Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-11-06
Vermont Horse Trade, and LaR Suits
espondencc o. the Boston Herald.

espondence % the Boston Herald.
BELLOWS Falls, Vt. Oct. Is, ISL
Vermont is noted for suits at law, and
particularly railroad law. Vermont l..
however, not altogether in the railroad law
business, for once in a while her citizens IN
dulge IN a set-to. when there l. not great
deal at stake, and spend a considerable
/ amount OF money 10 contest their supposed
rights, when IN reality there l. very little
glory or currency al the end OF the SUIT. no
matter how II may be decided. The Gus
tom of bringing law suits for the merest
trlie has been 80 long in vogue among the
prOgenitOrs of the present residents, that
those who have remained on the old home
steads and felt any sort of love for their old
brihplaces, have united in an endeGy0r %
keep the memory of their ancestors green
in a persistent aim to tangle the threads of
common law. Once or twice the aim has
been perfect, but a. a general result the
meshes Of the law were too fine for the liti-
giants to unravel or periorate. Ten cases
were tried at the recent term ef " Indnam
County Court, IN SIX OF which q horse was
more or les mixed up with Coke and Black
stone to such an extent that the constant
attendant was puzzled TO fird out which one
Of the three was most prominent in the
=
would never have been decided except far
the gratuitous advice of attentive reporters
who bly, leaned 10 the horse. ! pro
minent Judge. who many years ago occu-
pied position OF great honor in this cOun-
IL. and since then IN the State "a one Of its
highest judicial officers. and who to-day j.
respected and beloved by all political par
ties, once told the writer that If there were
no horses, and consequently no horse trades
IN Vermont. that II would be pretty hard
work for & lawyer, of superior ability even,
10 remain in the State more than three
months without calling on the ones who
paid for his education 10 step forward ami
also paw his board. An old frienG---and
slight bit of egotism compels me 10 say
relative-whO Tor many years dealt out the
law at Bellows Falls, and who was respect
ed for his undoubted honor and sterling in
tegrity, relied, as he often told me, upon
the lees collected from the amative New
Hampshire swain and the R0xanns accom- /
panyIng him for the purpose of being uni
ted in the holy bonds of wedlock. to settle |
his bill at the butcher and in part enable 1
him to pay for the pasturage Of his cow.
Marriages were frequent in those days. |
Hardly Sunday came that the old side /
room of Hyde Hotel was not occupied by |
a bridegroom and bride from the Granite |
hills, waiting to be made one by the sturdy. |
accommodating Squire Campbell. who new
er had occasion to act IN case of divorce /
for any one of the many hundreds he had /
Joined together. 1t was q matter of pride
with him. know, that no other lawyer ever
succeeded in pulling apart those whom it
was his privilege TO hitch up as a matched
pair.
Spawned horses snapped off as sound
of OrH hpSr and
ambitious attorney. A ring boned and
spawned horse combined is too thin sub
ject for an intelligent lawyer and equally
intelligent jury, for the reason, no doubt.
that the plaintiff would be considered fool
in not seeing one or the other fault. IL
makes little difference in this locality, at
the present time. if horse is not brought
in, as any little unpleasantness between
neIghbors affords an opportunity for the
arbitrament of law. A ten pound lump of
fresh pork, green hide or a bunch of
straw, when there is misunderstanding of
any sort. affords trst-rete opportunity TO
contest the same in the presence of assem-
bled wisdom and 81 lawyer. Some years
ago Mr.. Milliken,a very worthy blacksmith
in these parts, desiring to avoid the terrible
pounding Of his echoing anvil, sighed for
the recreation of the oatfeld and the con-
I
long, for on the afternoon OF the day he
began TO sigh, an owner of a superior field
Of that grain went rolling past as Milliken
was basking in the twilight on the tavern
steps. There was not much to be said-one
wanted work and the other wanted work
done bat the pay for the work, as is usual
in these parts, was TO certain extent to be
taken in " decker" and in this instance.
;traw-yet the terms were satisfactory and
IN few moments the bargain was complet-
ed. At an early hour the next morning
he 90 cradle Of Milliken was swinging
lway on the uplands of Rockingham, with
steady and business-like sweep. The swath
If Milliken was a wide one and the tall
stems of oats as they fell gave encourage
nent and no little pride to the sturdy son |
IF Vulcan. For two days did the old side
aill whistle to the swinging of his cradle,
Ind the stacks Of oat straw which were