Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-01-15
The SO. Londonderry Post Office.
Wood RemOUed and II. ". God
ddrd Put in his Place.
The History Of the Case.

LETTER WOODS PERSONAL RECORD AND
STANDING WHAT HE SAYS ron HIMSELF AND
HIS FRIENDS SAY FOR HIM.
The trouble in the South Londonderry
post office eliminated last Saturday in an an
nouncement from the department at Wash
ington of the removal of Il. NJ Wood, the
Democratic successor Of G.. G. smith, and
the appointment Of II. W. Goddard in his
place. The matter being the one absorbing
theme Of conversation in Londonderry, and
having attracted no little attention outside,
the occasion seems to warrant as full a state.
ment as can be made in short compass of the
facts and circumstances which are involved.
Col. PeabOdy's Local Career.
In the minds of those who are best ac-
quainttd with Londonderry affairs the his
torical part Of the case reaches back TO the
career of II. o. Peabody in South London
derry, because it is held by these persons
that Mr. Wood was appointed postmaster at
the earnest solicitation or demand Of Peabody
and as a reward to him for the persecution
which he claimed that Londonderry Republi-
can "hot-heads" had inflicted upon him.
Peabody came to South Londonderry in the
fall of 1880, about the time the railroad went
into operation, and bought and took posses.
sion Of the hotel, several prominent citizens
backing him. The next year the hotel was
burned, whereupon the citizens both to help
Peabody and to benefit the village, raised
contribution for him of $500 toward rebuild
ing. He rebuilt the house and was further
helped by the loan of money on mortgage to
the extent Of some $4,000. Up to this time
Peabody had been generally esteemed good
citizen and the right kind of man on the
whole to have in the house, but after getting
into the new hotel in 1882 he became involved
in debt through bad management and began
gradually to go down hill and to get into dis
favor with the better class of Londonderry
people. Contrary to the wish of the men
who backed him he sold liquor, and his house
gradually gained bad reputation until, by
the time the campaign of 1884 opened he
found himself practically disfellowshipped by
his old Republican allies and he came out AZ
a Democratic independent or mugwump,
though up to this time he had been known AS
a red hot Republican. Before the change
in his politics came the citizens of the village
had seriously cons dered how they should
bring about better state of things at the no.
tel during the summer matters went from bad
to worse, and finally when September came,
Peabody was prosecuted for selling liquor.
This prosecution was for second offense,
the first offense having been committed in
Windsor county, and he fed the state, going
TO Keene, N. II. His wife, who was taken sick
soon after grew worse and after time j. l..
the financial backing of the hotel, wrote, or
sent him word, to come back and attend to his
wife and he Martin would become bail for him.
Peabody came back aud his bail was cut down
TO minimum sum because OF his wfe's sick
ness and because he explicitly promised to
quit the rum business promise which be
did not keep, he having been prosecuted for
peddling liquor in Windsor county last De.
cember, 1885. Mrs. Peabody's death follow
Al.
and in the spring OF 1885 Peabody's creditors
paid him $500 for his homestead right in the
hotel and the property passed into their hands
outright Thereupon Peabody left town for
good.
a Reward for Peabody.
When the Democratic administration came
in it is understood that Peabody went to Hi
ram Atkins and told him how the malignant
Republicans of Londonderry had prosecuted
him for his opinions sake because he had
dared to take up on the Democratic side how
they had ruined his business destroyed the
value of his property, aud literally drove him
out of town. And now" he said, Il ask
nothing for myself, but ~ my sole reward
want to see my friend, F. NJ. Wood, appoint
ed postmaster at South Londonderry
This, as We have said, is claimed to be the
ground, in substance, on which the demand
for Wood 8 appointment was founded Woods
petition, which was started in due time. was
mostly signed by the Democrats OF North
Derry, familiarly known in former days as
the "secesh." There are said to be only ~
Democrats among the patrons of the South
Derry office, aud of them only two signed
Woods petition. His petition was endorsed
by @. IL. Davenport of the Windham County
Reformer and Lawyer Martin II. Goddard of
Ludlow, with which backing his appointment
followed so that he took possession of the Of
fee in August
Before his appointment Wood obtained af.
fdsvits charging G.. G. Smith, the Repuhi-
can postmaster, with offensive partisanship,
and Smith, realizing that a change must
come, attempted to protect his own business
az merchant by moving to keep the Office as
near his store as possible, the other stores be-
ing 40 rods further up town, where be natural
ly did not wish the office to go. Smith, there.
FORE according to the understanding which
is current in the village, made a proposition
| through his partner Taylor, to Wood to re-
sign in Woods favor, if Wood would agree
that the post Office should not be moved up
street above his store. This was agreed to
by Wood, and Smith resigned accordingly.
The ex postmasters father Larkin Smith,
J and S. n. Holden became bondsmen for
Wood, a fact which is said to also involve
trade, for, according to Holden, when the elder
| pAAAhA o'hoA AALA W oikh NOOh OOuho nc AZ
first declined, but finally consented on being
assured by Smith that the office would remain
in his sons store-G. G. Smith also promis-
ing to indemnify Mr.. Holden against loss
| from any act of Woods. The office has re-
manned in Smiths store and under the trade
with Wood Smith has received one half the
proceeds.
OF Woods personal character and record
in Londonderry it should be said, in passing
that he came to town some two years or more
ago from Worcester, Mass. His age is prob
ably about 80 years. He boarded at the ho-
tel where his friendship with Peabody was
formed. He is given to the use of liquor,
frequently to excess, and his inclinations
and affiliations are not in keeping with
the tone of temperance and morality
which marks the village of South London
derry in high degree. This fact led many
people to feel that Woods selection for post
master was an afIront to the community. His
business has been that of a lumber dealer
and he has owned and run a portable saw
mill where chair stock has been got out.
The Lost Letter.
Nothing out of the usual order of events
seems to have marked Woods administration
Of the post office until money letter mailed
by f. Winchester, dealer in hardware and
stoves Dec. 7, was lost and has never been
| heard from, 1t seems TO have been the cus