The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-14
The Horse Fever at TicondcrOga.
PLEASANT VALE FARM,
D..a........ ". NJ r. 1910

SnoREnAM, W., Nov z, 1875
Elitor Rutland G1o5e Having heard
many strange stories for the last year or
two about the prosperity of our neighbors
over the lake, and our Richvlle Mills not
being in running order | combined my
desire to visit Ticondcroga with my neces-
sity for having some material ground for
the staff of life, and thus killing two birds
with one stone, loadedup my wagon with
grain and crossed the lake. had not been
over before for: several years. My father
used to do all his milling at pohn Arthur's
mill there fifty years ago, generally driv-
ing over in the winter as 1t saved ferriage.
Old III really had changed so much | hard
ly knew it. | actually found all the facto-
ries, FORCES. etc, which we had heard
years ago aoeye 10 be. Having two or three
hours to wait of course went the rounds.
II was election day there, Nov. 4th. saw
great numbers of people, but few whom l
knew. | met a Mr. Pinchin-John, l
think named after his father, who did my
fathers horeshoeing, and my Uncle Lots
at Orwell when | was boy, and in fact
before was born. l enquired how many
spindlcs the cotton factory had. He said
four hundred, but that William II. says if
she lives she will show two-twenty before
she is six years old. | wanted to see the
wooden factory, had heard they made
Harris Cassimeres and exchanged cloth for
wool 1t was closed | asked Mr.. p. the
reason. Oh said he, Cook and he couldn't
agree, and Cook shut down and took her
Here doctor, said Mr.. Pinchin, is Mr. San
ford of Shorcham. just then Mr.. Ham
nell rode up and said Mr.. Plat had pitched
out Of his wagon coming out of Fairs ferry
boat, breaking his arm. All right, said the
doctor, | told Stewart TO give her good
rubbing down, III be there. Things looked
mixed. Says.Pincham, doctor, Mr.. San
ford is cnquiring what time-two-twenty
without Il skip, replied the doctor. No
say p, lie wants to know what time
Quincy will start. No mans horse can
beat her on u start, says the doctor, and
his eyes glistened. Pinchn really grew
rational. Says he, doctor, Mr.. Sanford
wants to enquire, too, about the fall of
water at the cotton factory, and the amount
of power. Yes she has, says the doctor, a
steam engine has no comparison, she strides
2l4 feet if She docs one foot. | saw plain
ly he was insane, and thought I'd better
leave. saw III had changed. The doc
tor raved 90 back to Vermont Sanford
and tell them they cannot have her.
know what you are here for-Stowell of
Cornwall sent you. Tell Stowell that all
the Merino bucks and Cornwall finished
soft-shelled sheep in Vermont won't buy
her. | fed towards my team. Pinchin
cried out TO thick set man, with his
hands in his oyercoat pockets. Will, there
goes Sanford of Shoreham, | cast one
glance at him, ii was enough. | knew him.
saw him at ri Fort once, and hcdyd him.
His name is Baldwin He looked pale and
wild and excited. He waved his hand and
smiled. but OH such smile. l saw too he
was crazy. | continued to flee, and faster
but he screamed after me. His two last
words were, t,ro.Dteen! | saw but one
rational man in that land of lunatics. He
vas man past sixty, with locks already
whitening for the harvest. lie wore spec
taclcs. asked boy his name, as ran.
He answered, Mr.. Wheel. | heard no
more. have been through the whole cata-
loguc of fevcrs, from the Black Hawk and
typhoid down, but never, never, have I
seen the pecuiiar disease take on such an ar
grayated form as that now existing al
Ticonderoga, amounting actually to q
sweeping contagion. SANFORD.