Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-04-22

row, which stood until its usefulness
had nearly departed-a drug store next
the bridge, the store at different times
occupied by Abel Manning, Moses Sey-
mour, u. Beckwith and others, the barber
shop of A. Dustin, who would clip all
your hair of for four pence hapenny, and
the iewelry shop of Joseph Dyar
Across he lane which led to the "water
ing place" and overhanging the creek,
stood the tannery of Mr.. Miller, of whom
the boys used to sing:
"E. p. ep pous man,
Who built his house of brick,
And made his cash and all his trash
BY selling otter creek"
The store of James Mcdonald, the
"tOwn pump" and the hay scales oc-
cupied a middle position between the
two streets. The upper rooms were oc-
cupied by shops and law offices, and
once by the postoflice. The Episcopal
church, built within my recollection, de-
served a better location. The common"
was not fenced or improved until long
after the days of which | write. On
training days and commencement days,
it offered itself freely to the use of ped
dlers, hucksters and mountebanks.
Across from Dyar's jewelry store was
Il. & j. Wainwright's tin and hardware
store. For many years they were the
principal If not the only dealers in that
! line. They were very enterprsng and
successful. Their furnace was at the
papermill falls. Then came the drug
: tore of Hooker & Brewster, afterward
ong continued by Elisha Brewster alone.
lie was worthy descendant of Elder
William Brewster of Puritan fame. Up
~ hill were the green store, the great
,iree story boarding house, the law
Office of Starr & Bushnell, a dwelling
and brick bnilding, once hotel, spaces
now occupied by the railroad the Baptist
church and the town hall. South on
Pleasant street lived Austin Johnson,
the stage coach proprietor; DR.. Joshua
Bates, the stately and learned president
of the college; Peter Starr, the oldest of
the lawyers, Professor Fowler, son-in
law of Noah Webster, and Harvey Bell
lawyer and editor, hOnOred by the people
with many responsible offices. On the
hill between Court and Pleasant stree s
Rufus Wainwright owned and occupied
the fine residence built by Gamalic
Painter, who was one of the earliest
most liberal and most highly respected
of the pioneers.
The fine brick residence north of th(
bank was built by Jonathan Wainwright
brother and partner of Rufus and mar
of good financial ability. The banl
building was sonce occupied by Asi
Chapman and | think Wightman, hi!
brother, as a store. In the second story
was the printing Office of an antl-slavery
newspaper andIperhaps another, edited by
Ovid Miner, John Milton Stearns anC
others. Edward d. Barber, a brigh
young lawyer, had much to do with 1t
In the third story was large hall, once
think, Masonic hall, but for sOmt
time occupied by a Lancasterian school
the nearest approach to a kindergarten
then known. The road to education wa!
/ steep and narrow and infants of fOu
= years and upwards had to learn to clint
! its heights before they knew its elemen
= tary signs. This might be classed a
higher learning. The printers com
r planned that the lime dust from th'
! ceiling, disturbed by the peripatetics o
the children, did not benefit their worl
/ and the school had to come to a lowe
plane in the building, where the tow
: hall now stands. The children, whel
tired and sleepy, were laid away in
cot to rest and mediate. j. S.
To be Concluded.