The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-02-01

"a 1OT 1t Was uOt uHl1
"a 1877 that the forme
y became separat
town by Legislative enactment
Even then and until as late a
1922, by some strong anomaly
the towns united in conferrins
double honors upon one person
as the representative of botl
towns in the legislature.
This unconstitutional restric
ton was submitted to for twenty.
five years, when by mutual con
sent, each town agreed to send d
representative, and Capt. Solo
man Mann was chosen to repre-
sent Fairlee, and Samuel Graves,
Esq, West Fair1ee. The early
records show that rotation in
Office" was a principle not widely
recognized and applied by ''the
fathers" as witness the Legislative
records during these twenty-five
years.
Samuel Smith served fifteen
years, Nathaniel Niles served
eight years, Israel Morey served
five years, Elisha Thayer served
seven years, and these men seem
to have been the "Dig four" of
the town.
Another striking illustration
of the same tendency is the re-
narkab1e fact that during the
first ninety-three years of the
towns history the Office of town
clerk was held by only three in
cumbents. Asa May, first clerk,
elected in 1877, held the office
three years. Then Hon. Elisha
Thayer was town clerk for forty
seven consecutive years until he
was incapacitated by old age.
He was a man of notable ability
and integrity and was Judge of
Probate seventeen consecutive
years. He was succeeded in the
clerks office by Hon. Alvah Bean;
mentioned, who held
the Office nearly as long as Thay-
er and until his death in 1891.
A few strong, capabable, we'll
educated men with their length
ened experience were able to do
their town conspicuously able
service as some of them later re-
ceived public recognition from
county and state. With a more
universal education has come
rotation and wider distribution
Of Office.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
The first settlement in what is
1ow West F'airlee was made
about the year 1878 by Mr.. Elijah
Blood on what is called Blood
Brook in the eastern part of the
own.
Nathan Avery was the first
male child born in town. A. B.
Southworth was the first inn
leeper and the first postmaster
II town and his first quarterly re-
urn amounted to $1.50 but post
-ge was high then, from ten to
wenty cents. He was postmas- ,
er twenty-nine years, He COM
nenced keeping public house in :
828 and continued in the busi- ,
less thirty years on the same
pot.
The first town meeting was
leld March 81, 1877, at the dwell :
ng house of Geo. Bixby pursuant ;
o notice issued by BENZ. Fris- :
ell, Justice of the Peace. Cal ;
in Morse was elected moderator, =
Asa May, town clerk; Reuben
Samuel Robinson and +
Ieorge Bixby, selectmen. a
AT the next meeting holden ;,
lay 22d of the same year, for the :
lection of a representative to =
ongress, to fill the vacancy oc- :,
lsioned by the resignation of +
amuel Buck; fifteen voters =
ere present and Nathaniel Niles !
eceived the entire vote. .
Early and prominent families =
ere Morse, Bliss, Bassett, Wild, :,
hayer, Bixby, May, Southworth, h
hild and Niles. :,
MILITARY SERVICE. r
That the town in its infancy "
ad some crude notions of self n
.fense will be seen by the fol- s.
wing vote taken Sept. p, 1902, "
having been called for e,
is express purpose: "Voted to ri
Use S166. 90 on the list of the
esent year, of the inhabitants te
said town, to be paid into the W
easury of said town by the first m
December next tor the DurDoSe it