Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-07-09

The dinner was of the picnic orde,
and many of the families in town ha6
family tables, while there was room
everywhere for those not provided
for and many of the out Of town PEG
pie. There was enough Of the "Inde
pendence stew to fill every plate
and provisions enough to have fec
another crowd Of the same size.
G. M. Campbell was president Of
the day and called the people to the
speakers stand after dinner, when
the speaking exercises began. Rev.
r. w. Churchill first addressed the
people. He spoke of the beautiful
day, the pleasure of greeting the
people, the patriotic inspirations
of the scene and spoke briefly of
some of the early events in the his
tory of the town. He referred to the
beauty of the scenery, the production
of the soil, and the opportunities still
existing for those who chose to en-
gage in business and farming enter
prises. Mr.. Churchill was followed by
J. E. Willard, who spoke Of the early
settlers of the town, the hardships en-
dured, and the early growth in popu-
lation and business. He gave an &C
count of the organization of the town,
which occurred July 4, 1794-just one
hundred years ago, and gave other
statistics of interest. Geo. III. Blake,
Wv H.
father was one of the first men that
felled tree in town and whose an
cestors and kin had at one time peo-
pied large section of the town, took
up the history about where Mr.. Will
lard left it and gave some facts about
the growth of the town in the first
fifty years after it's organization. He
stated that nearly all the lands Of the
town which had ever been cleared
were cleared in the first fifty or sixty
years and that the town probably
reached it's greatest condition of pros
perity fifty years ago. Reference
was made to the business and bust
ness enterprises of 1845 to 1855, and
the names Of many who were then
doing thriving business in different
lines were given. At that time there
were two active mercantile firms in
the village, two hotels, two black
smith shops, two boot and shoe shops,
a tannery, two wood shops, where
carriages, furniture, etc., were made,
two churches, one party who made
Morgan horse raising business and
other things, beside the general farm
ing interests in which many were en-
gagged. On the river at the Hollow |
there was a grist mill which drew
custom from all the surrounding
towns, WOODEN mill where carding, /
fulling and weaving were done, a saw
mill, wheel-wright's shop, and |
further down starch factory and
foundry. Then the town was full of
young people and all the schools j
we're crowded by stalwart young men
and sturdy girls. Brief allusion was
made to some of the many who had
gone out of the town, who had made
their marks in the world, and the
opinion expressed that some who had
chosen to remain in the old town
might have been equally successful
n other places and other spheres.
The speaker believed that there was
still opportunity in Sutton, though
he circumstances are not all favora
DE, for the development of business
md of the farming interests, and
poke of the memories that cluster
the old home, and the happi
less enjoyed among the scenes of r
hildhood. He entreated the people
o have better appreciation of the
own and livelier interest in its wel7 II
are. :
j. M. Pillsbury gave facts and Incl
ents in the history of the town and
poke very felicitously in regard to the
ay and the occasion. M. A. Taft,
1r. Dowd and others responded hap
lily to the various toasts presented.
he cannon, some little distance
way, punctuated the exercises, while
he drum corps and singers supplied ,
hO hiuoiC. AiO OOyS Ill oil dUJOlLluS
ED played sharp game of ball, +
Meanwhile.
1t was a reunion as we'll as a cele- y
ration, and was greatly enjoyed by
IL present. The managers and the
own may we'll congratulate them
elves on the success of the day
Sland Pond.
This town and county has met with
great loss in the death of Eber G.
johnson, which occurred from a