News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-03

X
only to the many relatives and friends
but to our Lamoille County readers.
Dexter Whiting was born in New Bos
ton, n. H., Aug. 9th, 1902. He was thu
eldest of three sons, Harris and Calvin
being younger, and there were beside!
seven sisters. Of these ten children O.
Geary Whiting and Nabby Starrett only
he and Hannah Whiting Clark, of Elk
hart, Ind, are living. The latter has
spent more than twenty lonely years
since her husband and children passed
away, and twenty-siX years ago Uncle
Dexter gave his last goodbye to his last
daughter.
So far as he can now recall, he cut his
teeth, first and second sets, had measles
and whooping-cOugh mumps, &C., with
out any unusual attending circum-
stances. He must have had the bump OF
locality largely developed, for instead OF
being a neutrality-suspicious.
country young man, till % years of age
he staid in his native place, except that
for three summers he worked in a neigh
boring town, during which absences he
once narrowly escaped death by drown
ing, and another time by being tipped
over with a load of hay; he, the load
and three pitchforks rolled over and over
| three times, the hay was demOraliZed,
and the pitchforks broken. but he came
out fright side up with care"
April "a, 1928, when 25 years of age.
he was married to Mary Stone, also of
New Boston, and in 1882, accompanied
by his wife and daughter (having buried
their oldest and only son in New Boston,
| and Harris Writings bride, he made the
only move Of his life-to this farm; and
a little later to this house, where we are
now assembled to-day, SO years since his
advent here. Although they made that
trip in sleigh, and not over the 2. q o.
Road, 1t was not without it's startling
event, that might have been as tragic as
any railroad accident. On steep, Slip
perry hill, leading down to a toll-bridge,
where on either unprotected side the
banks went sheer down thirty feet, the
horse took fright and ran. According to
| law, the toll-bridge was kept open thro'
February that the wood teams might
pass through. This was the last day of
February, and consequently the road
was full of these teams, but prOviden-
TALLY they met none, and the horse went
into the bridge safely, but so wild with
| excitement that two men in the bridge
were afraid to attempt to quiet or hold
him. Meantime Harris Whiting and
Mrs. Dexter Writings brother were
slowly dragging their way northward
hold goods.
Let us imagine the scene that greeted
the eyes of these newcomers as they en-
tered johnson village in early March,
1882. If they came from Hyde Park, it
was through the pasture of L. j. Baker,
for the gulf roads were not then cut
through the hills. The cemetery, with
fewer graves and headstones than now,
was there (the earliest date one now finds
there is 1909 to remind these young peO-
pie that death also had found his way to
these hills before them. Up that busy
street stood only one house, the old JUS
tus Dodge place, now owned by William
Leslie. Mr.. Caldwell came about the
same time and built the next year. The
cold spring was flowing as now, but it
was then a steep climb on to the Acad-
envy hill, where stood the ''old red school
house, (which was soon moved across the
street to make room for the Academy
building, since twice rebuilt and
changed to its present status. In the
Joseph Baker house lived Uriah Water
man, and across the street stood the
''old red store" long since gone to de-
struction. Thomas Waterman was run
ming the Meigs hotel, then a new and
grand building, and Mr.. Lyman was
in the other afterwards the Allen House,
Mr.. Allen coming the next year. joseph
Doane's house was the one occupied by
Joel Barlow, and across the street stood
Darius Holmes and Mrs. Parmalee's
hOuses-the latter then hat factory.
Over the bridge was the Chesamore
house. then new, and Mrs. Chamberlain's
was at that time occupied by a certain
BuShrod Russell.
AS they crossed the bridge and passed
the mill on ''Pollywog Street. lit was so
called in my early days. if Aunt Mary
looked out curiOusly to see who were to
be her neighbors, but four of the houses
now standing greeted her eyes-those
now PIE by MI h hewis a and MI
other. 1t is much to be doubted if tire
occupants of any house in the. village
then were to look on them now they
would recognize them, unless it be the
old hotels. Of course there were little
old log houses and others that have
passed away, but it was small village
yet such are times changes that the
town had almost or quite as large a pop
ulatiOn, and the farms were as well well clear
ed and more highly is tiiy productive and Guilt
waited than now.
The first Academy principal was Mr..
Carpenter. The Congregational church
was organized and the new church (now
The first man to preach in it was Mr..
Scott, then Mr.. Warren, and next Mr..
Jones, followed by Revs. Beckwith and
Dean, and then our dear DR.. Dougherty.
Except the two who to-day send greet
ings by letter, Rev. Ezra Jones, now
retired pastor in Phelps, New York, and
Rev. A. Dean, just entering the pastor
ate of Presbyterian church in Muncy.
Penn, the others rest from their labors
and their works do follow them"
To this new home on the hillside, first
by the tannery, and afterwards on this
very spot, came four baby girls. One
was snatched away in tragedy of fire,
and the baby, Laura, after few sunny,
smiling, years followed on. Emily, Julia
and Abbie grew up beautiful, loving and
beloved, but as each was developing into
Womanhood she was taken to that ''far,
faire cOuntrie, whence no traveller sends
greeting or returns but through all the
chances and the changes of the years
since gone by, their names and memo
rles have been held previously dear in the
hearts of their childhood's friends scat
tered all over the world.
Though Uncle Dexter has been sent
neither to States Prison, nor the Legis-
lature, nor to Congress, he has held
other offices in the gift of people,! He
has been lister and deacon, overseer of
the roads and the poor, and selectman,
and wherever he has been put to do a
work, he has done that work we'll and
faithfully; none can do more. AS we
meet to celebrate his SD birthday, we
hear that another fellow toWnsman just
his age, and an old resident, Mr.. William
Farnum, has passed away. All over
this broad land from Maine to Florida,
from Oregon to California, the country
is draped in mourning, the cannon are
now booming and the tolling bell calls
all together to pay life's last honors to
our brave General Grant, whom only
death was strong enough to conquer at
last. That he did his duty, simply that
and nothing more, in his country's crisis
hour, is the reason of this mourning
over the entire land. But it was made
possible for him to lead his battalions to
victory, only because they were made
up of men who knew how to ''Stand in
their lot till the end of their days. of
just such men as Uncle Dexter always
has been, men who are the bone and
slneW Of our country; and mourning for
Grant, the leader, we are also through
him paying our tribute of tears to all
our brave SOldier-dead.
Eighty-two years Looking backwards
over the steep uphill where you have
tolled, over the weary, long and some
tunes dark and dreary way, may bring
sad thoughts. But as you now go hand
In hand with your loving, faithful wife,
down the sunny slope now before you,
the outlook is beautiful and bright be,
You'd what the ''eye hath seen, ear heard
or 1t hath entered into the heart of man
H0nnnIUn Of