St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-08-15
Gbe CALIFORNIAN.
EARLY CALEDONIA PAPERS.

The Peacham Green Mountain PafrI-
ot.-Dr. Luther Jewett's Venture.-The
North Star Has Rival.
On a sultry day in August 1887 a
solitary horseman might xhave been
seen approaching a solitary farm
house on the Passumpsic where a
boy, Disguised as well as solitary
was helping to bring a fractured
scythe to its normal condition.
Some one has said that the SORROWS
of a thinking boy are like the griefs
of a fallen angel. l incline to that
belief if he does his thinking while
turning a grindstone under sultry
summer sun. Longfellow has cele-
brated the Hanging of the Crane"
Nv theme would be the changing
of the Scythe, " if hung where it would
need no grinding.
In due time the horseman arrived
with the first number of a newspaper
called the Caledonian, for which he
hoped the owner of the scythe would
becomea subscriber. He, however,
declined because he was taking the
North Star the only paper in the
county which ever had much age or
influence. and the new venture would
doubtless soon go the way of all the
others before it. Besides, Danville
and st. Johnsbury were near each
at the same time. Why should he
take another paper and read the
same things over again. He might
as well take another copy of the
Star. Strange idea. but widely held
when the number of those in the
whole township who had more than
one political newspaper could be
counted on ones fingers in going
once round.
At that time Ebenezer Eaton,
brother of the hero of TripOli, had
published the Danville Star for thirty
years He was man of determined
character, honest and fearless, but
bitter partisan who believed the vel
fare of his country depended on the
success of the democratic party. His
persistent energy made him a power
in the old fifth congressional district,
and his sincerity was shown in never
asking anything for himself. Frugal
and industrious, yet always poor
and in debt, he never owned a print
ing office in all his life. His weak
ness was in yielding everything to
his friends. He had no serious rival
ry in the county for many years as
the number of those who seek, find
and supply ''long-felt wants" in the
newspaper line was far less nuner-
Gus than at present.
The Green Mountain Patriot es-
tablished by Goss Brothers in Peach
am had the same politics as Josiah
Durham's Washingtonian, but less
ability Its brief day ended with the
good feeling. Peacham was then
only second to Danville in import
ance, and sought to become the
county seat; finally accepting the
academy as a compromise.
Eaton was among the first to vel
come the anti-Masonic wave, which
rolling from western New York
spread over New England and Penn
sylvania, New Hampshire alone ex-
cepted, and his warfare never ceased
until his party controlled the state.
The contest was exceedingly bitter.
1t divided neighborhoOds, churches
and families. Fathers and sons,
brothers and sisters mingled in the
strife, and the women and children
were as excited as the men. Wherev-
ertwo or three of any age or sex were
gathered together it was safe to as
sumo that Masonry was the leading
topic, Professionals went from place
to place showing and explaining the
alleged secrets of the order for %
cents admission. 1t cost but a few
shillings to go from apprentice to
templar. Those not maSOnS who
refused to oppose the order were call
ed Jacks. 1t was maintained that
no man who defended Masonry could
he Christian or patriot, and the
number of Bible texts having a direct
reference to the order was as numer-
Gus as those applied to the church of
Rome, and generally the same texts
were used against both. The blind
ing storm was bravely withstOod by
the fraternity, Harmony Lodge, num-
Der IA, in St. Johnsbury losing but
one Seceder.
1t was then that the friends of the
order resolved to establish a rival
newspaper in St. Johnsbury. Eat
on's Star, WaltOn's Waterman, and
Hills Patriot were then the only
newspapers from Windsor north to
Canada, and from the Connecticut
west to Burlington. The Star had a
field to itself, comprising at least a
population of twenty-five thousand,
of which more than two-thirds were
in Caledonia county, Orleans and
Essex supplying the remainder. Ger
tainly the field was broad enough
for another newspaper, and after
some delay DIR. Luther .Jewett, famili
airy called Old DR.. Jupiter, commenced
the Farmers Herald in July 1928.
He was an able writer and scholar,
had represented his district in Con-
gress, was a Federalist and gentle
man of the old school, and thorough
ly honest. But he was modest and
retiring, had no taste for rough po-
htical warfare, and no knowledge of
newspaper work. In 1929 he was
associated with William T. Potter
whose tastes were more for hounds,
horses and field sports generally than
for the politics of the dav and the