St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-11-05

ing of Southern hospitality. returned
home feeling the ties of friendship
with their Southern brothers NOR
firmly bound, and speaking man,
words of praise for the wonderful
progress made since long and terri
BILE war left that section in state o
devastation. Quartermaster Gen
Gilmore had charge of the details o
the tour and the splendid trip ar
ranged, the distance Travelled and tht
many interesting places so well in
spected in so short a time is suffi
cient proof that he was the right
man in the right place. OF the great
railroad systems over which the
party Travelled, the Pennsylvania and
Southern railways, one cannot say
enough OF praise,
On the return from Nashville a
short stop was made at Asheville, N.
c. Word had been sent to John A.
Moore that the Vermont party
would arrive there at such time
and would be glad to see him at the
station. On our arrival there Mr..
Moore met us with his daughter
Marion and son Hartwell They
asked as many questions about their
St. Johnsbury friends as our brief
stop allowed, spoke well of Asheville,
praised its climate and are evidently
pleased with their new home. Mr..
Moore looked some improved in
health, has gained three or four
pounds in weight and now that he
has got nicely located and begins to
feel more at home expects a more
rapid Improvement.
A few words about Gettysburg
where the party made its first stop,
may be interesting to those who
have never visited the town made
famous by the big battle. 1t is a
sleepy old place of about 1000 in
habitants who make their living for
the most part from the sale of relics.
Vendors of relics meet you on every
corner and the stores keep large
stock always on hand, the jewelry
stores running nice line of souve.
Mrs.
A party of us stumbled into YER
liable curiosity shop, where there
were old rusty war implements OF
every description. An old tree stump
with big shell imbedded in it was
waiting for a customer willing to
part with $50 in exchange for it.
That customer was not present in
the Vermont party. Paper weights,
ink stands, ETC., decorated with
Union and Rebel bullets and pieces
of shells awaited purchasers. Old
caps, rusty muskets, bullets of all
descriptions, pieces of swords, blocks
of wood with bullets imbedded in
them, mallets made from trees on
Round Top and containing the in
evitable bullet, manuscripts signed
by well-known generals, and a
thousand and one other articles were
on sale. The owner of the museum
said he had been in the relic business
tor many years and never had any
reason to complain of the size of the
profits. He was native of Gettys-
burg and occupied a cellar in town
during the siege. He was only boy
at the time of the big battle, but was
old enough to realize the necessity of
then getting as far underground as
possible.
IT
The old town has not changed
much since the war. Every memento
OF that famous battle is carefully
preserved. If a shell lodged in a
house it is there still. If it happens
to be necessary to repair the house
carpenters are instructed not to dis
turb the shell. If new house goes
up on the site of the old one it is ten
to one that that shell is carefully
removed in its case of wood and
placed in the new house as near it's
former location as possible.
Ii the inhabitants of Gettysburg
know one thing well it is the history
OF that big battle. Ask resident
question or two and you can have
the whole history of the battle from
his standpoint free of charge and no
detail will be left out. He will talk
as long as you want him to and
sometimes longer.
Jennie Wade appears to be the
most famous woman that ever
lived in Gettysburg. She was killed
during the war by stray bullet and
the story is that at the time she was
making bread in the kitchen of her
house. | heard Jennie Wade men.
toned no less than hundred times
during my brief stopin the town and
had the house pointed out to me a
few less times. A flag hangs over a
side door of the house, whether it
marks the place where the bullet
strayed into the kitchen | did not
learn.
1t was question with some of the
party of Vermonters while wander
ing around the town in the evening
IT the supply of bullets, old canteens,
muskets, pieces of shells and numer-
Gus other relics of the war would
ever give out. 1t is over 80 years
now since the big battle was fought
and the supply of the above relics
keeps ahead of the demand, blocks
of wood with imbedded bullets and
shells being still found and disposed
OF at good round price to tourists.
Some Vermont homes are now
doubtless ornamented with few of
these articles. They are doubtless
genuine, according to the vendors