Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-12-04
ESSEX County 9rrala.
A Visit TO Bennington and the Sol
diers' ttome.
Written for the nEEALO

Written for the HERALD.
This" said the passenger. us Man
chester" And | remember it was the
hume of the late Col. NJ. 5. Colhurn.
whose death WAS peculiarly sad. He did
not seem To me tn de. lie was so much |
a part OF the village sounds, and the
noise aud stir OF lite throughout the
State, that il seemed as ii lie would go
on with them for ever. Aud so at ms
funeral it was as though a throug ~
stirring impulses, enthusiastic senti-
meuts, Joyous sensations and anticipa-
tinns OF hopeful enterprises were all
buried with him alive. No earth has
ever filled grave covering more life and
zest and intense interest ia things good,
pleasant and useful to the life of business
and society than that which has shut
out from living eyes and ears the voice
and actions of man whose going
brought such sudden, lonesome, silence.
The country itself about here, however,
does not suggest the names OF the men |
knew in this locality because | never
knew them at their homes. There oc-
cur to me names like Garfield. man of
conscience, and A. Is. Gardner, strong
man every way, strong in principle and
strong and gentle ir his friendships, and
such men as the genial tireless Root, also
the men of a little later time like the ir
repressible Barber of Arlington, like the
genial aud accomplished Mccullough.
and the industrious and thriving en-
Senator Gibson of Bennington. But the
class of men to which they belong are
not generally associated with their 10
calities in the minds of men in other es-
pecially remote parts of the State. As
distinguished as are our mountains, val
leys and rivers, for the romance and
grandeur which adorn them in the
minds of the common world, it is not a
little unfortunate that by reason of the
lines of communication running long,.
tucinaly north and south there is so
little lateral movement of the people
mingling them int a common intercourse.
In government and legislation there are
common and harmonious sentiments and
unity and solidarity of purpose in re-
spect to public interests which is re-
markablv fortunate for the State. THIS
grows out Of the fact that there are GER
tain ideas of public policy and certain
fundamental principles which underlit
society and government so firmly fixed
in the brains and hearts of Nermonters
that they remain undsturbed by any so
cial conditions. Most fortunate situa
ton for free, independent and stable
meet once in two years at the capita
and engage in lively consultations will
each other in relation to common inter
ests, but how little each even among thu
most distinguished is identified with hi
locality. Warm currents run up anC
down the State but minds have not riser
above the materalistic influences of tn,
contour of the State with sufficient su
premacy to prevent the Office OF governo
belonging Ito this side the State thi
time" Just as circumscribed sentlmen
was engaged for a long time in selecting
president for New England before i
discovered that the election was to be G
a man as president of the United States
Each county in the State may be dis
tingushed from the others by the fac
among Others that there is such a var
ETY. OF occupations and enterprises in tn
State. One country differs from anothe
even in the characteristics of it's litiga
ton. This is no detriment to the Stat
because these differences engender n
feelings of jealousy or bitter rivalry
But it is unfortunate that the people {
the different sections OF the State do no
know each other better-not throug
representative men but by an universe
minglng of the people themselves.
Coming from among neighbour
mountains which cut off view of soci;
life i'll other parts OF the State one a
ways learns something new concernin
the manners, customs and nature of tn
people among whom he goes. We yer
speedy and frequent intercourse betwee
and communication by all the peopl
with all the people in the State. Throug
better knowledge of each other woul
come more mutual and intelligent az
probation OF purposes and relations a
over the State. Such knowledge woul
be source Transportation too to that d.
gree to which it may be cultivated. B,
sides different sections misapprehen
each other, and the conditions an
things which belong to portions of th
State remote from each other. To illu.
trate: One having read the differen
opinions as to the design of the Bennine
ton Battle Monument would natural
think that the chief monument of tn
valor Of Vermont might be a work i
harmonious correspondence neither wit
art nor nature. Without seeing it or
might well imagine that it was either
lugubrious symbolism. mystic, calling II
all kinds of mysterious conjectures an
undesirable conceptions, gross, rude an
ofsuch ponderous proportions as to exa,
gerate even the rudeness of the times
commentaries; or that it's extreme del
cacy, elegant finish, and esthetic sugge
tons render it too effeminate to fiji