St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-10-22
ST. JOHNSBURY, VT, FRIDAY, OCT. p. $780,

a playful encounter. But better than
that, do not believe you will permit
any number of bullies to tie your legs
without killing one or more of them"
"You are quite right. Moreover I am
now desperate and willing to fight for
wages"
l passed sleepless night, with feel
ings of mingled gratitude and appre-
hension but 1 felt better the next day
at deacon Choate's, the prudential COM
mittee man at Griggsville, where met
some half dozen of the solid men of
the district, and who greeted me most
kindly, and assured me that they would
stand by me in sustaining the govern
ment of the school, and while they did
not advise me to kill any pne, they
plainly intimated that if was obliged
to take human life in self defense,
would find an almost unanimous COM
munity to sustain me. told them that
l had been wild boy myself, and had
a good knowledge of human nature,
and beside I was something of be-
lever in moral suasion and thought
1 could govern the school without re-
sorting to extreme measures at any
rate would try and do so. They told
me that their children had been depriv-
ed of their winter schooling for some
seven years, owing to the ruffianism of
these blackguards, whom we will call
Zeke A., Jim S. and Tim B.-that the
fellows were too lazy to work and went
to school for the sole purpose of mali
cious mischief, and they were glad to
see man take their school who would
be likely to meet them more than half
way. And they admitted that it was
partly their fault that these fellows
were allowed in the school house-es-
pecially Zeke A., the eldest.
That evening 1 left for Scroggs River
with light heart; and this seemed to
make Uncle George cheerful also, and
funny. Thinking it good time to draw
out little history of Griggsville, 1 said
to him:
"Are there any more such bad dis
tricts in Vermont-and is there no way
of reforming this particular communi-
ty 7" Uncle George replied: "There is
probably no other such a neighborhood
as this has been since before l was
born in fact for fifty years Griggsville
has been called 'Heli's half acre."
1t seems that the early industry
of the neighborhood had been lumber.
ing and rafting on the river, and the
roughs from other parts of the state
and foreign woodchppers, had settled
there, and as whole the community
were hardy class and their peculiar
industry led to habits of rOughness anC
intemperance. In fine they regarded
rum and tobacco as among the necessa
ries of life. Uncle George said the
neighborhood was "nothing so bad as i
used to be. A majority of the citizens
now are as moral, thrifty and respecta
BILE as in other and more pretentiou
communities, and if they take liking
to you, as l am sure they will, you'll
find them yours to command and NJ
mistake. And if 1 was young again
nothing would suit me better than t.
be in your shoes"
Being in the humor of story telling
he related some racy anecdotes of thi
people which are still fresh in my mem
ory, one of which 1 will take the liber
ty of introducing: In passing the out
skirts of Griggsville, we passed large
imposing looking house, with greer
blinds, and fine spacious barn, and al
in good taste. Said Mr.. Reid "Do yol
see that smart looking old gentleman
pruning apple trees by the house
Well, that is a character whose histor,
is well worth repeating. He is nov
known as 'old Bill Jarvis Thirty year
ago he was the toughest and stronges
man in this county. He was also yer.
wicked and profane and his conver
sion, some twenty years ago, was
seven-days' wonder. In his youth b
was very quarrelsome, and could not b
made to go to school and he SCENE
happy only when creating consterna
tion among well disposed people. Bu
since his conversion he has been quit
a new man, thrifty farmer and con
sistent member of the orthodox churcl
In business he has been very successful
although as ignorant as an OK. Avaric
is now his besetting sin. He owns on
of the best wool and sugar farms in til
county"
Directly Uncle Georges face becan
radiant with an oleaginous glow, whe
he continued, "Tm thinking of Bi
Jarvis prayer. Soon after his CONVEX
sion there was another revival of rel
gion out at GIiggsville, when party
US from Scroggs River went out thsl
one Sunday evening. 1t happened c
that particular Sunday some fresh ou
rage had been committed, and the loc
preacher waxed eloquent over the sil
of the place-but he claimed there W;
hope of the conversion of even the vi
est, and that Brother William Jarv
was living example, whereupon o.
Scroggs River clergyman said he wou
like to hear the experience of Broth
William Jarvis from his own lips. Th'
Bill rose up and said he hoped to
excused since he was not an edicatt