Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-03-18
General Vermont News.

The model Tor the statue Of Robert Burns
to be erected on the Spauliiug school
grounds at Barre ha- been completed aud
gives an idea OF the WORK itself. The model
is half the size the statu. will be. 1t is "a CON
ceptiOn of Burns as the "PlOwnan Bard,
and does nOi.a all statues do, represent him
in his later days when in Edinburgh. II" -
represented here a. coming home from the
field after his days work. his coat over Uar
arm and roll OF manuscript Ia his right
hand. He appears in meditation. aS il some
new thought had caused him To- stop on hi
way for reflection The pos" Of the figure
is natural and full of life. The model l. by
j. Massey Rhind Of New York, a sculptor of
Edinburgh, Scotland, who came to this
country eight years ago on his wedding
journey. He was commissioned by one ut
the Astors to DO some work for Il Trinity
church memorial and it won such recng-
milton that he has not vet been able To re-
turn to his native country because Of orders
he has received here. When the Burns club
had decided on design for the monument
some CORES spOndence was had with Mr..
Rhind in regard To an original conception
for a statue. and he offered 10 undertake the
commission and to aid the club financially in
Its laudable purpose.
But few people can go to the spot where
Fort Defiance stood on the Barnard farm.
now owned by james Caldwell. 1t was
built in l7s0 As a protection for the settlers
against the Tories and Indians and uu-
doubtedly. with the one at Bethel, saved
the inhabitants from second Invasion,
The Tories carried away as prisoners
Prince Haskell, Timothy Newton ana
Thomas Wright. All were taken from the
farms now owned by Henry b. Putnam.
Solon d. Neaton and George Wright. New
ton and Wright escaped the same year. Has
kell WAS guarded closer on account of his
hauu "a hut rplAugnH IA
spring. The fort was commanded by Cap
tain Benjamin Cox. who held a commission
from the United States. The garrison was
recruited from Barnard. POmfret, Wood
stock and Stockbridge. \ diary Kept
by Jonathan Carpenter, soldier from
POmfret, during the first campaign. is in eN-
istence and owned by h. 4. Perkins ofthe
Rutland Herald, and will be published in
the history of the fort. Barnard should
erect some kind Of a monument to mark the
spot where the women and children took
refuge from alarms. which Were frequent
during the fall of 1850.
A sensation was caused recently in Brattle-
borO by the discovery of man pacing eN-
citedly back and forth at what appeared TO
be the north shore of the island but which
proved to be the edge of the ice beyond. He
was gesticulating violently and every few
seconds STOPPING and grabbing handfuls
VI SuON anu COuNtNluS " ulS HlphNlis
People watched expecting to see him
plunge into the river while others hur-
red to the scene, among them Officer
Hall who had been telephOned for and
who secured him and brought him to
Greene's drug store. A telephone to the
Brattleboro Retreat brought DR.. Colder who
recognized him as Il patient by the name of
Carpenter. who had recently returned there
and who had his freedom" rs it is called,
not being confined. He had, as it appears,
become violent, and going down from the
end of Walnut street, had crossed the river
on the ice. through deep snow at point
where the chances of death were many to
one.
man named Amos Caliins, soldier of
the war of 1872. took out in 1885 i'll Rutland
county, Vt. a license to wed Sarah Breed.
For thirty years the couple lived together
thinking the license was sufficient to make
them man and wife. Then Calktns died and
his widow came to Iowa to live with her
son. A few weeks ago she engaged
the services of T. c. Merchant,
lawyer here, to secure a pension. When
proof of her marriage to Calkins was de
manded she produced the time-worn license
but on being questioned admitted that no
wedding ever took place. She has several
children. grandchildren and great-grand-
children living, and all are stupetied to learn
that the Calkins were never legally married.
Merchant will lay the facts before the pen
sion Office in the hope that the couples
evident honesty of intention may be ac-
cepted as establishing marriage. He fears,
however, that the irregularities will make
it impossible to get a pension. Mrs. Calkins
is over eighty years old.
1t seems to be the general opinion that the
proposed electric road from Brattleboro to
Hinsdale and NOrthtield is likely to be built
the coming year. There is considerable op-
position in Hinsdale. The opinion there.
particularly among the merchants, is
that the proposed road would be Il
much better thing for BrattebOro than
for Hinsdale. The trade would be
likely to go to BrattlebOro and Hins-
dale merchants would suffer. That has long
been the feeling in BrattebOro, and of course
is an argument in favor of the road from the
Bratttleboro standpoint. One great difficulty
is to raise the funds. There has been talk
| of bonding BrattlepOrO, but many of the
strong men of the town hardly believe that
ran be legally done.
The recent death of Adelaid NJ. Ide of st.
| Johnsbury, daughter of Henry c. 1de, eX-
| chief justice of Samoa recalls a pretty in
cident of her childhood. She was Il little
| girl when she went with her father to Sa-
moa. She became a great favorte with
| Robert Louis Stevenson. She was born on
| NihNa
| not have birthdays as often as other girls.
! Mr.. Stevenson, noting her disappointment,
| declared he would give her his own birth
| day. and drew up a formal document deed
| ingit to her
A decision has been rendered in the case
of the town of Guilford against Myron l..
| COrbett of BernardStOn. which was heard
| before Justice j. H. Merriileld. The defend
ant, who was oVerseer of the poor for Ber-
nardston in the year 1896, was charged with
aiding and assisting one Mary Porter to be-
, come a resident of Gulford contrary to
Vermont law. Judgment was rendered for
the plaintiff. Damages were placed at SAC
and costs. The case was appealed to the
county court.
George H. Wilder of Montpelier, the we'll
known flute and piccoio solost, has been
committed to the asylum at Waterbury
While Mr.. Wilder is not exactly insane, the
! continued use of drugs and liquors has made
this course necessary and it is thought thai
in time he may recover. Mr.. Wilder has
filled engagements with some of the bes
musical organizations in the country.
Lieut.. Col. Edward b. Williston of tht
| Third artillery. United States army who, i
is understood, is to be appointed colonel o
one of the new artillery regiments recent,
provided for by an act of Congress- is Yer
monter. Colonel Williston was graduate,
from the Norwich university in 1855 Gen
l.. G. Kingsley of Rutland was in the elias
just below Colonel Williston.
DR.. and Mrs. A. L. Field celebrated the
5Oth anniversary of their wedding recent,
at their home in Barre where they hav
spent 26 years of their married life. The
were married in Orange so years ago by tn
then minister of the Barre Congregations
church, Rev. Andrew Rice. The weddin
occurred at the brides home, the Capt
David Nelson homestead.
Ex-senator George f. Edmuuds has OF
fered to give to the city of Burlington as
site for n new high school huildinO n lot n