The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-07-20
Daniel X. PearSonS and 1912
Heroes.

One Fourth of July that | remember
was in the town of Bradford, VT, sixty-two
wears ago. 1t was a celebration given by
the veterans of the War OF 1917. Ihey all
assembled in an Old-faShioned hleeIing-
house. with big square pews and high
pulpit with sounding board over the minis
ter's head The principal Grafton OF the
day was given by Scotch divine. 1t was
eloquent and patriotic, and | remember as
distinctly as though il was yesterday the
clOsing peroratiOn. 1t was as follows:
The light of religion and liberty are kindred
fires kin1lcd at the same celestial altar and nour-
ished by the same ethereal element. Together
they were born and together they must expire,
The sacraligous hand that would eXtinguish one
must quench the more than promethean neat OF
the others Our fathers caught these blended
lights from the skies. Long did they watch their
rising and their widening; long may 1t be our
happy lot to walk in the beams OF their enulgence
until the night OF time shall settle upon the word
and the light of religion and liberty shall be bur-
led in the blaze of eternity.
At the conclusion of the address we all
adjourned to the tables in the vicinity,
which were amply supplied with good
things to cat from the surrounding farm
houses. This was the first time that saw
roasted pigs with lemons in their mouths.
Afterwards we listened to speeches from
several of the veterans. One spoke OF the
hardShips and privatiOnS experienced by
Vermont troops in their winter quarters at
SWantOn. He was followed by campaign
song. Another speaker who had been pres
ent at the final DatVle under Commodore
Perry gave a thrilling account OF the heroic
actions of the troops when they took the
British fleet, which was the last naval bat
tie OF the war. The next speaker told of
the dupIicty of England in sending their
spies and emiSSarles among the savageS or
the Western country, melting them to ra-
pine and murder. Another graphic deScrlp-
ton of the battle of New orleans, where
Gen. Jackson with his brave men met the
British officer Pakenhanl. He then sang
the following verses aprOpoS to the occasion
Sir Pakenham made his brags
That he who'd fight was lucky;
He would have the girls in cotton bags
In spite OF old kentucky.
But Jackson he was wide awake,
He was not afraid of tribes,
For well he knew what aim to take
With his Kentucky rifles.
He led me down to Cypress swamp
The ground was low and mucky;
Here stood John Bull in martial pOmp,
But here stood old Kentucky.
We didn't have any firecrackers in those
days and fireworks were unknown. The
veterans paraded, headed by fife and
drum, the martial music thrilling the hearts
of all who heard them. There was great
crowd present, as people had come from
far and near to attend the celebration.
There was an arsenal in nearly every coun-
ty, and at daybreak and throughout the
day their booming could be heard in every
direction Chicago Tribune; July 1.
Mr. Pearsons was born in Bradford,
in 1920 and spent the larger part of
his majority here at his ancestral home
in the beautiful valley of the Connec
ticut river. The remainder Of his life
has been mostly spent in Chicago,
where by his industry he has accumu-
lated fortune. He is using his prop
erty largely for benevolent purposes in
that and other sections of the country.