Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-01-09
BELLOWS FALLS.

BELLOWS FALLS.
The Good Name of One of the Brightest
Villages Defended---An Amusing set-to
with Incredulous Census Officials"-A
Good Budget of Local News.
In going about the different localities Of
| Of New England we frequently hear Of
some Of our principal citizens who have
been in the same localities as having spoken
of Bellows Falls in terms greatly TO our
discredit as a village. Too often is the re
mark made by residents Of other villages
4 and cities, "such a one says that Bellows
/ Falls is the worst place in the state or
even giving it a much broader comparison.
| Aud these persons are our own people, too.
| Now this has for months led us TO feel that
as a people we are not as loyal 20 our own
| pretty village as we ought TO be, in our own
personal or collective interests Few poo
| pie appreciate to what an extent this goes,
/ or TO how large an extent this thoughtless
matter is moulding public opinion in other
| localities as to us as a village and people,
II can but work largely TO our detriment,
both individually and as a municipality,
| and il would seem to be a matter more Of
thoughtlessness on the part of those who
should have our best interests at heart, than
wish to injure, or a conviction that such
is the truth Who can say that we have
not as pretty a location and as great Rd-
vantages as TO location and natural 'ur-
roundings as any place IN our country
Who can say that we have not some as large
hearted. generous and publcspirited citi-
zens as most any other place Our princi-
pal industry is one that does not seem as
open to the fluctuations of hard or easy
L 4
and no one will deny that we have very
many things in our composition, surround
ings aud makeup. 10 warrant every person
in Just pride of our village. 1t is also
true there are some things of which we
must say other places do better than we,
some things that as community we de
plore, but instead Of giving outsiders to un-
derstand that our whole village is TO be
Judged by those few things, we feel it would
be much better to, at home, work for the
right, trying to improve those things but
when away from home and among others
who are forming their judgment as to Bel
lows Falls by what its own residents say of it,
we should be careful not to, in our coudemna-
ton of the unpleasant side, do ourselves the
very great injustice Of giving outsiders the
impression that our beautiful village is to be
judged by few unfortunate matters in
stead Of the hundreds Of things which can
in truth he said Of us, greatly to our credit
Such work aud care. if cOnscientlousy done
and such influences given. would yield re
suits Of incalcuable benefit to our interests
in all ways Who ever heard of the re
mark being made in public, at home or
abroad, by a citizen of Brattleboro Bur
lington, st. Johnsbury, or many other like
places. "Our village is the worst one in
New England - And ct We have as good
citizens here, and probably as many natural
advantages in our surroundings as they.
They without doubt have a dark side as well
AS every village, but they do not strive to
have their places Judged 10y the dark instead
Of the brighter side, which We certainly
have as well as they. Is this not matter
in which every one Of our residents would
do well to have care, work our best TO
improve the things which are many, hut not
let others Judge our place 10y that instead
of the better side which We certainly have
Census Enumerator Ball Has Some Fun
with the Bureau.
Census Enumerator G. F. Ball Of our vii
lage seems to have been having a hard time
convincing the department at Washington
that we have an unusually healthy village
here Our village was divided into two
districts one Of which he had the duty
OF enumerating The returns made II
necessary, among other Information, to
give the number Of deaths occurring from
Jan. to June /, at which time the work
began. In the other district, which was
presided over by DR. f. ). Allbee, there
we're five deaths in the time, but in Mr.
Balls there were none, and he 50 reported
The census bureau replied that he must lie
in error, as by the law of averages there
should have been nine deaths in the five
months in the whole village, and for time
the bureau refused to pay him for his work
| He solemnly averred to the officials that he
could not furnish the required corpses in
| legitimate manner. and did not want TO in
any other way. At last, after furnishing
the certificates of all the physicians and un-
dertakers of the village that there were
but the five deaths, he has this week been
paid, and the fact Of the extreme healthy
condition of our village is thus established
beyond question.
The heavy SHOWS and ice badly smashed
the skylights Of the Photographic studio
lately occupied by Phillips IN Fairs block,
aud the roof was last week replaced in its
original shape.
During last week the selectmen went
/ over ell the principal roads of the town and
| through the streets of our village with a
heavy farm roller, rolling down the snow
/ on each side so that firm hard road fifteen
| feet wide, is now had all over the town. We
/ believe this 10 be the first time that such
/ method has been used here, and there GER
/ tainly never was time when the roads Of
/ the town we're in as good shape all about
when there was so large a body Of snow on
| the ground The roller was not as heavy
rs it should have been to give the best re
/ suits, and the seectmen have decided to
have roller built on purpose, weighing
| about two tons, 50 that future years will see
/ still better roads without very large e1
pense Much satisfaction is expressed with
the experiment.
Mrs Laban Bullock Of Cambridge, Mass.
a former well known business woman of our
] village, was in town last week a short time
She will be remembered as having an eN-
tensive millinery store for many years in
Towns Hotel block, and later in the store
recently occupied by Mr. Winnewisser Her
husband, who was also well known here
died about four years ago.
The bailiffs have granted G. F. Evans
permission t. cut ice on Minard's pond un-
der certain restrictions, As provided by the
new charter, and he is at work with full
force harvesting some of the best ice Sc
cured for many years. He will put in about
800 cords. His last years cut, although
small supplied his customers through the
season with the exception of about six cords
which he bought in order to flush the month
of September Mr. Evans has the monop-
oily of the ice trade here, and his action in
supplying his customers last season and re
failing it out on the street when he had an
J ba h,l fhaf 4
have Melted him $1,000 more money, entities
him TO the confidence of our people, who
would otherwise have been left in bad shape.
There was no advance in price last year,
either. As long as such men handle it we
need not fear a monopoly.
Geo. O. Henry of Springfield, former
resident for many years, is seriously i'll at
his home in that place.
Messrs Allbee x Bodine have the con
tract for plumbing the new residence of c.
+ Robertson's on Hapgood street.
The annual meeting of the stockholders
of the National bank Of Bellows Falls, for
the election of a board of directors, occurs
next Tuesday at 10 o'clock
A noticeable improvement has been made
in the appearance of the store on the stair.
leading to School street, it having within a
few weeks been transformed from a saloon
of low grade, with tightly curtained win
dows, to a neat and attractive store with a
pretty show window 1t is being run now
by c. II. Wilson, who has fine stock Of
teas, coffees, spices, confectionery, nuts
etc., and he is worthy of good patronage.
Wednesday of this week Emory Henry
an employe Of the Fitchburg railroad
while coupling cars near the mil of Moore
Arms & Thompson, had his left arm caught
between the deadwoods of two coal cars
and crushed so severely as to necessitat,
amputation above the elbow He lives neal
the snath shop, and has family consisting