The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-03-14

clared elected. A ballot was also had on
first and second selectmen. ID. f. Boyce
was elected to the first position by ma.
jority of S3. Grin Phelps was elected
second selectman by majority Of 10l.
John l.. Barker was elected third select.
man by reclamation. There was q sharp
Eight over constable and collector. NJ. A..
Munroc was elected upon the second bal.
lot by majority Of 81. The other can.
didates were o. P. Mead, j. Dewey, g.
d. Earl, p. f. Goodrich, and o. f. Com.
stock. o. +. Comstock was reelected
overseer of the poor, but being refused
compensation for extra services, declined,
and II. Persons was elected. The listers
are as follows D. Il. Boyce, j. l.. Bark
er, j. w. Halliday. Auditors elected,
T. NJ. Chapman, Geo. Hammond, G. s.
Wainwright. Mr.. Wainwright declined
and j. NJ. Slade was put in his place.
Town superintendent, Ezra Brainerd.
Trustee Of surplus fund, Calvin Hill.
Fence viewers. G. d. Miner, T. NJ. Chap.
man, L. Il, Knapp Grand jurors were
elected as follows: +. A. Bond, David
Burke, Lorenzo Stowe, John O'Connor,
o. z. Mead, Il. w. Judd, Ii, G. Lang.
worthy, l.. N. Howard. Inspector Of
leather, fuse Kidder. Town agent, H..
X. Harris. Pound keeper, II, b. Wright.
The reports of the auditors and superin.
tendent we're accepted and adopted. A
tax of 40 cents upon dollar was voted.
1t was voted to leave the repairs needed
on the three mile bridge to the discretion
Of the selectmen. Stephen W. Remele
and Almon Farnsworth were set to
school district No. in New Haven. The
selectmen were instructed to enforce the
law against fast driving across the village
bridge A vote of thanks was rendered
James Mcdonald for his services as
town clerk during the thiFty-6ve years of
his incumbency.
Last Tuesday witnessed phenoue.
non in Middlebury. 1t was the day
when the sovereigns of this town met and
declared who should be their servants for
the coming year. The phenomenon in
question was the sudden and unexpected
rise from obscurity to supreme power of
a leader, who deposed the sovereigns from
their sovereignty and became for the
moment the autocrat of Middlebury. And
this is the history thereof. A certain u.
d. Twitchell had been serving the town
in the capacity Of grand juror. Now this
simple Mr.. Twitchell foolshly supposed
that laws were made to be obeyed, and
that the officers of the law were elected
to perform certain prescribed duties. A
grand juror, for instance, is elected to
sign complaints and indict violators of
the law. Mr. mwitchel's error became
absolutely fearful when he proceeded to
act upon his belief. lie actually would
sign complaints against violators Of the pro.
hibitory liquor law. With fendish per.
versity unexampled in the career of Mid.
dlebury grand jurors, he utterly refused
to be persuaded into non interference with
the right Of any man to violate that, or
any other law, and he seriously inconve-
nienced many who were laudably engag.
ed 10 converting rot.gut whisky into hon.
est pennies. Could such things be per.
mitted in Middlebury ? BY no means.
There was extensive gnashing Of teeth.
The noble, the refined, the intellectual
supporters of free trade in red .eye, tanglo.
legs, cye.openers, and other beneGccnt
gifts to frail mortality, poured into the
saloons daily, the aforesaid red.cyc, etc,
was daily poured into them, and the re-
sutiDg sentimen, Of the buyers coiucidod
alphabetically and unanimously with
the sentiment Of the sellers, that the con.
tumacious Mr. Twitchell was ordinary
and accursod Howls of whisky. perfum.
ed wrath made continual music in his
ears. 1t was resolved that no man should
be Il servant of the people who would not
be the servant of the class whom Mr.
Twitchell had prosecuted They we're
ready to she'd their dollars 10 defeat his
reelection. And all the time that heart.
less Mr.. Twitchell was signing complaints
against them as if he considered it fun,
and acting for all the world as il he didn't
care cent for anything but dong his
duty. Election day came. The grogger-
les and doggeries poured forth the well.
primed patriots who were to make a gal.
liant strike fer freedom, Their irregular
but enthusiastic ranks rolled up, tumbled
up, fell up, staggered up to the polls, their
noses cleaning with the fierce joy which
warriors feel at the near approach Of HE.
gellorious battle. The crisis approached.
The name of U. D. Twitchell was pro-
posed among the grand jurors to DO elect
ed. And then the phenomenon dawned
upon the astonished vision of the sover.
eigns 1t was Jimmie Farrell Jimmie
the undauDted, the mighty, with victory
in his right hand, and several free, valor.
inspiring treats in his stomach And
ranged with their gallant leader the band
of heroes stood, breathing wrath, defiance
and the vapor Of severely adulterated all.
cohol. Temperance men to the iighlsof
them temperance men to the left OF
them temperance men all around them
Il but didn't volley and thunder Not
any 1t was Jimmie Farrell and his
rather less than six hundred who set poe
try at defiance and did the volleying and
laundering themselves. They overawed
the moderator, so that he refused to allow
the ballot, although the statute expressly
declares that it shall be allowed if called
for by three voters, as it was ovorawed
the police who were directed to arrest the
phenomenon, Overawed the temperance
majority, and when the nays we're called
on Mr. Twitchel's name their NO was
as the roar Of ten thousand midnight dogs
bowling at ten thousand midnight cats,
comminged with the defiant replies of the
assaulted cats. The moderator pro.
nounced the vote lost. The victory OF
the few over the many was won. Jimmie
Farrell and his followers having thus won
glory and more drinks, withdrew to re.
cruit their wearied energies in the enjoy.
ment OF the same. And the lesson which
that glorious day TAUGHT IN the world ,vo q