Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-02-14
LOCAE AND STATE AFFAIRS.
Putncy.
LIVELY SKETCH OF "a VERMONT VILLAGE IN
MIDwINTEB.'


A LIVELY SKETCH OF "a VERMONT VILLAGE IN
M1Dw1NTEB.'
We find the following in the local corre-
spondence of the Springfield Union. If We
mistake not we detect in it traces of the ready
pen Of Mr. Aclla Green, who does efficient
service in the local newsgathering of that
paper;
To those who suppose Nermonters burrow
up in winter and no nothing till spring, Wis
it, for instance, to the lively town of Putney,
will be a pleasant surprise. The MANILA pa
per mill of the Robertsons runs night and
day the farmers are busy getting up the
wood for their fires, and selling it at the VII
lage at 1926 per cord. They have their ice
houses filed, and are getting ready thus
early, for sugaring, which is n sweet, happy
nnd-ns the prayer mectinggoers used to
phrase it-''a pleasant and profitable season.
store keepers here do not fail up any moro
than they do down in Massachusetts, and al
though the village magistrate, Squire llough-
ton, has quite lot of civil cases to report to
the county court" every term and five
booked for one day in the near future, there
is not one Of them that smncks of much iuan-
cial irregularity
And speaking of the magistrate of the
town, reminds that he is n veteran i'm CON
ducting justice trinls, having offciated in that
capacity for thirty years. for about n score
of which he he has been deacon of the Con
grcgational church. His matronly wife,
mother of eight children, the liked mother
in law of four sons-in-law i'll three States and
all in happy state, long ago grandmother,
vigorous in her age and ''chipper' ut a
time of life when most ladies are signing and
scolding, g,-this brave old lady is designer and
stage manager of combination and unique
entertainment to come of before long in the
Putncy town hall for the benefit of the treas
ury Of the ladies' benevolent society Of the
Congregational church. 1t includes an old
folks concert, "the mistletue bough, " an "uct-
ed charade," and OF course, II supper. In
this entertainment the village lawyer figures
rs does schoolmaster f. II. Foster from Wal
pole, N. H., and gentleman from Sunder-
land, Mass, is to he the groom, whose little
bride is self immurod in a chest and dies
Putney has smart women, who, by their
health and activity would shame your fragile
specimens of femiuity that fit in urban cir
clcs. These Vermont girls rise ''at ) o'clock
in the morning" and with, as Mrs. Stowe
phrases it, their work done up in some long
forgotten period OF the forenoon" go out
sliding down hill or skating at 10, talk Latin
at dinner, go TO Brattleboro to study French
in thc afternoon and return home to attend
The programme is varied somewhat by those
who teach school But it is only to add to
the list of duties. Speaking Of teaching re-
minds that three of the schools had "A consd-
cradle vacation this winter on account of Sc
we're sickness from colds among the children
Rev. Mr.. Russell, formerly pastor of the Con-
gregatonal church. is keeping select school
in the town hall The present pastor was re-
Gently the recipient of II Sllj donation, in
Guiding set of Smiths Bible dictionaries
Pntney has many pious people, but not
any more of them in the Christian corner"
ncighborhool than in any other Another
district ualne is Vinegar hill" which name
recalls the pet phrase Of an old citizen. who,
when told of the great world there is outside,
replied, Yes. and there Is great deal of
sour cider in it !" Another neighborhood
name is Slab City where lived the little
girl whose parents made few of the people |
believe that she was II wonderful "Spiritooal- |
list mrjum' and who now grown some older,
has put away such foolish things. and goes to |
school like other girls. In the line of the |
mysterious comes the fact that years ago |
some of the Putney people thought that in a |
nook on brook in their town, the treasures |