Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-11-27
geIlows gals Jimss,
BELLOWS FALLS, NOV, 27, 1874
For the Bellows Falls Times.
Rockingham in the Olden Time-A Town
Meeting Fifty Years Ago-Harry Camp
bell and his Red Hot school Committee.
BY HARRY's s BOY.

Dell and his Red Hot School SOmmittee'
BY HARRY's BOY.
Jotham Richardson, fifty years ago,
was not entirely unknown to the citizens
of Rockingham. Although he filled no
exalted position and possessed no great
powers of el oquence, he did occupy a
portion of the space allotted to the poll
tics of the town. Through lcng life,
devoted in the main to holding chair
fast to the floor, lothian found time, of
which he had plenty, to WOO and wed.
He was a careful man before he enter
ed upon any enterprise, and be seldom
did, he calculated all its perils. lothian
Richardson was born democrat and he
wished that democrats might so increase
as to rule forever, and therefore when he
wooed he also took into consideration the
fact that he might possibly, like the i'm
mortal George Washington, die child
less, and so to make sure of even a par
tial success, he looked about for one who
was already rich in family capital. A
fine buxom widow with two beautiful
babes attracted his attention. lothian
was a practical mamie did not perform
any of the Romeo balcony business, ano
so hewent for this charming, winsome 8id-
ow. She put aside all coquettish whims
and notions and went with like vim, a
sort of tumbling and eccentric motion
into Jotham's arms. 1t was love
match. No Victor Emanuel, no Pal
merston, no Wellington, no Peter the
Great or any one else brought kingly or
diplomatic power to bear in influencing
the great hereafter, SO far as lothian waf
concerned. The selectmen of Rocking.
ham who at that time were chosen moi
on account of locality, but simply for
their honesty, knew nothing of Jotham' s
courtship until the marriage was official
ly published in the Bellows Fall Intel
lgencer.
Mrs. Ryder, the then Pauline of the
highlands-the bride of this fair anC
pussy Melnotte-presented her husband
on the marriage day with William anC
George, her two sweet gems, and moth
ing else save single leaf table and 8
pair of old boots, the only mementoes o
an earlier welded life. Flaxen an(
snarly headed as they appeared they
we're lovable in the eyes of their new
father, whose thoughts were in the grea
future when the good time coming wouli
find him with responsibilities of thei
playmates and the honored progenito
of little ones whose talents and position
would entitle them to the highest sea
in the structure of democratic morals.
With table, two chairs and bed
lothian, with what his bride brough
him, started slowly, as was his wont, in
to the mists of very slow honeymoon
BY the side of the Smith brook which
meanders through the meadows us
above the little village of Saxtons River
surrounded by lofty hills, there nigh
have been seen in the early part of thi
century, the rude and modest chateau o
the happy couple who loved and snoozed
and hoped and waited, but seldom NOV
ed.
The carefulness of lothian in startin,
with a ready made family, although
commendable at the time was not great
ly to be complimented considering tn,
subsequent events in the little house by
the brook. Three quarters of yea
and perhaps little more had onl,
elapsed before the old familiar gig of tn
, village doctor was standing at the from
and only door of JOtham's chebang
That night the shouts, squealiugs an,
yells of new fedged Jotham resounde
beneath his root, while the eountenanc
of the little squaller impressed the dem
ocrat of the valley with the certaint
: that the new conner was blood of hi
blood and bone of his bone-sure enough
So the events continued.
Save rather infrequent pedestria
, trip to the village for I. ID, and
plug or two of pig-tail, his physical ex
ertions were entirely given to watchin
and caring for his children.
4 lothian was not very well posted i
literary matters and it was sometime
7 stated by those whom it was suppose
!, knew, that the first page of spellin
!, book was as much of mystery to hir
as are the hierogliphics on the wrappe
of a ten thousand year old mummy
:. an humble supporter of Judge Poland.
II At time when lothian was in th
|, prime of manhood, there arose in I'll
l. town an excitement in regard to the di
e trict schools.
d The story of the excitement will sur
d ly interest those who acted their part
l. it, and their children perhaps may
Is pleased tc know that their now sober an
Ie dignified parents were in their ear
n lava fnilv "a "a live In the real essence