The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-10-13
BRATTLEBORO VT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER ID, 1882
OLD TIMES AND NEW.

Twas In my easy chair ~ noine
About month ago,
l sat and pulled my light cigar
Az usual, you must know
Unused upon the pilgrims lot,
Whose luck II was TO land
Upon almost the only rock,
Upon the Plymouth sand.
In my minds eye saw them land
Their weather beaten bark,
Before them spread the wintry wild,
Behind the ocean dark.
Alone that little handful stood,
While foes were lurking nigh,
Their creed and watchword "trust In God,
And keep your powder dry.
Imagination's pencil then,
That 6rst stern winter painted,
When more than half their number died
And etoutest spirits tainted.
A tear unbidden hlled one eye.
MY smoke, 1t hlled the other,
One sees strange sights at such time
Which quite their senses bother.
/ Thought was alone, butlo,
Let him who dare deride me-
looked, and drawing up chs,r
Down sat q man beside me.
His look was ancient and his
Was somewhat strange and Nreign,
civilly returned his stare
Says he "I'm Richard NhsssnH'
"You'll find my name among the list
or hero, sage and martyr,
Who in the 'May Flower" cabin signed
The first New England charter.
could some curious facts impart,
Perhaps some wise suggestions,
But l am bent on seeing sights,
And running DER with question:"
"Ask on" said l, "I'll do my best
To give you information,
Whether OF private men you ask
Or our renowned nation.
Said he, "frst tell me what Is that,
In your compartment narrow
Which seems to dry my eyeoalls up,
And scorch my very marrow"
His finger pointing 10 the CRATE,
Saws /, 'that's Lehigh coal
Dug from the earth" he shook his head
ut is, upon my SOUL"
then took up piece OF stick,
One end as black as night,
And drew 1t quick across the hearth,
When 10 a sudden light
NV friend drew back, up rolled his eye,
And strove his breath to catch;
"What mecromancy's that 'he cried,
Qnoth "a friction match"
Just overhe cad, upon pipe,
touched a little screw
When forth with instantaneous fash
Three streams Of lightning few.
JJD rose my Rueeti wow ucdfcu uo BAVe
Aloud he shouted then,
"Is that hell fire :" '"iis gas" said I,
ave call it hydrogen
Then forth into the Held we strolled,
A train came laundering by,
Drawn by the snOrting iron steed
Swifter than eagles fly.
Rumbled the wheels, the whistle shrieked,
Far streamed the smoky cloud,
Echoed the hills, the valleys shook
The flying forests bowed,
Down on his knees with hands upraised-,
In worship Warren fell,
"Great is the Lord our God, cried he
"He doeth all things well"
uI,ye seen his chariots Of fire,
The horsemen too, thereof
Obi may ne'er provoke his ire
Nor at his threatening scott"
sRise up my friend, rise up" said l,
Your terrors all are vain,
That was no chariot Of the sky,
But the New York mail train."
We stepped into a chamber small,
Men came the news to know,
From Worcester, Springfield and New York
Texas and Mexico.
It came, it went, silent but sure,
He smiled then burr; '. out ut laughing .. h.,
Magnetic telegraphing."
Once more we stepped into the street,
Says Warren, "wnat 10 that
That moves along across the way
As softly AZ caty
mean the thing upon two legs
With feathers on its head,
A monstrous hump below the waist
Large ~ feather bed"
s'It has the gift Of speech hear
But sure II can't bo human,"
my amiable friend,' said /,
s.That's what we caii . woman r.
s,snsS e sns; n91s Be-;
~ loved the woman In my day,
But obi they're strangely altered"
showed him then new machine
For turning eggs to chickens,
A labor saving hennery.
That beats the very dickens.
Whereat he strongly grasped my hand
And said, '"tis plain to see
This world is SO transmogrihed
Twill never do for me.
Your telegraphs, your railroad trains,
Your gas lights, friction matches,
Your hump backed women. rocks OF coal,
Your thing which chickens matches,
Have turned this earth 30 upside down
No peace 10 left within it;
And whirling round upon his heel,
He vanished In minute.
Forthwith my most veracious pen
Wrote down what had heard.
And here dressed up In doggerel rhyme
You haye 1t word for word.
1 Published in the Philadelphia Dollar News
er more than thirty-fve years ago.