The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-03
Boarding ArOund-..NO. ).


Mr. Editor:-Six weeks have passed since
your Transient Boarder " has found time
and strength to rerort-a time of much sick
ness and falling strength, a time in which
many have passed " through the valley and
shadow of DEATH Now briefly allow me
TO recount orr itinerary. First to Bakers
field, fair farming town in the east part OF
Franklin county-a fine old educational cen
ter. Our meeting was held in the Brig
ham Academy hall. Their fine building
with its pleasant grounds costing some
100000 was the gift of Peter Bent Brigham
in 1877. Later sister of Mr.. Brigham, a
Mrs. Jacobs, left some 100000 TO the same
institution as an endowment. 1t paid Ba-
kersfield well to raise this Brigham family,
The attendance at our board meeting was
rather small, but of a bright and intelligent
class, and we got much help from the local
talent-such men as farmers Scott, Start,
Towle and others, as well az the resident
clergy. / shall not attempt any abstract of
the exercises at these meetings, as the local
and professional reporters have attended to
that Bakersfield is place of easy access
three hours ride by rail from Montpelier,
and only four miles by stage ride. 1t is
evidently the best provided with school
privileges of any town in the state.
Hyde Park next. Here we met the rep
resentative farmers of every town in
Spunky Lamoille," except Belvidere.
Hon. Waldo Brigham presided and Gov
ernor Page furnished coffee and crackers
for the crowd. A first-class new hotel made
boarding there pleasure. Sharp and in
telligent discussion by able men followed
every topic presented. The general pleas
antness of the whole affair reminded me of
story. A near-sighted old preacher, who
believed in immediate inspiration, opened
mis- Bible where it reads, And they COW
cred the ark with badger skins to his
dim sight it read, "And they covered the
ark with beggar skins" Said he "Oh, my
brethren, behold, what grand age we live
in The poor now have overseers in every
town. Poor-houses, hospitals and asylums
are provided for them. The poor are the
most indepr ndent people in a community.
But in that old time, of which my text
speaks, when man got poor, off came his
hide to cover the ark with" The ark
abideth at Hyde Park. Comment is I'M
necessary.
AT Chelsea we had a fair average gather
ing and lots of good men to help us. Dea-
con +. Dearborn presided and Major Dick
Smith, formerly of Vershire made lots of
fun. Hon. Sol. Hebard gave us a cheer
full greeting. Tarbell and Merrill were close
questioners. On. the whole, we had good
time at the old town Of Chelsea which seems
TO be frightening up wonderfully with new
red shoe-factories and other improvements.
Over the hills from Chelsea to Brookfield
Is good route for summer tourists, if they
keep sharp-shod, but when you get to
Brookfield you may just as well stop, for
you won't find a town more social, cheerful
or more refined and moral this side the
Rocky Mountains; nor will you find much
better scenery or sporting ground in Yer
mont than in the west part of Orange
county. Here we had one of the biggest
meetings of the season. A cordial and per-
Sonal welcome to each member of the board
was given by Mr.. Bigelow who also had
much to do with the most excellent music
furnished at every session. Cassius Peck
was chairman, with ID. ID. Howe as assist
ant. The men, women and children of
Brookteld, Randolph, Braintree, RoXbury
Williamstown and other towns, gave us a
talr hearing and able assistance The po-
ems by Mrs. Bacon and Mrs. Peck were fine
and worthy of preservation in our next
agricultural report. Beside the usual vote
Of approval for its new departure in adver-
Using Vermont. Brooktield has town H.
hrary, founded in 1871, and is now hourishing
after just celebrating its one hundredth an
niversary. The board took pleasure in pre-
sentlng 1t two Vermont stories by Yer
mont author, to wit: " Uncle 'Lisha's Shop"
and Sam Lovels Camps, by Rowland
E. Robinson of Ferrisburg
The next week of our work was at Brat
tleboro and Westminster. The dairyman's
meeting was success, both in numbers and
interest. There was an abundance of able
talent from in and out of the state, both to
instruct and amuse. The only trouble was |
mat three days were not long enough to |
give all that talent fair show. 1t speaks |
well Tor the association that il attracts 40 |
many men from so many states Here were |
prominent representatives from all the New |
England states, from Wisconsin, Illinois,
ONO, New York, and doubtless many other |
states, as we'll as from the provinces of the |
dominion of Canada.
AT Westminster the storm hndered the |
people from coming out in force, yet, with |
The aid of John Gould of Ohio and our old |
Iell9w Doarder, M w. Davis, we made
the lead of Master Underwood, gave good |
rare in the basement of the town house |
TOT niteen cents meal-cheap enough |
and good enough, too-but there seemed |
10 be little GOODNESS on the part of
the general community. Perhaps il was
owing to the weather. or it may have been
700 sharp contrast to the glorious meeting
we had in the same place two years ago
vi the Washington county meetings jan
uary 10 TO y, your readers have already been
told, so Will only add a few of the incidents
oy the way AS we rode over the hill from
Marshtield and came down into the vicinity
OF East Calais we saw several graves being
dug; 1t looked little ominous, but from
our KIND reception we soon concluded they
were not meant for the board of agricui-
ture. The weather, with the mercury twenty
degrees below zero, did not cool the well
come OF the Dwinells, Leonards, Lambs.
Bllsses, Hathaways, Fishers, Fosters, Pit
Kihs, flkes, Hollisters, Keltons, Stevens,
Dodges, and the host of other good farmers
OF the north end of the county Though
the mountains are round about us, az thev
were round about Jerusalem, yet in her
valleys and on her hills old Washington
county breeds the best Of men, the nobIest
and sweetest of women. At Watsfeld we
found just the same kind of men and
women, and few more of them. The
kneelands, Bisbees, Joslyns, Joneses, Wild
ers, Holdens, Sawyers, Wallaces, Thomp-
sons, Boyces, all staunch, reliable men of
the south end, match well with those of the
north. In fact, no county in the state has
better men OF women A sketch of the
meetings on the west side OF the mountains
VIII be given later, If time allows and the
ouiJor 80 wills. TRANSIENT BoARDER.