Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-08-17
Some "reminiscences.

Mr.. Editor :-Thirty-ive years ago last June,
the writer Of this paragraph became resident
Of Montpelier and has resided here ever since A
recent visit to his former home, in one Of the
northern counties Of the state, has served TO
quicken memory and enabled him to recall many
incidents connected with both the former and his
present home. The mortuary record Of Mont
pelier since that far-back date il saddenIng, not
to say startling. OF the active business men
OF thirty-five years ago, less than dozen re-
main. The list at present embraces the names
of James r. Langdon George w. Scott, Charles
II. Cross j. W. Ellis, Hon H. p. Walton, Hon.
Joseph Poland Nelson Peck and perhaps two or
three others. The list Of those who are gone Is
long and honored one and embraces well known
names in all the professions and moving In every
business and social circle OF the town The clergy
men of that day have, believe, with one excep-
ton, passed to "the beyond" The physicians,
Adams, Spaulding, Burnham, Tapn the homeo-
pathist, and Mcdowell the eclectic have all gone
over" The lawyers of that day, from Prentiss,
the urbane and able judge, Upham, the politician
and senator, down to F. +. Merrill, the gentleman
and Christian, and Charles Reed, the youngest of
them all, have with the exception OF Hon. H. W.
Heaton who still fingers, an nfrm old gentle
man, struck the balance in the unknown region.
or the bankers and prominent business men Of
that time, James X. Langdon alone remains,
while the Reeds, Thomas and Hezekiah Zenas
Wood, II. X. Keith and the very late Judge Bald
win will be known no more to the scenes where
they were once so familiar and in which they
were 30 active.
But the mortuary record Of that neighborhood
which left behind when came to Montpelier is
quite rs striking a. that above cited. For dis.
lance Of some two miles along the river road,
every proprietor of that succession Of good farms
and comfortable homes, including Mr. Anderson
the deacon, Captain Comings the wide-awake and
genial neighbor, Mr. Hurlbut the frugal and hard
working farmer, Edward Morris the chorister,
Harding Allen the money lender, Caleb Combes
the nimrod Of the neighborhood, Rufus Hamilton
the gentleman and judge, and Harry Hopkins the
silent man, have all "gone hence" or all these
noble men and their wives, two only remain to
tell OF events which occurred among them sixty
years ago, to wit: Mrs. Hopkins, who has just
passed her S3d birthday, and Mrs. Judge Hamil-
ton.
Referring to events thus long passed, the mind
is further quckened, and recall events OF sur
passing interest, which occurred in the days of
my childhood. There were the days spent in the
old log schoolhouse under the care Of teachers
whom am pleased to remember and gratefully
honor. There were the old Fairgrounds. the
plot Of which is still familiar to me, the "deep
hole" where we boys used to go swimming, the
passing of the Montpelier and Montreal stage,
the going past, on horseback, of Judge Royce
bound for or returning from Orleans county court
On one occasion, 1t is remembered, that when
boys were out" footman came along His
step was measured and dignified and his visage
very grave 1t was Judge Royce. lie had been
holding court In Irasburgh and was on his way
home Those, too, were the days. in their sea-
son, of sugar-making, of sheep-washing and
sheep-shearing, of raisings, pairing bees and
huskings, the slngng-schools and speing-schools,
the memory Of which cannot escape us. They were
the days, also when in fall and early winter, the
baying Of the hound or the report OF the hunters
rifle might be surely taken as evidence that
luckless deer or fox had been driven out from his
hiding-place and would soon be captured. Game,
in those large forests which overspread the hills
all about the river farms, was plenty and 1t was
no unusual thing to see both deer and foxes in
the pastures. On one occasion, remember that
deer came quite near the house, close by the
bars" and Tapped the salt where, in the morning.
the cattle had been sailed
came to Montpelier on that June day in 1916,
by Holbrook's stage. We started early and had
wet ride through Avery's Gore and Belvidere
woods Arriving at Phelps in Belvidere, we had
refreshing breakfast of brook trout, just caught
On reaching Montpelier found home with one
whose family has since been sadly shattered by
the last enemy which is death" The " chiseled
column " in Green Mount Cemetery will tell you
who and how many they were, and the relations
which they severally held to those who survive