Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-17
"The Vermont Rree Isress."---R1tracI
Of n letter from she Editor, Hon. n.
Eastman.


Eastman.
CHICAGO H., June 90, 1874.
To The Chairman of Committee Of Ar
rdnoemenfS 1t ~ now little more than
forty years ago that first set my foot in
/ Fayetteville. / remember the day well
and my weary drive and walk, and the
anxiously looking for the place where
was to find rest for the sole OF my foot, and
occupation for body and mind, az / wend-
ed my way up the valley OF the West River,
with a team and wagon loaded with the
press aud type with which I was to com
mence the vocation of nv lite as printer
and editor. Yours to me was then an un-
explored region. JAS. a. Tenny had pre-
ceeded me and arranged for my coming as
his partner. In the woods below Mr.. Kid
ders shop. ! thought the place very dis
tant, as the sun mad then gone down be-
hind the hill, but soon emerged FROM the
| dark wood to kiddets factory, aud soon
other buildings came in sight, the Merri-
field farm house, and there were signs OF
coming to light; and SOON ! came 10 the
bridge across your little river, below what
was then Green's saw mill. and at the end
Of the straight road leading up through the
heart of the village had the whole glory
! Of Fayetteville directly before me. sleeping
so quietly mid the hills that surrounded it.
! And 1t was To inc a pleasant sight. felt
! as If ] had got To the end OF a toisome Jour
ney. ! WAS most cordially received by the
! citizens. ] had come there to establish a
! newspaper. ] was then but n boy less than
! eighteen wears Of age. NV arrival must
! have been about the middle OF NAV. lSsS4-
| for think the first number OF my paper
was dated June :. 1854 Looking upon ii
now, after a period ui forty wears, can
say it IL a credilal,le look ing sheet so lar rs
! the printing IL concerned. Your town
! ought IA nave hsd Continuous paper from
that dsy to the present The competing
newspapers we're the Braitleboro Mes~en-
! ger by the then venerable MIR. Nichols, the
Enquirer at Bratllcboro, by L. q. Ryther,
and the Bellows Falls InteliiRencer / sup
/ pose these newspapers nave been swAmped
in the deluRe Of time, "a the Vermont Free
Press was although my little sheet was the
hrsl to go under.
Ofthe citizens OF Fayetteville who FIRST
hailed me | would remember TO mention
the Hon. Anstn Birchard. DR.. Olds, Mr..
Dunkiee, the Jolly landlord, Anthony
Jones, VINO used To wake the morn with
his shrill whistle, aud meant tn mako the
whole village happy with ready fun, broad
| Jokes and broad laugh, aud = peculiar kind
| of innocent oath, he would occ3 sionsliy let
| OIL, which ! now have In mind. Such
| person could not help but he n smiling
| picture, and prominent mark IN my recol-
lection. Dr. Perry, who used to drive over
almost daily from Brook line in his gig is
| prominent figure vet. | remember with
| great profit my friends and distant rela-
| tives, the Fields, especially Chas. h. and
| Roswell NJ. The former / presume still
resides with you. Il. II. went TO ST. Louis,
| having western passion like myself,
where, obtaining distinction in his pro-
fession, he died. l used to be very init
mate with him, and think his splendid
| genius and intellect had much influence
over ule in those early days. In his office
was the then young Oscar l.. Shafler study
ing law, and with him became quite in
timAte; aud i always highly respected him
| He, as you remember. went TO California,
became prominent aud died about a year
ago, one OF the associate justices of the
State. 1t was IN the office OF II. NJ Field,
| while Shafler was there a student, that !
FIRST heard OF the murder of Lovejoy at
Alton IN defence OF the freedom of the
Press. ! then said ! would go TO Illinois
and print an abolition paper or something
like it, If died for il. That proved in the
end a prophetic utlerance in pari. for did
come to Illinois and edited the leading
Anti-Siavery paper here, for fifleen wears,
and l am yet alive Oscar l.. Shaher was
at that early day an abOliiionist. He wrote
a series OF articles in my Vermont Free
Press, as you will see las understand il is
TO have place in the processioiD on the
| question, which he answered, "Is the Afri-
can Negro a mani"
! went TO Fayetteville to make there nv
inst start ia business aud ia the calling
and mission of my life. l started out TO
be professional journalist. The Vermont
Free Press, which You have in your midst,
WAS my first venture. / cannot say that
| 1t WAS pecuniary success. ! lost in it
some portion of my patrimony saved for
me through my Orphanage. But l be-
lieve II was profitable loss. II gave me
early experience in business and in hu-
uian nature aud ia my profession. NV
would-be partner abandoned me, N buy,
10 take care of himself With little pluck
and little money staid on 10 see the end,
! might say the ruin of my hopes. l found
at any rate, MS many a New England boy
has found, that the place in which Provi-
dence planted him WAS either loo small or
too large. l found Fayetteville not wholly
tue place suited tO my aspirations. In 1886
l turned my face to the westward. Thai
country at least il large enough for any
person, or small enough, and a free choice
can be made. l found in the West many
people who had emigrated from Vermont.
became partially acquainted with S. A.
Douglas who was Vermonier, and AbIa-
ham Lincoln who was not Vermonter.
OF the two found Mr.. Lincolns the most
profitable as partial acquaintance. But
as live with Vermont wife, have prov
ed that the Vermonters are the most agree
able for intimate acquaintance. 1 have
seen your Vermont people and Windham
County people in all parts of the west, and
have ever found those l would gladly ac-
knowledge as friends. Vermont has help
ed largely to make the greatness Of the
west. You may be proud of Vermont
trauSplanted TO the prairies.
My life since / LEFT your peaceful viii
laae has not been wholly failure. early
took a forward movement in that great
question in saving the country, by the
eradcat ion of the curse of slavery. 1 help
ed doctor the patient-but my friend Lin
coin cut that cancer out with his sword.
have had an adventurous life. Providence