The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-15
A Silver Celebration.

toes, maroons, quadroons, octoroons, ere.
oles and orioles, without regard to politics,
race, religion or previous condition of servi-
tude: all grades Of soCiety-from those
! who had been in the legislature to those
who had been In jail-all ages, from babes
| just born to " three score and ten" They
came by families and tribes, larger or
smaller according as they had been best.
One man (age ffty-six) the father Of thir-
teen, another couple, yet young folks, have
eleven-oihers childless and forlorn. And
| all this mixed and motley array, coming
from Boston, Burlington, Montpelier and
other places, far and near, gathered on this
frosty November night to celebrate the sill
yer wedding of Josiah Hasbrook and Jane
Ann Hazard, whose original wedding was
| celebrated November q, 1868, at North Elba
in Essex county, n. Y, near the great rock
beside which John Browns body lies
Wondering in the grave" Both MIR. Has
brook and his wife were more or less in the
| service Of John Brown and his family in
the days before the war, and were present
at the funeral OF that grandest of all the
! heroes of ant-savery days.
And come what will. think it's grand.
lie got his will at last bloom furnaced
In trial flames till 1t would stand
The strain of being deadly earnest"
After Browns death. Mr.. Hasbrook
| stayed with the widow until her removal
to California, and he relates many interest
ing incidents of that time. One day, while
trying to pillow tough piece OF land alone
81" was making a bad job Of it. The
widow came into the field and told him
" If You can drive the steers / can hold the
pillow" and she did, much to the improve
ment of the blowing. Both Mr. and Mrs
| Hasbrook are descendants of the colony of
| free cOlored people who settled North Elba
under grant and gift Of land from Gerritt
Smith, noted anti-slavery man and phi
/ ln INf lar Ilafg N....
have been known at Montpelier for fifty
years, the women as good cooks and the
men as good grooms and drivers Of horses
| Mr. HaSbrook served his country in the late
war IN one of the New York regiments Of
Colored troops, and has lots of Grand Army
friends. Somehow the romantic and tragic
! incidents of history connected with the
| border wars OF Kansas, slavery, secession
| and ebellion, of Ossawattamie, Harper's
! Ferry and North Eliza, seem TO cling to this
| family and make their humble wedding a
matter of almost national interest And so
they came Hooking In from early twilight
| till after midnight,-by nine o'clock stand
ing room was at premium, The house an
ordinary sized farm dwelling, would not be-
| gin TO hold them. An addition. 40 II feet
| hastily built for the OCCASION afforded room
for the dancing, and that was crowded to
its utmost capacity all night Music by
| Messrs SULTAN, Spauldng and Patterson
Some little miifs, tifis and cuffs occurred in
the hall, but nothing serious. One young
| blood took offence because another man
was too familiar with his wife. and they
exchanged few blows, but were soon
| quoted. Another man, who was guilty of
! treading on lady's toes, made humble
apology, saying, 60 her feet are so big there
amt no other place TO travel" He was
excused, as il proved the woman wore No
II shoes. But on the whole, it was a
cheerful and civil lot of people. In the
house, visiting, cardl PLAYING and singing
gospel hymns took the first of the even
ing. Some of the colOred people are the
sweetest OF singers and fine players on the
organ, and in behavior they set good ex-
ample to their white neghbors AT half
past nine, William Chaplin called the as
sembly about half way to order, and gave a
short address on the subject of " Marriage"
lie commended early and fruitful marriages
cited Mother Ewes case, who, though she
had no mother or mother-in-law to hel p in
her matchmaking, made a short courtship,
all early marriage, and got the best man
there was. He congratulated Mr.. and Mrs,
Hasbrook on the five noble sons and the
lovely daughters they had raised in the
twenty-five years past, and hoped they
might continue in well doing till their fam
lily equaled in number the twelve tribes Of
Israel. After telling few laughable stories
and few white lies,' Mr.. Chaplin intro
duced e. e. Densmore, who presented the
gifts OF the people in fine style.
The presents, though not "too numerous
to MENTION" were too many for my rec
objection, and no list of them is at hand.
The quantity of silver ware would indicate
that the government had stopped the pur-
chase OF silver bullion, and that it was now
being made into knives, spoons, sugar bowls,
cake baskets, etc, for this special occasion.
In addition to this was a parlor set costing
$40 and purse OF $50 cash money.
In few modest and well-chosen words
Mr.. Hasbrook welcomed his friends and
neighbors to his house and home, and then
thanked them for their tokens of good will
10 himself and wife. Then came the feast
ing. Doubtless this was the main attrac-
ton 10 many" the flesh pots of Egypt"
We read of a time, almost 1900 years
ago, when 5000 men, besides women and
children" " i'll desert place " were fed
and filed on five loaves and two
fishes" and again of $4,000 men besides
women and children, "did all eat and were
filled " on seven loaves and few little
fishes, and in each case there were basket
fuls left strawberry baskets maybe). 1t
| doesn' tseem as though these old-timers could
have had the Bear Swamp appetite. Here,
less than oue-tenth of 4,000 ate the six gall
| Ions OF shell fish all up, and gave the loaves,
| cold meats, cakes and other eatahles a hard
| battle; but they held the fort till all were
fed, and well fed, though not in that order
and decorum that the host and hostess
| desired. Many who had come ten to twelve
aud in their hunger seemed to have swal-
lowed their politeness. There was some
crowding and hurryiug Of walters hut every
| body seemed to like the food. One man is
said to have eaten for an hour and half by
the clock. Most of the company stayed till
morning. AS your correspondent left about
midnight, this may not be full report
but may be 1t is all too long If this scrawl
has not followed the usual routine of ami.
versary wedding reports, the excuse is that
this Cds no ordinary loeddinQ.
| OLD GRIMES.
The list of presents has been received,
and is as follows: Dress pattern from Mrs.
William o. Dwyer and daughter, Mont
pelier; butter knife and sugar shell, f. w.
Manley Burlington two souvenir spoons,
Mr.. and Mrs. Warner and family, North
ampton, Mass pair linen towels, Miss
Grace Anthony, Burlington; bureau scarf,
Mrs. Il. n. Hale, Springfield, Mass parlor
set and purse of 500 from neghbors and
friends in Mddlesex and vicinity; silver
sugar bowl and twelve teaspoons, Mrs. NJ.
Blackman and family, Boston, Mass; silver
butter dish, l.. G. Hazard and family,
Greenwich, n. Y; half dozen ice-cream
spoons, Mr., and Mrs. A. q, Goodwin, Bos-
ton, Mass; silver cake knife, Mr. and Mrs.
| Iamaa IT. Viroin Rurlipnton. anuar tnnuO