Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-07-12
The Fourth at STAFFORD.

The day opened bright and promising, and at
sunrise salute Of thirty-eight guns from a
twelye-pounder stationed ON a neighboring hill
awohe the echoes for miles around At eight
clock the patriotism Of all assembled found vent
in the erection OF a liberty pole one hundred and
twenty feet high, and hinging the glorious Stan
and Stripes to the breeze, amid the booming Of
cannon and the shouts Of the people
AT ten o'clock, A. NJ, the delegation from South
STAFFORD arrived, headed by the Quechee Comet
Band They broke ranks at the Congregational
church, whore the procession was then formed in
the following order: Band; soldiers Of the late
war and Of 1872; president and yice-presidents;
clergy readers Of the Declaration Of Independence
and committeo orator, toast-masters choir. God
dess Of Liberty surrounded by thirteen Young la
dies dressed in white and carrying nags-and
these encircled by thirty-eight little girls, also in
white each one with scarlet badge bearing the
name Of the state they represented, printed
thereon, and crowned with wreath Of evergreen
Both circles were connected and kept in place by
hoops Of evergreen.
The procession then marched to the Town
Church, an old building erected in the last cen
tury, noticeable on account OF its old-hshoned
overhead-Which in our boyish DAYS we watched
with fear, supposing it would drop on Che minis
tiers head II he told a lie When we were seated
ana looked around 1t seemed almost as though
we were in fairy land, the transformation was so
great, for the Old church was elegantly trimmed
with evergreen and flowers, and packed with ff
teen hundred smiling and happy faces until one
would scarcely recognize the place The tall mil
pit and soundng-board had been covered with a
mass of green, proiusely interspersod with roses
From the center Of the ceiling hung balloon of
eyergreen-wth festoons running to each corner
Of the house-irom the bottom of which was s,s-
pended beautiful ball Of white flowers arrape,ed
by one who so often remembers rs with doral
favors. ON opposite panels OF the gallery were
the names of Washington and Ethan Allen ana
every part of the house was likewise tastefnlly
decorated
The exercises at the house were excellent and
we count ourselves fortunate in securing tho ser
vices oil so able an orator as Judge Barrett. Tie
poem by Miss Bessie Fnry deserves especial M
tice, ON account of It's graceful delivery and dis
tinct enunciation, But the center of attr,ctio,,
for all eyes was our respected centenarian Madam
Morey, who, 10 all appearances, seems ooo1 ~,
| another decade OF years, and PROMISED H., Al,
| the procession on horseback '""''s
Al the close OF the exercises, the procession ,yo.
reformed and conducted to the tables, where din,
ner was served. shower made h nece"sa, w,
conclude the after-dinner exercises In 10 $500 20
gational church, where we listened to toasts snd
responses, with music by the band ''''''S anu
Al fye o clock the prize races and athletic snot.
came on, SIhn sass OF throwing fiteen-lonnd
| hammer Wheelhariow, three-legged nnd ,trtata
races, one hundred yards dash and one f"",,I
mile run all Of which We're eagerly iJ ~
and caused a great amount of fun and excitement
mnoo ths iess' n OF which was the commofion
Gus damage. VI" Il" seH-
The hIe,woIks were delayed and DAMAGED
n% aI, sn ny .e ram but gave good satisfaction
TO remember the celebration at st@f,o,d a. eause
next one hundred years " '''"o'u 'of Tie