Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-03
For The waichmi
Old.Tlme Dlstillcrles In Cabot.


Of any new country, they had TO endure many
hardships and pryatoDs and were obliged 10
use every means that offered By which they could
obtain money enough to procure the necessities Of
life. One way In which these pioneers used to
get money was by cutting down the large maple,
elm and ash trees that had withstood tho severe
blasts Of many year, and burn thom 10 ashes;
these ashes they converted into salts and carried,
on their backs or on band-slcds, to Peacham or
Danville where they traded them for such articles
as they needed in their families by this means
large tracts Of land were cleared ready for crop
But the ingenuity Of the people soon showed IT,
self by converting the potatoes, which they raised
In great abundance, into what was supposed at
that time 10 be necessity In all their families,
viz. whskey And az this commodity found a
ready sale, the buildingof distlle rcs became a
necessity
Accordingly, Hanson Rogers, Esq, stirring
energetic citizen In 1909 erected the first distery
In town, on Cabot Plain, which was at that time
the principal point In the town where all the
town business was transacted, and all public
meetings were held. As this was situated on
nearly the highest land in town, whore no running
water could be obtained, he selected a site for
the distlllery location quite distance from the
road, in the pasture now owned by Mr.. W. $. At
hns. where plentiful supply Of water was fur
nished by brook. The distillery was completed
in season for the crop Of 1910, and was album
dainty supplied with material for manufacturing
the ardent, the proprietor paying for the same
partly in cash, partly in blacksmithing Che being
a blacksmith by trade) and the remainder in
whiskey.
So many potatoes were now planted that ono
dlstillcry WAS found insufficient tor the increasing
business, and, as desire TO make money ap-
peared to perade the people Of those days, even
as 1t now does, Judge Dana, the merchant erected
another one nearly opposite the buildings owned
by Mr. Robert Lance. There now were two
distillorcs within half mile Of each other
and they could use up all the potatoes raised in
that immediate vicinity Other portions OF the
town, however seeing the ready sale for potatoes,
and the good prices realized for them began To-
raise them largely, and This, Of course rendered
the building Of other distillerics necessary So 100
1916 one was built on the farm now owned by W.
). Atkins
Up N this time the product Of these distllcrie-,
that had not been consumed at home bad mainly
been conveyed by teams % Boston and Portland,
10 market, bat now a new avenue was opened Tor
It's sale The cloud Of war began TO settle down
over our country and soou we were involved in a
conflict with Great britain and Cabot Is stu
atcd only about forty miles from the Canada line.
they lost no time in finding market in that coun-
Try for the product Of their stills Indeed the
good, orthodox citizens Of this place seemed quite
intent on obeying the divine injunction II thine
enemy hunger, feed him; II he thirst give him
drink This command so explicit in its terms,
all the towns situated near the border seemed
bound to carry out and a large number Of cattle
were driven over, and no small quantity Of whiskey
found ready sale among the British soldiery.
This formed very lucrative business To those en-
gagged in IT, and brought a goodly amount Of
money 10 the producers. True it was smuggling,
and was rather risky business but the com
mand was plain and imperative and must be
followed About this time distleres went into
operation rapidly in this section. one was put up
by Deacon Stone on the site where the Haines
Brothers wooden factory is now situated one by
Capt sumner, on the farm now occupied by K. B.
Bruce; one on the farm Of G. W Paine one on
the old Cutting farm; on Deacon J.. l.. Adams
farm, on the spot where Union Block now stands,
and one where HAL Morse now lives 50 that
twelve disteries were in full blast at one time in
Cabot
These, Of course, made whiskey very plenty, so
that 1t used in all the different callngs Of life,
and some even thought it was cheaper than corn,
for common living It is said that one poor man
in plainfeld used to say that he would bay half
bushel Of corn meal, and carry it home, and his
wife would make it all up into hasty pudding, and
the children would eat it all up and 60 to bed cry
ing with hunger; but let him buy gallon Of
whiskey, and they would all 90 to sleep; so he
thought whiskey the cheapest diet. No occasion
whatever was perfect without It II neishbor
came in for friendly visit II the pastor came To
make a call or to join couple in the holy bonds
Of matnmouy, or perform the last sad rites Of
buuying the dead-and especially when child
was born into the world-the whiskey and dip
went around merrily; and when the ladies had
quilting every time they rolled the quilt all must
take a little toddy, and when they had rolled 1t
about four times, they were ready 20 drop work,
tell stories and have jolly time story is told
Of one Of these good old ladies that at the con-
cusion Of quilting, she put onher bonnet which
was one Of those large, old-iashioncd aflairs then
in vogue, and got it on wrong side before, cover
Ing her face entirely She was in great trouble To
find the strings, aud her anxiety was only over
come when some OF the more quiet ones helped
the old lady out Of her dilemma. But She never
could tell exactly where the trouble was
As before stated, all the public gatherings were
held at the Plain, and the occasion which usually
attracted the largest crowd was that of june
training At this time. the military officers were
elected ior the following year, and at one of these
elections John Dow, who subsequently became
prominent minister of the Methodist donomina-
ton, was elected captain After the election,
Captain Dow, as in duty bound, ordered uo
whiskey, and all drank to replcton. After this
the company was formed for drll and inspection.
The various eyolutions were gone through with
as best they could During this practice, one of
the brothers Of the newly elected captain, who
had imbibed somewhat too freely Of the ardent
could not keep time with the music and finally
fell fiat on the ground His comrades helped him
to his feet, and began to upbraid him somewhat
on his unseemly conduct, when lie replied saying,
at is all right, the Bows to-day are rising and
falling"
About 1915 the newly-set orchards commenced
bearing, and great quantities of apples were
brought into market, and cider mills were erected
in different parts OF the town So the inhabitants
began to have cider, in addition to whiskey for
beverage The first cider mill was built by Rob
ert Lance, nearly opposite the residence OF Albert
Osgood, in 1919 Cider and whiskey were the
staple commodities of the time; the former selling
for three dollars per barrel, and the latter from
sixty-seven to seventy-fVe cents per gallon. SO
common was their use that they were regarded
very much as United States currency is in these
days. No farmer thought OF beginning winter
with less than twelve or fifteen barrels OF cider
and one or two barrels Of whiskey in the cellar.