Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-07-18
A Southern virago's Description Of Vermont
Fifty Years Apo
EXTRACTS From MRS. ANNE RoYAL's IorR-
NAL HER IoUESFY FROM PorLrSEY TO
SALEM y Y

Fifty Years Ago.
EXTRACTS From MRS. ANNE PoYAl's Iorr
HER IoUHNFY FROM POrLTNEY T
= SALEM, y. Y
About two O'Clock in the morning. | tool
e my departure from Poultney and at the sam
y time took my final leave Of Vermont Tn
stage had proceeded but few miles vhc-
j. two men, from mean looking tavern. en-
$ tered, which, TO my establishment, proved I,
be the same Canadians. mentioned in M
account of the trip between Castleton AM
i Poultney. As there were three others in tn
stage, although rough looking men, VIII,
came with me from Poutney, | was no
: much alarmed: but 4 very few minutes con
vlnced me that they belonged 10 the samt
gang, though better dressed and more intel
ligent. Had I been cowardly. | sboud
2 doubtless, have fallen a sacrifice this dav
) though had not fifty dollars worth abou
me, cash included. 'Wcll. old hag," sai(
one OF the rutfians, - we waited for vou.''
appealed for protection to those men who cam,
with me from Poultnev but an interchanr,
oil Srlns with each other was all | obtaineC
from Them. | then perceived they wer,
known to each other; then repeated aloud
''Robbers. Stop, driver, stop | will MOI
travel with robbers" The driver scarcely
returned me an answer, when | cried out still
louder that would have the whole gang ar
rested at The first house | came to. This
quoted them for few minutes, but being
armed with impudence and full of rum, were
bent on carrying their point and began again,
when pushing open the door of the STAGE
cried aloud to the people on the road to Stop
the stage, that it was full of robbers, and my
life was in danger. The driver then stopped
and offered TO help me out The fiends then
apologized. and promised to behave better if
l would remain i'll the stage The driver also
pledged his word Of honor ~ that | should
not he molested if | remained Finding I
had the power to awe them sat still But
being full-blooded ruffians. they soon began
Dlackgnardlng, and singing lewd songs, when
| again opened the door and called aloud to
the driver to stop. The driver be-
gan 10 dread the consequences
spoke sharply to them and they
Kept Their peace the balance of the way to
Salem, where was constrained from infinite
pain again TO stop about breakfast time.
one would have thought that the measure
OF my woes and mishaps would have ended
the moment SET foot in New York. and
indeed, it would puzzle the most fertile i'm
agination to conceive picture of violence
and cruelty, more highly finished than the
one represented in Burlington, and nv
Journey to Salem, and Yet, any possible
words IN any possible language. are made
quate to depict the scene of brutality and in
human barbarity that awaited me at Salem
In the first place the day was the coldest |
ever experienced. But bore it and the in
science of colder men, patiently expecting
! my sutferings would end with nv tourney
IN the land of snags. and my heart beat with
pleasure when the driver informed me | WAS
IN the State of New York. But my pleasure
was short lived. and nothing but my back
woods independence saved my life
Nhen the driver stopped 1T the door of the
Stage house IN Salem, Il spare -Shr,mken
shrimp, with Il smile at seeing 50 many
Tor breakfast. doubtless came nut. and
with the assistance OF the driver
very promptly conveyed me TO Il
room with a stove. / told him
to have me Il room prepared, send for a doe
tor, and order me a cup of coffee as soon as
possible. lie went oil, hut neither coffee nor
doctor did see. From the crowd in the
stage had been compelled to sit upright on
Inc seat, and the pain from my position was
dreadful. This and the suddr. transition
from the cold to warm room, and want of
food, Il fainiish sickness succeeded. 81 that
1t was with the greatest difficulty | kept
from falling. During the time "A servant
woman opened the door and looked in
begged her to bring ne a cup of coffee. or
''"nld faint; she went oif but never rttntIl-
ei, sometime after this the kurJh"rd, the
Saiiie shrimp, came in with altered cuun-
tenancc, and walking round me wiha looknf
ihSoieni contempt. 1t was evident from his
long absence, and his lowering look | had
been misrepresented by the robbers. asked
nm why he did not bring me Il cup of
coffee order breakfast, and why he did not
send for II doctor 10 dress my wound. Il
have nobody To send. said the rutiian You
.aht .i stay here You must 20 on in
Ine ! SI;@ge Il will not 20 in the stage"
=, pi,ru' You ruiiian. would you suffer me
" " ~ "nno.n breakfast :" Yes, you can get
no breakfast hei,- the srae,. is ,r5inr So 9,.t
up and march out of1s, h,,,s =, iIa ~
well have told the dead IL .,arrb ..ReTnnn
you ruiiian, how dare You sp>-I Il, L,,,,,a,,
being in that manner You vile $50. a.,
and bring me carriage | will NOT -, m
your house" lie replied that | might 70 ,
for carriage myself DO Won not see.
you monster, | am not able To walk :" He
then left me, and returned in few minutes
and setting the door wide open waved his
hand towards the stage: it being then ut the
door. Get up and walk ont, said the Shy /
lock, ''and get into the stage if you don't |
will throw you oul :" This at firsi set me |
to laughing, hut at last assuming n deter |
me if you dare. Monster as YOU are, | dare YOU |
to touch me, ynu wild heast-you keep a .
sign, and have sworn to entertain travellers. |
l order you, command You at your peril to |
20 and bring m" cup of coffee Instantly, \
or | Will have you fined and divcsted of vour |
license. The stage was still standing at the /
door, and lest the rutiian might lay hands on .
me ana pul me INTO the Stage, with the assist |
tanct "l the chair, gut Ia window which |
overlooked the street. Will, a view of alarm |
ing the inhabitants, for | would have died |
before | would have gone with the robbers !
in the stage; accordingly tried 10 raise the /
window which, like its owner proved un-
Yielding. therefore knocked pane ont of .
the window, and made Salem ring with the /
cry robbers and murder" This brought /
in some gentlemen Of the town. To whom I
made my name known: nearly the same /
instant the stage drove of and the land |
lord entered followed 10y servant with |
u cup of coffee accused hm he |
fore the gentlemen. and told the whole I
OF his barharous conduct. II ever the gal /
lows was seen in II human face il was in his. /
When he heard the gentlemen assure me of 4
their protection, he skunk out of the room I
like an egg sucking dog. and never SAW the /
thief Of thieves hut once afterwards
proposed 10 the gentlemen Ia send for a
carriage and have Int taken Ia another house .
and have II doctor rs quick as possible
but they proposed that should re-
main where | WIS, that they would |
be responsible for the llndlnrd and would .
see that had the necessary attention; say
ing, ''you have alarmed HIM So much. Mrs.
r., that We will answer for him he will bc
glad to get oil 50 we'll" Meantime they had
fire made in my room. and saw m,. con
vcyed 10 il before they lrfl ni-: breakfast
likewise was sent up paicilv Mean
while they went "ul and brought
in Il doctor and s,.yrr,l ui lhc tir,
gentlemen in the place. They were
all MasouS. and They informed M. ll,t land
lord WIS one. II he was. h.. "H.h, 10 hc
branded on the frrchrad, and Mor,ani,,l To
boot.
II Is needless To- 81, that | wanted for mo-
comforts nay situation required vhil.' re-
manrdui Salem. Thrlandladv "a mo-f a;niahlr
wunlan came tu my rnum Iul oppressed
much regret al the treatment rccriy,qi in
her house She could not hold her head up
for shame, and made many apnLrsi'- for her
husband. The Landlord was duuhl,.>s in
tlucnccd 10y the ruili,us uf th,. .ja.c, which
reflects less honor upon huu aud his hpu-..
The STAG linz is called -, luIu-'~ Zine. for
all Vermont" aud other hsh a,uulln.
names The proprietor ought tu hr sent tn
the WofhhnuS, for keeping such drivers aud
as ior th"S, cnunirririllug g,utlrm,n vh,
travel the road. their titl'' tn the honor is mot
disputed
The neat day lrtl the ncvcr-to- he forged
ten Salem had pleasant journey. too in
a sleigh tn AllanN There were several cen
tccl people in the Sra.r and some that w,r,.
not, but the clowns were held in awe II the
former.
Thus ends Mrs. Royals history of her
Journey through Vermont and prosecutions
inflicted by the "hlurskins" and mission
aries" Her journey south from ALBANY ap-
pears Ia have hc,u agreeable ami saisiac-
tory until she arrived At Fishl,ilI. y Y,
whca she again tell among "hlucskins.
rulans and thieves, % and experienced about
he same treatment she received at Salem
She finally succeeded in getting on board OF
The Hudson river steamer ''Risn. sur