Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-26
THE WEST RIVER CAMPAIGN
OEM,

There was, It is said, once on a time,
A lovely land In q lovely cline,
A place, indeed, Of the faltest fame;
Twas Windhsm moounty-time-honored name
And divers tribes were the dwellers there
In that favored land, country fair
Two and twenty tribes, by count, tls said,
Who daily toed for their daily bread.
And through that beloved land, they say
A beautiful stream did wind It's way,
A winding stream whose sparkling waters
Flowed past aud on to distant quarters.
West River was the name which then II borei
But WAntastquet in days Of yore.
BY It's meanderlng waters abode
Part OF these tribes, true, honest and good
Newfaneltes and Brattleboreans,
Townshendtes and Wardsboreans,
Brooklineites and Dummerstonsns;
On the heights the Jamaicates,
And near to them the l. Derryites
And last, not least, the Winhallltes,
In different country, Just at the west,
On Bennington soil their homes possessed.
Now these good tribes by the rivers side.
Who toiled and sweat with an honest pride,
Had long desired-so II is said
To open a way for better trade
To buy and sell with every nation
And race indeed, with all creation,
That there might be for their tolls and pains
A rich increase Of pro1ts aud gains.
But an as ned the months one by one,
And years, the thing they wanted wasn't done,
For gigantic powers were 10 the way
OF ready commerce from day to day
Between the tribes and the outer world
And trading people who bought and sold.
Divers powers these powers OF the nils,
Powers OF the streams and running rills,
Powers OF the mountains, gigantic rocks,
Powers Of the trees Of wondrOus size,
With tips approaching the very skies
Powers Of the boulders-number Legion
OF sAndbanks In many region,
OF vast abysses both deep and wide,
OF winding valleys and others beside.
These different tribes as named above,
Firm held by ties Of neighborly love,
Together counseled to see II they
Could devise come plan or excellent way
T % quell these powers, as 1t well appears,
Had been In the way for scores Of years,
And open an easy thoroughfare
From some point here to some point there;
From BratUeboro, that goodly town,
To Londonderry Of high renown,
And a railroad build which men should call
"The Brdttieboro and WhfehdH;"
Said thoroughfare indeed extending
(Prom starting point to point of endng)
SIX and thirty miles, passing, one by one,
The delightful hills Of Dummerston,
Through NeWfaneland and the lovely Vile,
The beautiful vile OF Fayetteville;
Then through happy spot where people will
To dwell In peace and Harmony (yille),
In the midst Of peaks and cliffs so brown
OF the busy town OF Townshend town;
Then through Townshend West-a little west
In situation the very best;
Then DER and past many an acre
OF fertile soil In fair Jamaica;
Around stupendous hill-mOuntain called
neient mount, for 10, its head is "Bdld I"
Reachin at last, Joy to all tell,
Delightful terminus, station L.
II seemed to most TO be very plain
There must shortly be great campaign;
Large forces raised-not men and horses
But "tiSo hundred thousand" grssnbaei forces;
And q tiercer warfare they must plan
Than e'er had been since the world began.
But ill.bodlng prophets did now arise,
Some Of larger and some OF smaller size;
And they each did heaVe prophet's sigh
And prophesied with a prophets eye,
And each with a voice loud, strong and high,
Did shout: "Ye foolsl neither you nor
VIII see good in this or profits high.
Though men should strive for thousand days,
And strive and toll in n thousand Ways,
The greenback forces they'll never raise
For 4 thing 30 rash that never pays.
No man IN whom "a q right design
VIII consent that tribes along tine line,
The tribes from lOrdly Brat:leboro
To Derry town, should come to sorrow
And D. Hdrrfs(ed) with grinding tdres,'
OF with grinding other peoples axes"
Then cried many men,''amen," "amen."
Many "amens" cried these many men,
"Amen," "Amen," again, aud yet again.
hut some were wise in their own conceit,
Puned up In way not nt or meet.
FOR they'll is strAnge-made bold TO say:
"These willing prophets we mustn't obey;
Their prophecies dire we do not need,
Their ill-omencd words we will not heed
For whether on good or evil bert
And whether for good or evil sent,
Whether in hate or whether in love,
They're not, his plain, from the Lord above"
And us now supposed beyond doubt,
The AM Of B. did send them out
Now came the day for the choice OF men,
The leaders to be In this campaign.
And so certain ones, rich stockholders,
Assembly vast-so thought beholders-
Together met, and as electors.
Ofncers chose yclept Directors,
Who the enterprise should carry out
And a great achievement bring about;
And who In number were rye and ten,
Some older and some younger men;
Charles and Frank aud the faithful Abner,
Oscar, Milou and also Luther,
Aurelus and the good Ablshai,
Avery ID. and one EleaEar
Austin, William, the youthful James,
And Lowe and Mason-these the names.
Then there was found one near at hama
For Vice General the said EleAEar,
AS nrm indeed as u julius Cesar
But though he was called Wee to be,
TWAS very plain no Uies had he.
Temperate but cold 10 the last degree,
For all could say with an honest phiT,
NAtef(What a) cold irdtsT man waterman 10 !"
And there were chosen, Of famous fame,
Executive board-this was the name
The frst OF whom It was plain TO see,
Must be the genial GeneralT.
The next, though strange, It IS yet most true,
A pale face was with very Good-husi
The last, not least, was fated by fate
To rise 10 rank from Loies estate.
Butler (surely not baker)
Psymasier came from old Jamaica.
Then all the tribes were summoned TO meet,
Zach one one a. IT'S own good township seat
That they might raise the mighty forces
TIro hundred thousand gTeenbdek forces.
And so they met as twas intended,
To say anddo as they were minded.
Now all the tribes flled up their quotas
BY the good will Of legal voters.
But no, (strange y q few at length declined
For the Winhallites, who in the eyes
OF Wiuhallites were extremely wise,
Proclaimed loud and long Il yasnt right
| To throw IN by rOte the smallest mile;
And though A.reTy DeEter-ous man
Had well devised q well devised plan,
The snrewd MardEbOreans said: IT'S plain
There's naught for us in the great campaign"
And o. good, q man as Luther was,
As TO the BIoohlineites, lost the cause
And the faithful AbneT could not persuade
| Dummerstonians to lend their aid.
Said these tribes: ave know what we're about,
Sure the other tribes will carry out
| The enterprise, and thus and so
| They'll win, whether we engage or no.
Wen be generous; only share the gains,
Let them the honOrs have for their palms."
SO the other tribes buckled on the aTmOF,
| Ror nerce war prepared, din and clamoT.
| But ah stop, alasl not quite
| Prepared were they for the Eight;
For twas well agreed II there should lack
| But single greenback, no attack
| should even then be made upon the foe.
| Full tUo hundred thousand, thus and SO,
| Must be surely raised ere they could go
| FOnhto battle fierce. With doubts and fears
| They now loudly called for v0lunteeTS,
| Aud involuntary tears did oil
Their eyes, as betimes for grief they will.
Then again arose the prophets wise
Some thought them wise. others otherwise
And again DID prophesl, likewise
As did before, not oontrariWise,
And full utlerance gave In this wise;
| "hen, be not unWise, but very wise;
And In nOwise fools, 80 that IN no eyes
| WILL ye in aDyWise seem TO be oVerWise
In your own conceits. Now, thus and SO
The mightlest deeds ye vowed ye'd do.
But the promised forces, where are they7
The two hundred thousand, tell us play,
| Now listen 10 us, for We do know,
| (And as true prophets proclaim IL SOY
This lana ye may travel round and round,
| But the volunteers can meier be found.
| sun the valiant tribes were full OF zeal
! And needed not the new appeal;
| Nor did they either sleep or slumber,
| TIL they had gained the chosen number
The last recruit that was enlisted
| Though strong appeals were long resisted
| Brought hope TO all aud TO all delight;
| Twas 4. BiTchdTd'S act, true Newfaneite.
| Then loudest huzzas rang through the air,
Shouts Of Joy resOunded everywhere;
| The Two hundred thousand were surely raised,
| And praised-the God OF Heaven was praised.
| And then there met at many meetings,
| And then there SAT at many slttings,
General Thompson and his chosen men,
The Directors, In all nVe and ten.
Again and again these heads 80 wise,
(But rise only in each Ol0neT's eges)
Together met to plan the campaign,
Rise the forces raised were all in vain.
And so on certain appointed day,
They chose one Haven, W. A.,
Ag of general Oyerseer,