Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-31
webster's Spelling Book Uncovered.

In his " Men and Events OF Half Century" =.
T. Wallace, distinguished lawyer Of Cleveland,
but n native and former resident Of Waterbury, |
has chapter bearing the above title. II was
suggested 10 the author by paragraph In the &C.
count OF meeting Of the old pioneers In Summit
county, Ohio, and the Edgerton family reunion in
Royalton in 1873 The reporter of the reunion
" looked into Noah Webster's spelling book,
forty-six years DID," and, In vein OF quiet sar-
casm, "plied the boy In the apple tree who re-
sisted grass and kind words, and wondered II he
grew to manhood and still holds high place,
from which he must needs be pelted with stones |
before he will come down from his stealing place"
Mr. Wallace indnlges in the following reminis- |
censes OF the old spelling book and OF events and |
characters which will have an interest for the |
older class Of WATonMAS readers in Washington |
county THE old spelling book now brought to |
light seems to be an edition OF 1927. The one In |
which the handsome blonde school mistress, In |
the pink dress, first pointed out TO the writer |
with her scissors suspended from her zone by
steel chain, the wonderful twenty-six letters, was
at least three years older. Although we have not
seen 1t for more than forty years it's pages and
lessons are quite vivid in memory. The well
trodden path from Alb to nosyllabes, which
the big boy persisted in calling Molly Sinables,
Is not yet quite grassed over. There was n
frontispiece In the early edition, Grecian temple
upon lofty acropois, with knowledge in
scribed upon broad freze above its Doric col
umns, and surmounted by dome and spire, upon
which was a vane, with the legend Fame
signifyng, perhaps, that knowledge is substan-
OF the wind . 1t was a proud day with
the little class when they got over to Baker
which was a kind OF haven where they cast anchor
for n while and looked back over tile voyage,
turned over a few leaves ahead to take q peep at
the lessons yet to come containing the hard
words that had such an awful lot of sinabes
in them. 1t is hardly to be doubted that the
Hon. Sidney Edgerton felt more pride in getting
to Baker than to the governorship Of territory
There was an audible smile when the smallest boy
read how the virtue in the stones made the young
saucebox hasten down from the tree and beg the
| old mans puddinl So cool a demand for pud-
| ding under the circumstances, had no precedent,
| but 1t evinced in the lad remarkable procivties
to craftsmanship. Doubtless the milkmad still
laments her catastrophe, and signs over disap-
| pointed hopes for the green dress. . . The
| fox in the brambles may yet be tormented with
| flies. The lawyer and farmer are doubtless in
| consultation as they were forty-eight years ago.
| 1t would be interesting to know who was the
| artist that made those illustrations. Perhaps 1t
| was the grandfather of Mast. Whoever he may
have been we think he found the original Of HIS
stately old lawyer, with rutiied shirt short
| brooches, and great shoe buckles, sitting erecty
in his high back office chair, either in the person
Of Zephania Swift or David Dagget, Connect
| cuts two great lawyers Of the old school, though
| neither of them had many IFS and . IFS or
reservations in their opinions. The
last reading lesson was n few verses OF the grand
| old Hebrew injunction, Remember now thy
Creator in the days OF thy youth, while the evil
days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when
possible this copy Of webster's spelling book is
| the only one extant and it should be preserved
| for the generations to come. We had rather pos
| sess II than all the islands Of the sea. Several
years ago we made inquiry for 1t in the old school
district, but 1t not to be found A few only
had seen 1t face to face. new generation had
arisen who knew not Webster We inquired for
the little bue-eyed girl who kept hers neat and
free from dogs ears and thumb marks for several
summers, thinking surely we should find 1t with
her, but the answer came, Dead forty years.
One day 1885, when the class had got well into
the long words school didn't keep There was
a commotion, extraordinary, in the usually quiet
streets of the pleasant village OF Waterbury, Yer
mont. Coaches and four and coaches and six
dashed around the sign post in front OF the viii
lage tavern (there were no hotels or houses
in the country then, nor was 1t so large as Mr..
Weddels tavern in Cleveland), and great null
titnde of people uttered joyous exclamation,
Welcome In Fayettel' Afew weeks aiterward,
away beyond the Potomac, three thousand
mounted men OF Virginia nanked three sides OF
the lawn in front of Monticello. venerable and
infrm man came out of the door with head UNI
covered and, unattended, shufled along down
down the central walk to welcome guest. The
same momt mt the guest, tall and stately, left his
carriage, alike unattended, to meet his hest.
Upon their near approach, in the center of that
hollow square, the first, with voice tremuious
with emotion, exclaimed, All, La Fayettel' The
other responded, All Jeffersonl And the
statesman and the soldier rushed into each other
embrace and cried like children, and Monticello
rang with applause. , Then Ezra But
Ter of Waterbury, farmer Baptist minister, and
statesman, was governor of Vermont. Governor
Paul Dillingham; was then handsome young
lawyer, possessed Of forensic abilities of high
order, whose eye is not dimmed, nor his natural
force abated nor has eighty years whiiened lock
of his raven hair. Henry F. James, dark, solemn
and profound was his formidable opponent, and
the first II not the only man elected to congress
on the issues engendered by the anti-Masonic
whrlwnd Matthew Hale Carpenter, afterwards
Mr.. Dillingham's son-in-law, was then q lad,
coming his lessons in the famous spelling book
in an adjoining town, while the state he was des-
tined to represent in the United States senate was
a wilderness, untraversed save by the indigenous
Indian. Henry NJ. Rice, late United States sena-
tor OF Minnesota, well known to many Cleveland
gentlemen, who by him have been led to fortunes
on the shores and Islands of Lake Superior, was
but little later an accomplished clerk and ac'
countant in the principal village store Affable
and kindly, he would compromise with rustic
| BOYS, and give each n handful of raisins II they
would cePse tn pick the dry Goldfish or to puiloin
the maple sugar. Colonel Jonathan 2. Miller had
then lust returned from Athens and the isles Of
Greece, full of inspiration and Greek fire, while
Samuel Prentiss, father Of our Judge 5 b. Prem.
tiss, was VermOnts most distinguished United
States senator and profound lawyer. Colonel
l. Evaque (Angcized lie Vske), the high. pirited
Frenchman and sturdy patriot, who came in the
same ship, rs one Of the suite of La Eayette and
served through the revolution, and settled upon
the bounty land granted him by government in
the adjoining town of Bolton, which for many
years he represented in the legislature, unhappy
was not present at Waterbury to greet again hi.
great compatriot and leader, having died Just be-
fore the arrival Of La Fayette but the great
Frenchman did honor to the memory of his
countryman, compatriCt and early friend by call.
ing at his late residence at Bolton on his way Il
Burlington, known for many years after.as the
| Old lie Wake place" n stage tavern, before
railroads, located upon broad and beautiful
meadow, through which flows the Winooski, un
der the frowning cliff of Kicker mountain that
rears Its almost perpendicular southern front OF
| AaEa 10 he
lofter Cancels Hump beyond the river At Bur.
lington La Fayette participated in the ceremonies
OF laying the corner stone OF the University OF
Vermont, and Mr.. W. j. Warner OF Cleveland
then a young mason, whose craft Mr.. Choatt
once dignihed and exalted, when he characterized
a mason a. "a beIutifer and an adorner Of
cities pref AIRED the foundation and corner stone
and with his own hand spread the mortar, while
La Fayette touched the rope by which the STONE
with its legend was lowered to its place. And a.
| II condolences would never cease, two grandson,
of Colonel lie Wake, born upon that old home
/, | stead ,-George j. and W. C. lie Nake-are reputa
Bile citizens and prominent business men of Cleye
land nhertors OF the patriotic spirit, and who
preserve many of the old legends and stories re
: lated of their distinguished grandfather. Fou
sons OF Colonel lie Wake we're officers in the wa
of 1872 enc was upon General SCOTS staff, ant
one subsequently lost his life in the Mexican war
! A more remarkable coincidence still, connecting
Cleveland with the historic past, and especial!
with the visit OF La Fayette in 1870, is the FAC
: | that his private coach, made in Paris, brough
with him In his ship, and in which he made tn
tour of the country, In still in existence, ntac
and perfect, save the bright colors OF its rich NJ
! HOSIERY which time and dust have faded AM
. | dimmed This coach is owned by Mr.. Clinton
= | French OF Cleveland, native of Barre, Vermont
! and a lineal descendant Of William French Q
. Westminster, Vermont, whose blood, with DANTE
y Houghtons, was the first shed in the revolution
/ March 18TH 1875, to whose memory and homo
> the state erected IA monument in 1875. Mr.. Frenc
: is devoted collector Of antiques, especially /
the line of books, documents and histories
| souvenirs, aud the coach Of La Fayette Is but on
9 of the many valuable and costly treasures OF hi
cabinet of wonders and curosities. II is an elal
: orately wrought and highly finished carriage
the style Of the Napoleonc period and Of the tiri
u empire. Too heavy for ordinary service with
n single pair of horses-fOur-horse power bein
= requisite for facility of movement-t has escape
&c common use, and consequently 1t Is in a goo
y state OF preservation and but little worn. 1t
II well housed and cared for by its owner Retire
v upon its historic dignity and fame, 1t never al
pear upon the strt cts except In professions raj
y occasions OF national rejoicing or public sorrow
q. CHFIsEA-Mrs, Amos Emery died on Wedne
It day of last week after long and very sever
u illness Funeral services were held ON Friday q
IT her late residence and at the church at Ea
rs Brookield, Rev Mr.. HerTick officiating. Meet
I'd iugs are continued at both churches this weel
T. Rev. H. A. Spencer, presiding elder, assisting III
N Methodist pastor, ...,Rev. W. II Davis was
N town on business last week. Miss Nellie Xii
s. son of Montpelier is visiting her grandfather
AT Alonzo Jones. .. A promenade concert and oystt
~ supper IL advertised to be given at the hotel nP'
b. Friday evening. Warren A. Spear and famil
De are visiting at Harvey Roberts w. ID. Lair