New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-14
0HORACE GREELEY'S ROIGH INITIALH
CARVED WITH KNIFE IN TuE DOOR oF 4
VILLAGE. SCIIDJIN J>T.

CARVED WITH KNIFE IN TUE DOOM 'F
VILLAGE. SCIIovI.H Isl.
In the rhamplan Valley near the Vermont shore
N the lake lies the quiet hamlet II West Haven
This little VILLAGE l. mad" up 81 few farm h""N~
all abandoned power Ilill IN hollow by IN" f"a'-"'
an inn, known A. W,-rd's Tavern. ami ~" N4I'e"
school house. s'aldn: At III" Junction "f Nv" 'i"N'
roads, Like many other Villages and farms In H""
En.and We, Haven Ia, II, frn'ui" 81 ll'"rc'.
which !. IA. little old school house ATTENDED hy ii"r~
Greeley hen lie Il hoy. When IN" ial ana
winter term opens -nme twenty five or tIir\ pnp'
arc registered OH tn .ch"''ni. ,t"r'> roll ''''h
The ,chnlhou,c is a r'p,in"d. OH" 'iri"i fran"
binding that has watched over IL" d"'t i"> "i >N"th
&c, cra,ion, Here the grandparents Of tl" village
children Il today learned "icidin wn'.n' and
clplnrn'" and on the old nal studded door III" n>piT
Ing youth Of pas, generations have carved their nhh"'
In r,dc letters. and their po>tcrty Il fat hl.hg ny
the remaining spares.
Everything smarked Of age when tn" "h"pl house
WAS seen Ly the wrii"r-tlc well whitfield desk and
tcnchc, that stretched half way acr,'< IN" r's'n
leaving onl, a'ic that l''i t" Ia" back ~"
Of seats the wall, blotch"d hcT" and there with
glaring Few capboar> aud All old jutc bag tia'
took the place of one u! The window iii'>. IN
several PLACES wrrr stuck IA" ragged r''hl'hd' "'
n,cc> Of town meeting, or lo, stolen pacari'.
In the centre " the was an old box At"N" iull
OF cracks and contlT,rinc>S and in one corner near
tho ma tcr.> desk wa, pile Of hard maple logs saved
three feet long. for the stove.
ON "A nail at the back Of the room hung an old
and battered coch that had long AZ" t"hch IL lat
and given M The ghost. Both hands were gonc
aud the WORN, had been pnrlpincd perhaps 10y som"
m,.ch.evou, boy no,,ody hh"w, how Ipig ago This
| ,,renIcce WAS the only indication In the room 81
modern progress and that seem, " have ended with
tho clock
Auo,r the manv names and Initials cut into tho
schoollouse door ono that arrests abortion M
r.tng feature Of the room. the magic charm OF which
+, felt wherever merit Is known and rec ognizcd II
| was the name Of = hero who won the love and ad
niratio OF his cOuntrymcn by virtue n his sterling
integrity tho honest simplicity Of his nature and tho
broad reach Of his commanding genius. II was tho
name OF Horace Greeley
A. tho time the writer visited West Haven there
were people living In the district who had been his
schoolnates and who delighted In showing 10 every
conner tile desk In one corner " the room where !lA
Sat when boy At school. and also the road he travelled
when he left his home to learn the printers trade al
| tie ncghborng village Of Poultney.
| Modern progress seems to have neclc' tel West
Haven. The inhabitants still retain all the primitive
customs and traditions OF their ancestry. some OF
their methods exceedingly Ingenious especially In
| their social gatherings
| Every other Friday evening al old man from neigh
boring village conducted singing school IN the school
house singing school night was i""srG forward I!
| tho dull m0notony Of lonely Vermont winter Her,
the old folk gathered TO exchange the gossip OF The
settlement and here the love matches III the year were
started or completed. Here girl Of the village
privileged to show her preferences for her chosen swain
Tor the first time IN public and here tho writer SAN
practised an Ingenious method Of getting out OF
| possibly embarrassing sitmatOli.
| II is the scheme employed by q bashful youth Il
avoid tho modification 81 refusal when he offers him
| self TO . girl her escort home.
lilo waits until the time for the usual ten
mnutcs' intcrmssion; then. santcring up to the cir
pocket, offers to her. II she takes IT, he is accepted
Il not I've Is refused. hut he has como too late. b.,
reason Of soms other fellow getting ahead Of him. s,
| shows him tho apple the accepted from tn,
nr>t conner Aid he then understands the situation per
Without word having been spoken BY either one :" :"
| the subject. Meanwhile they have been chsttnI
about something utterly foreign to tho matter upper
| most In their minds.
| All this can 10 done 50 slyly that one Is tn,
wiser and the sting OF positive refusal IL prevent ted
| Everybody brings their own candle or lamp, ana
turniD potato serves - a candlcstick BY GlmplJ
cutting hole IN which to place tho candle