Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-09-18
CJuntv
Che freeman.
MoNTPELIER,vT
WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 18, 1873.
0uechee.

tain state. lately came across some facts
which think will be quite interesting 10
many of your readers. They are facts
concerning men with whose names thev.
especially the tourist portion of them, are
already famiiar-A. L. and o. +. Barron.
of Crawford and Twin Mountain House
fame. These men are men of much busi.
ness and doing it all well and equally well
too They and the town which has the honor
not only of being their old but also their
present home are fair samples of MANY
Vcrmoners and Vermont towns and vii
laces. 1t is simply astonishing what this
latest born of the New England states has
done in the direction of producing active
and gifted men. These Barrons and Que
chce their home, are, say, good samples.
AK farmers about them and they answer,
., Yes, we know them we'll. The Barrons
are perfect farmer-princes their sheep,
cattle and horses are of the best blood, and
their farms include thousands of acres in
Vermont and New Hampshire" Turn to
the dealers in lumber and question them
if thev know the Barrons. The reply is.
Well, we ought TO. Why, about every
organ and piano mandatory from Chick
ering & Sons of Boston to Mclean of
Melbourne, Australia, uses their ash, cher
~, maple and Eastwood lumber. 1t is the
best in the market Next come the
traders. As you question them they turn
upon YOU with surprise. If it is the
great poultry packers and freezers you
mean, you might just as reasonably ask IA
sewing machine agent if he knows of
Singer and Howe" They were the po-
necrs of that now immense business
From 1851 to 1866 they had the monopoly
of the poultry business. During these
years no hotel, for the three hot months
bad Il turkey or fowl that didn't come from
the freezers of Quechee or White River
Junction. They hit upon the business in
this way; In 1852 they were shipping IL
hundred tons annually; of course at i'm
mensp risk. o. F. Barron was in Boston,
selling; A. T. in Vermont, buying. Dur.
ing great thaw, which ruined all the
rest Of the poultry in the market, o F.
noticed that theirs, being packed in a
laht warehouse upon North Market
street. came out of the lhaw sill frozen as
hard as rock. Seeing that it was only
necessary TO keep the warm air out and
the cold air in, he invented the syst m OF
packing poutry-light boxes placed in
practically air-tight buildings-which now
gives US travellers in these hot July and
August days the delicious bits of turkey
and fowl we find ut every hotel at which
we stop. Pack the poultry in one of these
buildings, called freezer; let the win
dows be open only one sharpnight week,
for Il month in the winter; and you have u
.J;ty hot IaEaS no hnltpSt on
record Inter their freezer at the junction
and try the temperature-the massive
frost gatherings; you would suppose your
self in an iceberg cave of the Polar sea.
But it is the travelling public that knows
these men best. In 1852 they bought the
house and railroad restaurant at White
River Junction, universally acknowledged
to be the model railroad restaurant of New
England; food Just as Wholesome, of rs
large variety and as nicely served as you
find in any city hotel. Their junction
House was burned last Saturday morning.
@ failing loss of twenty five thousand
dollars; but, nothing daunted, they pro
pose 10 90 right at work and rear another.
which shall rival the Pavilion at Montpe-
licr and the Welden at st. Albans. Eleven
years ago they bought n cottage where the
Twin Mountain House now stands. The
first person who boarded with them was
Professor Green of Princeton College
This fact was prophetic of the immense
patronage they have bad at their different
mountain houses from ministerial. literary
and educational circles. In 1869 they
built one wing of the Twin Mountain
House, in 1870 another, and in 1871 the
main house. In 1872 they purchased the
Crawford House, that holds the key to the
whole White Mountain region, and there
they sit enthroned, hotel kings. But the
kindness and ca efulness of their sway
are borne witness to by these facts: While
Other places are complaining of the d" hard
lines" the Crawford from the first of the
season has been crowded, and the Twin
has done more business than it has done
for two years. A part OF the marvel con
cerning these men is the facility they have
of attaching their employees to them For
instance, Merrill, clerk at the Crawford
started with them at the Junction eating
house, sixteen years ago. farnham' whom
all hungry travellers on the Central Yer
mont and Passumpsic bless, has managed
the Junction House restaurant twelve
years. 1t runs in the blood OF the Barron
family to keep n hotel o. e. Barron,
Asa's son. has been the popular landlord
of the Twin for nine years. Brecher and
he are sworn allies. Vice President
Wheeler having tried the Twin for several
seasons, could not be contened till he Sc
cured. in accordance with the civil service
reform young Oscar to run the Capitol
restaurant at Washington. so the last
year has given the Barrons national It's
well AS local fame. But Quechee, where
the old homestead of the family stands, is
especially rich in its noted sons. Take, for
instance, those who have been reared
under the hospiLable roof of that self
same homestead: First, the Barrons
themselves inventors, merchants, farmers
landlords Here brought up by or working
during childhood for their fathers were
Dana Bickford, inventor OF the knlttln9
machine; S. ID, Paul. and Oliver Brothers,
Jr., who took the mule and the jnck, wool
cn and cotton spinning machines, ana rev
Olutionizrd the whole business by m tklnS
them srlf.opcrating A good record ior
one homestead. But the whole town Is oil
the same piece.
As you ride up the Woo lstock railroad
over to The right you see modest ilt'le
white farm house Here lived Mrs Far
sons, three of whose sons have been mhy
ors of their adopted cities. Dewey. OF
Qupchee, in connection with Danieis
Of Woodstock, built up the great shoddy
trade. George W. B!sscll, the discoverer
and owner of the first oil wells; Jnsper
Story, the great fort t-builier of the United
S ates, which paid him three million dol
lars for building Fort Pickens; both were re-
Quechee boys. There, to", in ouecheo IS
he old Marsh homestead, from whicn
have come Hon. George p Marsh, James
Marsh, president, and Lemuel Marsh, pro
fcs,or OF the Vermont University at Bur
lington. With Dewey is joined JUS IN
Mackenzie, one of whose boys. Frank
manufactures at Bridgewater, VT; the
finest flannel that goes into the New 1ork
market, while his other son is with one oi
the Rays of Franklin, Mass, successfully
carrying on Il large manufacturing ousl-
ness in that town. So much for the lovely
good old town of Quechee, VI. L guess
every one will say that it is enough to
make the reputation of one town. "''
IN Boston AdUertiSer.
PopuIar Science Monthly proves tlal
,luntI H., a., =, ,,ninloaa That WOuIu