Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-08-11
The Mass Temperance Reform Con,
yenLiOn,

| hS NthSN ~ NfOhs
vention,
A Fine Day-Successful Picnic-Large At
tendance Over 1000 People Present. MI
sic-Speeches-W OF the Ladies, sc.
Pine Hill Grove was probably never
in its history so well arranged for pub
lie gathering as ON Friday last. Besides
the stand or platform for the speaking
and music, two tents were erected on the
ground, one of which was the headquar.
tiers of the committees, and another
building was erected used as " Temper.
ance Reform Centennial Hotel This
was covered with boards and at one end
there was table room for fifty persons at
one time, and at the other end room
with shelves was used as the larder, &c.
Here the ladies worked like heroines
through the day, including also some
gentlemen, having printed bills of fare,
and serving substantial viands and deli
cious creams.
In the morning the people began to
pour into town the first prominent dem
onstration being delegation of nearly
a hundred from Springfield. A hundred
people also came in from Alstead and
many came from Westminster, Wal
pole, Saxtons River and other plac-
es. The largest number from any single
source, however, came in from the Ches-
ire railroad after ten o'clock. There
were two trains, one of ten and one Of
twelve cars, containing some 1900 or
1900 people, and three bands of music,
OF these Troy had $50 and band of
music, Marlboro so with band, 900 from
Keene, and brass band, and many others.
AT ten o'clock the Bellows Falls Cor
net Band and st. Patrick's Total Absti-
hence and Benevolent Society, in regalia
with their fine banner and national col
ors, formed procession in the Square,
B. 7. Phelps and Dan Higgins, Mar
shals. The Hall and Reading Room of
the Reform Club was decorated for the
day and the national colors hung out
side. The American flag was also thrown
to the breeze in the Square. The pro-
cession marched to the depot to receive
the visiting clubs and their guests and
escorted them to the grove. AS well
here as anywhere we may say that many
places Of business were closed during the
day, including the Fall Mountain mills,
and we believe all the other mills and
shops and the railroad machine shop at
the depot, thus giving the employees an
opportunity to enjoy the day, much to
the credit of the owners and managers
of those works.
At 1130 the band and St. Patrick's
I. A. B. Society returned to the depot
and received and escorted the delega-
tions from Brattleboro and Putney who
came in on the Valley road at that time,
and having with them Fuller's Drum
corps of Brattleboro, who were novel
ty and special attraction through the
day. Having thus given the prelimi-
naries Of the day, we give below the or
der of procession, or two professions, as
was the fact, as follows:
ORDER OF PROCESSION.
Marshalls I b Phelps, Dan Higgins
Bellows Falls cornet band, II pieces, P W. Taft
leader.
Presidents of Reform Clubs-Scarlet badges.
Bellows Falls st. Patrick's 7, A B. society. Thus.
McGreen president
Bellows Falls reform club, L. NJ. Read, president
Troy, n H.. cornet band. Is pieces. W. G. snlsby
Troy, N. H.. reform club, C. W. Brown president
J. u, Aldrich secretary,
Marlboro, NJ IL. cornet band Is pieces N, G.
Marlboro, N H., reform club Duane Harrington
president. J. Ii. Wheeler secretary
keene, N H., cornet band. q pieces, Q. g. Rams
Keene. n; H., reform club. Don H, Woodward
president, Emmett Parmenter secretary.
Springfield reform club, IL. j. Messer president,
o. II: Libby secretary.
Fuller Drum corps. Brattleboro Frank Putnam.
drum major.
;, BTattlebOro reform club. A. V. Cox president. H.
b. chamberlain, secretary.
Putney reform club, John Robertson president
Miss Eliza Crawford, secretary.
After singing America in which
all joined, including an accompaniment
by the bands, prayer was offered by Rev.
w. o. White of Keene. A brief, hearty,
and vigorous address of Welcome was
then made by L. M. Read, president of
the Bellows Falls Reform Club, and who
closed by announcing dinner and that
the further exercises of the day after the
repast would begin at 130 P. NJ.
The citizens and various clubs spent
the time in partaking of refreshments
and in social converse, the ladies " cen.
tennial hotel being literally patron
lied. A little before the afternoon exer-
cises Fuller's Drum Corps took posi-
ton little outside and began one of
their entertainments, and very soon they
had probably called around them 1900
people or more, at least more than could
possibly see them in their novel practice.
AFTERNOON.
The exercises in the afternoon consist
ed of speeches and music. The speak
ing was by Rev. P B. Fisk of Spring
field, Rev. j. d. Beeman of that place
and Presiding Elder of this district, L.