The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-10
The Centennial Celebration and Veteran
Reunion at Chelsea.

The Centennial Celebration and Veteran
Reunion at Chelsea.
The banner day at Chelsea was Thursday,
September 4th, it being the celebration OF the
one hundredth anniversary Of the settlement
OF the town. The day, which had been looked
forward to so long by its inhabitants who had
been working to make it a success, dawned
clear, bright and warm. Old "Sol," as he
peeped from behind the hills, was welcomed
by the peal OF the village bells and thunder of
the cannon from Camp John B. Mead. Many
OF the houses and principal business blocks
were festooned with red, white and blue drap-
cry, flags waved across the streets and from
nearly every corner An arch in red. white
and blue across the street opposite the grand
stand on South common bore the inscription,
" "1774-W Welcome-1884. At ten o'clock A. NJ
the procession formed in front of the court
house under the direction OF the chief marshal,
Capt. w. II. H. Hall, and his aids, E. R. Hyde,
]. L Bacon, DR.. S. N. Goss, E. o. Tracy and
E. N. Bacon, in the following order: U) Chel-
sea Cornet Band, sixteen pieces, Curtis S. Emery
drum major. (2) Waterson Post, No. 40, Grand
Army of the Republic thirty-six guns George F.
Reed commanding. (3) Carriages containing
speakers, town officers and invited guests
carriages containing aged residents born in
town, among whom were Mrs. Lydia Hood,
81. Perley c. Wills, Sc, Amos s. Hatch, 83,
Salmon j. Moore, SO, Anson Wills, "a, and Ed
ward Douglas, 80. (4) Representations of the
styles and customs OF one hundred years ago
first by an Indian family of four, including the
pappoose. Then came the frontersman plod-
ding along on foot; then mounted frontiers
man, with his long fiint-lock gun slung across
his back Next was an immigrant wagon COW
cred with green boughs to shelter them from
the scorchng sun until place for a house
could be selected As the scene moves we find
log hut, the genuine settlers log cabin; the
smoke is curling from the pipe chimney tow
headed children gaze from the square-paneled
windows; the man OF the house, as he leisurely
smokes his pipe, is chopping wood at the door
to keep the pot boiling, while his wife comes to
the door to hurry him up Next come soldiers
in the costume Of Miles Standsh. As the pam
Drama changes we find the farmer and his wife
going to town on cart the wheels cut from
logs, and drawn by "Old Buck" htched be-
tween the shafts. The old-stye drawing-room
next takes our attention, and here we have the
busy maids and housewife hstcheling flax,
carding tow and spinning linen, while the
gran looks up from her knitting and
smiles on the busy throng; the baby sleeps in
its high-topped cradle while its father rocks il
to and fro; the furniture is the substantial sort
that never breaks down, the walls are bare and
the windows uncovered. Now comes another
change and we behold the drawing room of to-
day. ladies and gentlemen dressed in the latest
styles are seated about in easy chairs, finely.
dressed children fit about at play, books and
music are on the center-table, elegant lace cur.
tains adorn the windows, and a rich carpet on
the floor the daisy" belle and the "aw.so-fine'
dude are here. After these changing scenes
come (5) Chelsea Hook and Ladder Company,
tastily uniformed, III. c. BirchmoIe as captain.
(6) New road machine, driven by Milton Mat.
toon. ~ West Randolph Mechanics Band,
seventeen pieces, j. W. Gabrielle drum major.
(S) Orange County Veteran Soldiers Associa-
tion, General Stephen Thomas commanding.
10y STAFFORD Cornet Band. (10) Orange County
Sons OF Veterans, II. o. Bixby commanding,
(11) Twelve-pounder brass field piece (l2)
Drum corps. (13) Citizens on foot (14) Citi-
zens in carriages The line OF march was up
Main street to Douglass square, countermarch
down Main to North common east side North
and South common, back to Main and South
common, where the ranks were broken. The
procession extended from Tracy's bridge to
North bridge The crowd now dispersed for
dinner, after which ample time was given
them before the address to visit the town hall
which had been turned into u museum of an
cient relics. Here were found relics of the past
from fifty to two hundred and fifty years old.
Among them we noticed two fine oil paintings
over one hundred years old, the property OF
Mrs. j. P. Tracy; book printed in London in
the seventeenth century; wooden salt mortar
and wooden trenchers brought here by the
first settler. Thomas Moore; COPY of the Yer
mont Wdtchmdn, published by Hill at Mont
pelier, 1927, and also copy OF the Republican,
published at Windsor, 1910, owned by Perley
q. Wills; wedding shoe, one hundred and fifty
years old, owned by Alfred Norris glass flask,
one hundred years, Mrs. William Peters; barrel
shaped wooden flask, two hundred years, Ira
Hood; tin chandelier for candles, one hundred
years, Mrs Alonzo Noyes. The collection of
ancient books, crockery and pewter ware was
line one. Old muskets, wearing apparel and
furniture were largely exhibited, but their age
and the names of their donors we have forgot
ten. At two o'clock p. NJ. the crowd gathered
on South common for the address and other
exercises, and it Is estimated that five thousand
people were present. The order of exercises
was rs follows: Music by Chelsea Cornet Band
Introductory address by Hon. L. G. Hinckley
singing by the choir; music by West Randolph
Mechanics Band; prayer by Rev. j. f. Knapp;
music by STAFFORD Cornet Band poem by Rev.
L. +. Herrick; music by Chelsea Cornet Band
poem by Mrs. Caroline Dana Uhl OF Yonkers,
N. Y, read by Rev Frank Hatch of Hartford,
Conn; address by Thomas Hale, Esq, OF
Keene, N H., read by William b. Hale of
Northampton, Mass, and Matthew Hale of AL
bany, N. Y; letters read from few old resi-
dents who were unable to be present; music by
the bands. The address was historical sketch
of the town from its first settlement, and,
though very long, 1t held the close attention OF
the audience to its close 1t will be printed in
pamphlet form SO each family will be able to
read it at leisure. OF Mr.. HeTrlck's poem too
much cannot be said in praise. Much credit is
due the several committees and others who
have assisted in forwarding TO so successful a
climax this celebration; but especial credit is
due Capt w. ii. IL. Hall, who has had charge
Of the enterprise and given it much time and
attention. In connection with the centennial
was held the Orange County Veterans Reunion
on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Septem-
Der 3, and 8, their camp being upon Hyde
Cabots meadows between the upper and lower
villages The tents used we're those belonging
to the state brass twelve-pounder from the
state arsenal was used for firing salutes On
Wednesday few veterans went into camp,
and at sunset an attempt at dress parade was