an induce
ment to secure your own services in m
behalf, that the first newspaper / eye
read was the Rutland HERALD, and
swear by it politically to this day. Tn
first Sunday school 7 ever attended was i
the north church, DR.. Walkers in 1872
1t was in Rutland learned to read, writ
and cypher, las far as the rule of three
and play truant when the skating wa
good. There, too, l learned to swim an
skate and study Astronomy on ice, seem
stars no charts ever denote, till | coul
ego it" without looking up s,tddenl}
There l went TO apple parings, spellin
schools, cuttings and huskings, and u
girl ever went home alone in those day
when was around, either - #1
1t was in Rutland I learned the art an
mystery of farming, including washin
and shesring sheep, ohurning and tendin
washing machine, breaking colts an
steers, making sugar, etc, but shovelin
manure in May on the south side of
barn with red wollen shirt on, and piel
ing up stone on side hill, and mendin
fence, when it rained so could not wor
ont doors didn't agree with N
and graduated, having, however, meal
time tended grist mill, day times and sa
mill nights, showed the jack plane, an
handled the paint brush now and the
and made myself generally useful cuttin
and splitting wood at the door, feedin
sheep and horses, milking and feedin
cows, etc, while thus engaged.
/ commenced the manufacturing an