Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-01-11
State Items.


Newfane recently lost its most nota-
BILE parsonage in the death of David
Brown. He suffered Disappointment
in love when young, which nearly I'M
settled his reason, and he developed
an extraordinary passion for books,
particularly books of travel. When
forty-four years old he married and
lived happily for four or five years,
when his wife died, leaving an infant
daughter. After this he turned her
NIT, and for the last fifteen years had
lived in house alone, buying and
reading books and writing poetry.
In his earlier days he wrote and pub
lished five hundred copies of q small
book called "Florence Man9rove,"
and it is said, though it seems hardly
credible, that at the time Of his death
he had the largest collection of books
and papers in Vermont.
An influential county convention
was held at Burlington recently, to
take measures to resist the payment of
, the oppressive State tax laid by the
Legislature. The feeling was unani-
nous to test the question in the courts.
A girl named Houghton, II years
old, who has received no instruction
in dancing, has been mysti(ying Lon
donderry. She goes into kind of
trance, during which she trips it for
hours with no apparent effort of the
will, and with no sense Of WEAKNESS,
the movement and time being describ-
ed as graceful and perfect.
Wright's Mountain, near Bradford,
received its name from the fact that
religious fanatic by that name once
assembled that cminence to fast forty
days, in imitation Of Christ. He got
belt with forty holes, by which to
tighten himself up each day one hole.
He tried it two days, and came down
to his house to get some luncheon.
A black bear undertook to cross
glastonbury railroad track, in YER
mont, just aheal of the down ruin the
other evening. George Thompson,
engineer, opened his throttle OH him,
and didn't stop to take an account of
the damage done to the ugly wander
er. George says if he hit him he
made the fur fly; but the storm of
snow and wind that night covered all
tracks. He didn't even stop to give
the animal the salutation one of our
lady citizens did who saw bear sit
ting in the road just ahead Of her,
on the old turnpike, few years since.
She shook her apron at him and told
him to "shoo, you devil" and he
shoo'd!
A serious accident occurred at the
Memphremagog House, Newport, last
Sunday evening. An escape of gas
was noticed and while the proprietor
and his engineer were looking for its
cause the gas ignited frome the match
which they carried and both were
badly burned. The engineer was in
jured internally, it is thought; and
Mr.. Bowman was so badly disfigured
that his features were hardly recog-
nizabfe.
Col. George A. Merrill of Rut-
land, who has had % years expert
ence as railroad superintendent,
says that, during the entire period,
there has never been such or 50 much
interruption to travel from the cold
and snow as during the last few days.
The ice is now safe for travel from
st. Adams to Plattsburg via the
islands.
A West Rutland liquor dealer exper-
fenced the disadvantages of q good
customer, the other day, when a man
testified before justice that he had
made thirty successful applications
for rum at his saloon and the justice
tackled on line for each time.
Edward Shiette, noted burglar,
who broke Jail at Burlington, tort
f night since, was recaptured after an
, exciting chase at Colchester Point
Saturday evening. He crossed Lake
Champlain twice yesterday with great
f risk to his life, holly pursued by two
f farmers of South Hero, named Martin
, and Gowan.
The Missisquoi Valley house at
Sheldon was destroyed by fire Oh the
oath inst. Loss $4,000; insurance
$4,000. The house was owned by
G. Ii. Wheeler of st Adams.
Montpelier has called town meet
ing to vote on the question of selling
!, its stock Of the Montpelier and Wells
:, River Railroad.
t Hiram B. Sowles, who was presi
dent of the St. Albans Bank for sew
eral years, and well-known and high
f ly esteemed in that section Of W :.
{ mont, died on wednesday at Plat
! burg, N. Y, where he went on bust
j. ness few days previous.
i DR.. w. H. Rockwell, jr., Superin
C tcndent of the Insane Asylum at Brat
tleboro has resigned.