The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-10
VERMONT SCISSORS DRIVERS.
ON THE AN. vUAL EXCURSION.


OF BrattlebOrO's Picturesque Surround.
ings-Banquet and Flow of Wit and keas-
ON at the brooks HOSse-On for Block
leland.
The annual meeting of the Vermont Press
association at this place Wednesday was far
the largest and most successful gathering the
organization has ever held. This O'Clock
train brought 70 members Of the association
and invited guests and another crowd Of nearly
as many more followed at 5 o'clock. Every
room at the Brooas and American bosses, at
Bliss and Salisbury's was filed, and then the
private residences Of Coils Fuller, Hooker,
Estey and Haskins, of N Hawley, b D. Har-
ris. Davenport, d Leonard and others had
to be thrown open to accommodate the crowd.
Nearly every newspaper in the state was rep
resented, with many OF the job printing estab-
lishments and attaches of the craft in various
ways. An unusual feature OF the entertain
ment this year was the invitation to the public
men OF the state to join it, to broaden the ac-
quaintance of the journalists with our men and
affairs. If this is made permanent thing it
will be valuable thing to the profession. The
aspirants for political honors in the future were
of course nearly all present. Among the prom
inent men of the state who were present were
Lieut. Gov Ormsbee, Hol ] X Batchelder of
Bennington, State Treasurer Dubois, Auditor
Powell, eX-Gov Proctor of Rutland, Judge
Hoyt II Wheeler, ex-Gov Holbrook Of Brat
tleboro, Judge W 6 Veasey Of Rutland. Hon
G S Page of Hyde Park, Col Kitti idge Haskins,
Col Geo w Hooker. Hon James l. Martin, ex-
Congressman M Tyler, Hon H ID Hoton and
Hon B d Harris of Bratteboro, and Mayor U
A Woo lbury OF Burlington.
The local editors, publishers and printers had
invited the assoc alton to be their guests IN Brat
tleboro, and every exertion was made to show
Brattleboro at its BEST A committee, consist
ing of Geo i Crowell, ID Leonard and d B
Stedman met the visitors at the depot to assign
them to their various stopping places without
friction. Carriages were kept at the service Of
the party from to 6 o'clock, and Gee + Sell
leck looked out to see that every one who de-
sired was taken out to drive by the asylum,
the asylum park, Highland park, by Estey's
shops, around the brow of Prospect street, and
through the cemetery. Some OF the carriage
parties were also taken by the cascade, through
the pine grove and the arbored road leading to
the Royal Woods place-wthout exception the
most delicious drive in New England. Anoth-
er lovely route above Esteyville, by the Thayer
place to Centerville was taken by some, while
others drove by the grounds OF the Glenwood
seminary, and courteous drivers pointed on
the various routes the new high school
and the other public buildings, the fine resi-
dences, the Fisk monument and all the other
places of interest in town. The universal ex-
preston was one of delight and appreciation
of the fact, which we have always claimed that
Brattleboro with her natural beauties of hill
and vale of landscape.and river views, of shad-
eu Slreets, dVeuueu ceiuetefy, puDllC parks,
public and private structures of architectural
beauty, and general air of cleanliness and con-
tent is one of the most beautiful towns of New
England.
Att p m the business meeting of the associa-
ton was held, but the regular order was sus-
pended and little done, except to vote in War
rem Gibbs of the st Adams Messenger, Addie
+ Davis of the REFoRMER, Chas F Walter of
the st Johnsburv Republican, A B Hoyt of the
Danville North Star and L L Davis of the firm
Of Selleck g. Davis, Brattleboro, as members Of
the association.
Then followed the banquet, at which every
one Of the two hundred seats in the spacious
dining hall of the Brooks house was occupied.
The party consisted of one hundred and forty
journalists, printers, and guests from abroad,
twenty members of the local craft, including
ladies' and forty invited local guests. Hon D
Harris as a veteran Brattleboro editor presided
with Lieut-Gov Ormsbee on his right and Judge
H H Wheeler on the left, and by their sides
were Judge Veazey, Ex-Govs Proctor and
Holbrook, Hon X Batchelder, State Auditor
E H Powell and Hon w H Du Bots. Mr. Har-
ris made the address of welcome as follows:
"The agreeable duty has been assigned to
me, Mr. President and gentlemen of the Ver-
mont editors and publishers association, of ex.
pressing to you and your guests, on behalf of
the members of your profession and craft re-
siding here, the very great pleasure they have |
in welcoming you to Brattleboro and tC s1ch |
and Inequalities as they are able to
offer you. And by the lorna phrase gentle |
men of the association" it goes without say |
ing that mean also, and especially, the ladies !
who are with you and OF you; for have learn |
ed from observation, and more, perhaps, from |
q youthful experience of half dozen years in |
your profession, that there is often in editorial
life, as elsewhere, power behind the throne
more potent and usually more .benefcent than
the throne itself; and he who speaks of the
periodical press Of to-day without recognizing |
The feminine element in it and the feminine in
duence that pervades it, omits that which in
spires and nourishes to fruition the major part
Of all that is best and purest in your work.
Perhaps ought to say right here, at the out.
set, by way of caution and mitigation, as it
were, that if, in your familiar intercourse with
our people, and especially with your profess
sional brethren here, you find us somewhat |
prone to eXaggerate our local aItractions-even
to boastfulness, as has sometimes been limited,
| believe-I trust you may discover somewhat
in our surroundings to palliate,i not to Justify,
The afiectionate Partially with which we and
all other true sons and daughters of BrattlebOro
regard our home. But whether we have much
Or little to challenge your approval, whatever
we have or are-tO use conventional oriental |
phrase, tempered however in this case with |
western sincerity-is yours to use and enjoy. |
Dur only regret is that the exceeding brevity
If your stay will furnish no chance for torma
ion OF close personal acquaintanceship, which it |
would afford us much satisfaction to cultivate |
With each one OF you.
And now, having said these few formal
words of welcome in behalf of others, in which |
f there Is any lack Of cordially and warmth,
he GOODNESS is in the words only and not at all
n the hearts of those for whom | speak, l am
strongly tempted to seize the opportunity on
ny own account, having you thus at dlsadvan-
age, which may not and, if you are wise, GER
ainly will not happen again, initiating the cx-
,1,,la Of nf nipko NOT final hi |
Wegg-!ike to drop (not into poetry
nto "Reminiscences for moment, and it must be
or q moment only. So swift is the flight Of
ime, and so rapidly do the animated figures on
he chessboard of life come and go, that-al-
hough have scarcely yet attained to years
hat may fairly be termed patriarchal, perhaps
after careful scrutiny can discover in this
arge assembly of active and mature men,
ONE of you already bearing the impress Of
ears, the face of only one man whose profess
ional life dates back to the time when my act
We editorial service began,-and that is the
road, honest, genial face of my near neighbor
nd friend and your worthy president A N
twain of the Bellows Falls Times, whose pa
lent continuance in well doing has had its re-
yard, not only In material prosperity, as l am
appy to believe, but in deservedly high place
4 the confidence and esteem of his fellow men.
lime and your patience will permit me to make
rief mention of only few of my more prom
lent contemporaries. There were Bishop and
'racy of the Chronicle at Windsor-conscicn-
ous and sturdy defenders of the faith that was
them; and there was Chadwick of the Gale
oman at st Johnsbury; and the elder Eaton
the North Star at Danville. At Montpelier
here was z Walton, Jr, of the Waterman,
1e acknowledged leader, as be is now the Mes
Dr. of the Vermont press; and Charles 6
Eastman of the Patriot, the charming poet and
,fned, genial gentleman; and Daniel P Thomp- :
On, followed by Chas w Willard of the Free
lan-each of whom, though in different way,
1T his mark on the times in which be lived. I