St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-07-27
ST. JOHNSBURY SIXTY YEARSAGO-
NO. III.

l1uXham PADDOCK, the lathef OF j. II
Paddock, early became an importan
factor in the business of st. Johnsbury
He succeeded, as the Fairbankses sough
to and failed, in securing the valuabl
water power on the Passumpsic, on tn
north side of the river, a little ways be
low where the old sawmil stood, whicl
was owned and worked by Jones 8
Ramsey. On the opposite side Of the rive
James Ramsay manufactured the ole
domestic linen spinning wheel.
Mr.. Paddock built furnace, employed
a large number of workmen and from
this dates the growth Of the village
which, since his time, has borne his name
and which has slowly developed into the
beautiful villa to the north. Mr.. Pad
dock was man of energy and shrewd-
ness, favorite with those who knew
him, and the village andits surroundings
owe much to his enterprising spirit. His
death, while yet comparatively young
man, was a blow to the business, which
changed hands several times. Other en-
terprises started up soon after; particu
larry a sash, blind and door factory by
Mcssrs French & Hancock.
There was but one church on the Plain
the I'd Congregational. A new house Of
worship was erected in 1927 was at
the raising and was seized with mingled
pride and trembling to see my father the
first on the building, which seemed to me
so very high,
The LIST church held its meetings in the
old town house, situated on the high
hill west Of Center village, which was
then called Little Fork" or Saunders
Village The old town house was after
wards taken down and the timbers
framed into the present Congregational
church at the Center.
The pastor of the church on the Plain
was Rev. James Johnson. He was a
man Of medium height, of dark, salow
complexion, as recallhim. His sermons
were somewhat severe in tone, as was the
custom ofthe time. He sometimes lacked
that suavity and kindness which are so
becoming, especially in a minister of the
gospel. | remember his calling at nv
fathers soon after he moved into the
town, and after the commonplace he |
asked my father where he was accustomed |
to attend church. My father replied,
that he, perhaps, should be sorry to
say that he seldom went to church, but
had occasionally been to the Universalist
society. Mr.. Johnsonrose, somewhat i'm
patiently, took his hat, remarking as he
left, well, sir, if that be your church, |
have no more to say He was, how
ever, good and earnest man, but this
weakness marred his usefulness and
his pastorate over the church.
He afterwards preached at the Center
village, and later in life at Irasburg.
where, think, he died sometime in the
lorties.
The Sunday school in the I'd church
was something remarkable for those
early days. 1t embraced nearly the entire
When public service clos
ed there was only a change of seats in
the congregation. All, or nearly all, re-
manned.
Dea. Erastus Fairbanks was superin-
tendent There was then no Sunday
school literature whatever. We sung
from Watts selection of hymns, and Tx
bridge, Dundee and Near were the tunes
We committed seven verses of scripture
a verse for each day in the week-that
was the rule-which each member of the
class recited as best we could, often with
much prompting, and very seldom did
teacher explain what the lesson really
meant. We learned the words with lit
tie of the sense But that was some
thing. In the adult classes / suppose it
was not so. We all held the superin-
tendent in the highest reverence, whose
talks to us children often went straight
to the heart. sc