Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-03-06
NUMBER SO.
From the ST. Albans Messenger.
Col. J. p. Miller.

Bf MUSES. L. CHENEY.
This name has only to be spoken to awaken
hosts of memories in thousands of his vet
living friends. He is anything but ''an
almost forgotten hero" He taught school
in our district in 1920, and afterward in the
village. lie boarded round :" rose early.
and would often, in the short days, heat up
the bean porridge, eat his breakfast and
start for the school house before the family
were up. lie kept a jolly school. Employ
ed unique modes of punishment One boy
he would lead about by the ear, exclaim-
ing Never mind the beef steak. so long
as you get lick at the gravy" lie would
wet boys head to cool his brain, etc The
people of Barnard spend their happiest
winter evening hours comparing ideas on
Col. Miller-telling over what n man he
was to keep school, to impart instruction,
| to thrash the big boys, to wrcStlc. to run,
to WELD the broad sword, and to enliven
the whole town with his exhilaratng talk
and hearing.
1t was here that Charles G.. Eastman
| went to school to the now not quite. ''by
two chalks, p" ''almost forgotten hero, and
the poet to the end of his life had much
|
in his school. Jerry MarstOn still gives it
as his reason for leaving Montpelier, that
| the only original characters there. Col.
Miller, Judge Ware and DR.. Lamb, were
dead. At the time OF that Chicago fire
was near by, and went in to see that great
| sight" On Friday of that week | met Il
Mrs. Keith (there were several Barre and
| Montpelier keiths in Chicago), and
| | enquired of her for the Byron sword,
more on Miller'S account than on
| Byron's. There is no considerable town
in the West 'whcrc'er you roam,
that does not furnish an interesting
group that can dilatc upon the gallant
| Chieltain. with glib tongues and sparkling
| eyes. Within three wears. | cpnvcrSed with
| MR.. Granger Of Oshkosh, Wis, who
brought him up in Randolph, Vt. She was
ninety-one years OLD, but had not almost
forgotten him, neither had she forgotten
his brother lleman The Millers are easily
remembered.
The Colonel wrote a book upon the Gre
clan war. quite volume. have met it IN
several placeS-the last time in the Rev.
Loveland's library IN the college at Canton,
n Y. But his book. his sword OF Byron.
| his successes in battles. Will not alone pre-
serve his name but rather. MI thar he did
| any where and every where all his life time;
for he was a singularly marked character
under all circumstances.
One night in ls35. in the Church Il Shcr-
man bar-room. after the breaking up of
convivial season, in the - Union liou-e
Hall, over a New York y hig victory, |
heard him say that be was in thirteen en-
gagementS in six weeks, and fed on nothing
but snails and sorrel and that in one in
stance he slew thirteen Turks with his sabre,
a. they came over a wall In carly aboli-
ton times. when the Wing and Democratic
parties both sneercl ut Abolijinnist-, Col.
Miller would sit in the open window 10 be
hit by rotten eggs. while the Jealous O7,t-
tor was haranguing. In those times |
once heard him in a debate affirm that.
- not the tariff, but siqrery was the great
political question of our nation, and w0uli
continue 10 be till abolished lie will be
awhile longer remembered A. an abolition
iSt. Such was his popularity thar he sup
piled the Methodist pulpit one sabbath
he preached regular sermon Ike minis
ter; | heard him, but did not suppose he
was = member of any church perhaps he
was. In lslj, | saw him standing On u
sidewalk in New York city in earnest CON
versation with somebody. | knew him in
the distance by his stocking legs AMI
garteTs; and ! said 10 a friend, at will
pay you 10 20 and sec that man : face 20
round him and catch his eye once" lie
did 50 and never forgot it. | hope not To
hear again. and that my grandchildren
never will hear, that Jonathan Peckham
Miller Is an almost forgotten nero, and
should tradition fail. know the archives
Of the Vermont Historical Society viii keep
alive his untarni>hed fame.