St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-04-27

DuslllcsS Will IIldJ vi OJllcIs, anu bhClO-
by rob themselves, the publisher and
the community of their just due. No
matter how many papers are received
from abroad, if the home paper is the
first on the list. As Il newspaper is
within the reach of nearly all the peo-
pie, it is for that reason more beneficial
as a popular educator than a college,
whose benefits are confined to "A few
persons. When the North Star first
appeared there III 1906, it was an un-
expected event, and most of the peO
pie did not fully appreciate its import
ance and were not prepared for that
new departure from their long estab-
lished habit of being without that lux
ury. Nearly all of the very few news
papers received there at that time were
in the hands of the few professional
men and merchants. Most of the fam
lilies never had a periodical of any kind
in their houses, and it required much
time and persuasion to break up old
habits, dispel indifference, create new
desires and to educate them up to
right understanding of their value.
1t must not be inferred from this that
our people were heather, or fools, or
bigots, for they were people of splendid
natural endowments, well versed in
all common business affairs, and their
traditional intelligence was very re-
markable but habit, or custom, trans
mitted from one generation to another,
becomes part of ones self, his very
life. Some people after much persua-
sion would consent to take the paper,
if permitted to pay in "dicker," and
the well-tO-dO farmers had never kept
a horse, they were pressed with work
in the summer, the roads were bad in
the winter, and there were but very
few mails, which were by horse back
and not very reliable, and, therefore,
it was extremely difficult to extend the
circulation of the paper very far from
its place of publication. NOtwithstand-
ing all those serious embarrassments,
Eaton was all the while slowly extend
ing and increasing his business. He
was the pioneer journalist who explored
that new field and prepared the ground,
from which later publishers would reap
the harvest.
After while he was enabled to en-
plOy post-riders, on the most impOr-
tant routes, to carry the papers, obtain
new subscribers, and make collections.
The celebrated William Trescott was
the first post-rider, his route being
eastward through st. Johnsbury, over
which route he travelled for about tif-
teen years. TrescOtt served in the
Revolutionary army, was among the
pioneer settlers in st. JOhnsbury, re-
moved to Danville near the beginning
of the present century, and for Il long
time lived on the east side of the street,
nearly opposite to where the COngre-
gatiOnal church was built. William
was pronounced character, rare
genius, as appeared by his discoveries,
inventions and wonderful devises, per
ilOus adventures, and narrow escapes
1t was his great delight to be seated on
his old horse, with saddle-bags filled
with and haN-infr ham nt
huge dimensions, with its small end in
serted in his bootleg. He was ut home
in every ones house, and welcome al
every ones table, when he seemed tc
have an ineXhaustible fund of news
anecdotes and stories, and was full and
bubbling over with all manner of .jo.
cundity and keen rcpartee. He wa.
also a poet of the latest pattern, as may
be learned by the following affecting
poetic effusiOn:
| How little do the farmers know
What poor posts do undergo;
We're forced to stem the wind and tide,
And go a-foot when we cant ride p
Mr.. Eaton was the only journalist,
occupant and controller of vast eX
tent of country for many years, or un
til the Waterman was started at Mont
pelier. During the first ten years o
the life of that paper our country hat
passed through many very tryinj
scenes, among which were the EN-
barge, the war, hard times, prostratiol
of business and general distress.
But during the next ten years, tn
country was in a state of general qui
etude, was rapidly regaining its forme
prosperity, and there were no particu
lar disturbing elements to excite pub
r lie attention until the autumn of IS2C
when the news of the abduction or dis
= appearance of William Morgan reache
every part of the country immediately
f as if by thousands of electrical wire
: which created a tremendous disturb
2 ance among the people generally
: whose sudden and violent shaking IL
f was so intense that it appeared thu
2 those cOnvulsive upheavals, whic
t shook the very foundations of all inst
/ tutiOns, would turn and overturn an
0 disintegrate all the bonds of cOnfider
t tial union which had long been IL
e strong anchor of faith and hope in a
f social organizations, and also in IL
: great body polite. That strange e,
;, citement pervaded the arenas of pol
|, tics, churches, neighbOrhoods, and fan
e lilies. Three distinct parties immediat
Y ately came into existence. The Mason
Il marty was the smallest in Numbers AZ