Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-09-19
Thomas Rowley.

"eo'J, uHnhV"h w bhc VAST maJoiit1
the people of Vermont, yet his name an
lame ought to be undying. We hav
preserved and honored the names an,
services of the Aliens, the Chittendens
| Warner, the Robinson's, the Bradleys
and a host of others, but we are suffering
that of" Tom Rowley" to pass into OBJ
livion. The co-worker and equal of Chit
tenden, the Aliens aud Warner, he die
as much for the independence of Yer
mont, and securing for us our free insti
tutions and the countless blessings thai
we enjoy, as any or all of those named
Coming into this State in 1768, he be-
came the first town clerk Of Dandy, was
chairman of their Committee of Safe.
ty, aud the first representative from1hat
town to the general assembly. Like Ira
Allen, he was ready with the pen, and
during his many terms of service in the
legislature, if subject was referred to
committee, "with instructions to re-
port by bill" he was, almost invariably
named as its chairman, and the bills /"
drafted and reported by him would al
ways hold water" While resident
of Dandy, an incident occurred which is
related by Daniel Chipman-who was
an eye witness to the scene--in his life
of Seth Warner. During the New York
controversy, an adhereut of New York,
resident of Dandy, by the name of Hart,
went to Albany and obtained warrant
for the arrest of Roger Williams, one
of his neighbors. Returning with dep
uty sheriff and his assistants, they sue
ceeded in taking Williams from his bed
in the dead OF night, and started on their
return to Albany. A rescuing party of
Green Mountain Boys was soon gathered
from the settlers of Dandy and Tin
mouth, and the Workers" as they were
then termed, were intercepted and, with
Hart and Williams, brought back to
Dandy. The Committee of Safety Y
had assembled, and, says Chipman, "as
soon as the shouts which burst forth on
the arrival of the prisoners had subsided
and the echoes from the mountains had
died away, the judges took their seats on
the bench in the bar room, the prisoner
was arraigned and without loss of time
convicted" Rowley, who was chairman
of the committee, and, therefore, presid-
ing judge, Immediately passed sentence,
which was that Hart receive thirty
nine stripes, with the beech seal on the
naked back" The sentence was execut-
ed, as Chapman relates, with the most
cruel severity" Yet our fathers had
only this method left for self protection,
and we'll was it for them, as for us, that
we had men firm enough to impose, as
well as to execute the sentence.
From Dandy he came to Rutland, and
was the first judge of the special court
for the county of Rutland. 1t was on
account of his connection with this place
ind his song and ballad, "The Rutland
song, that we came to speak of him.
tie describes it as " An invitation to the
poor tenants that live under the Pater-
'ons in the province of New York, to |
'ome and settle on our good lands, under
he New Hampshire Grants Composed
It the time when the Land Jobbers of |
New York served their writs of eject
nent on a number of our settlers, the
execution of which we opposed by force.
Until we could have the matter fairly
aid before the King and Board of Trade
md Plantations, for their direction"
ioodhue speaking of this and other pa
riotic effusions of Rowley, says that if
ethan Allen reused up every Green
Mountain Boy in his log cabin, and
'alled him forth armed to the teeth, in
letence OF his hearth and home, by the
Tehemence OF his appeals in his homely |
rose, Rowley set the mountains ON fire
" the inspiration of his muse" 1t is
aid, and, probably, with truth, that
Sowley's poetry, which was read and
ung in every nook and corner of the
tate, had more effect in bringing about
he triumph of Vermont than the COM
lined efforts of Allen and Chittenden.
we place any faith in the old saying
bout the making Of laws and songs, we
an easily see that this might have been
0. He is described as being more than
wit and poet that he was man of
ound judgment, excellent common sense,
uick apprehension, and. withal. relie-
ous and thoughtful, kind and benevo-
ent. He suffered the fate of too mapy
+ the country's benefactors. He died
comparative penury and poverty, al
hough without being actually subjected
0 want, in Benson, about the year 1903,
nd although the place of his sepulehre
} known, no man can tell the exact day
r year of his death.-Rutland Globe.
An amateur farmer wonders "why
n all this fair earth the ground is spread