Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-08

pitched on the common, gave II quite n
military appearance Sometimes they were
warned to appear with so many rounds of
blank cartridges, and would fire and have
sham fights.
The regiment was mustered here in Sep
tember about 1916 The camp and pa
rade ground were on the south side of the
road leading east in the open field oppo-
site the DR.. Carpenter place. The regi-
m ent was formed in the morning, on the
west side of Main street, with the right
resting at the south end and, Col. Green
commanding, was marched to the parade
ground and reviewed by the general. The
uniforms of the uniformed companies were
all different. The Swanzey artillery was
perhaps the largest company, and with its
brass field piece attracted much attention /;
and the Keene light infantry, Winchester
light infantry, and Richmond light infant
ry, and others were fine companies. The
people of each town were interested in
their companies and many were there.
Captain Alonzo Farr commanded the rife
company, Captain Dion Partridge the light
infantry, and Captain Horace Pierce the
ununiformed company.
The principal line of stages up and
down the river passed through here each
way daily with coach and four, and often
six horses, and another line ran from here
to Keene. This was the stopping place
next to Brattleboro and relays of horses
were kept here, four of which harnessed
would be held ready by the hostler to take
the places of those that came, while the
mail would be changed and the driver and
passengers who chose would step in and
refresh.
The town bell on the old Westinghouse,
a fine sounding one, was rung at noon and
nine o'clock at night to let the people
know when to go to dinner and when to
go to bed; and when the academy was
going, at quarter to nine o'clock in the
morning and a quarter to one to let the
teachers and scholars know when school
would begin. Getting this bell was great
event. A young woman dreamed that her
death would be the first it would toll for,
and it was so. The exhibitions at the close
of the fall term of the academy would be
held in that Westinghouse. A stage would
be built in front of the pulpit for the teach
ers, actors and officers, and platform on it
for the orchestra of violins, bass-viols and
a double-bass-viol, and the galleries braced
up to support the great crowd always there.
The old academy had many distinguished
preceptors, among them Asa Keyes, after
wards Judge Reyes of Putney, and later of
Brattleboro.
After the Congregational Westinghouse
was built, in 1884, the old meeting-house
was occupied by the Methodists till their
house was built in 1874. Rev. Alonzo
Webster, father of DR.. Webster of Brattle-
boro, preached there in 1912 and 1S43.
Among the ministers of the Congregation
al church was Rev. Hosea Beckley, author
OF history of Vermont, who came here
from Dummerston and died here. Gov. VIM.
Halle, afterwads of Hinsdale and Keene. be-
gan his business life here as clerk in the
old store opposite the Platts house at the
1917" yin anu ilOilo' ~ JdcOO AHnluOn OF
Hinsdale and Henry o. Coolidge of Keene
began theirs in the Coolidge store at the
south end. Hon. Broughton d. Harris of
Brattleboro got good part of his educa-
ton at the old academy. But this is a
mere sketch, not history, and not all nor
many of the most prominent even of those
who dwelt and came and went here can be
mentioned.