Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-09-24
"REMINISCENCES OF E. H. GREEN
He Tells Stories of Bellows Falls,
China and Manila.

Edward H. Green in conversation with
representative of the TINES Thursday
evening told several interesting personal
"reminiscences which may be of interest to
the reading public.
''John Carey seems to be name for the
most part forgotten in Bellows Falls" said
Mr.. Green. "Carey was an Englishman
and for time lived in the Tucker Mansion
at the New Hampshire end of the toll
bridge. He was man of means and built
the mill now owned by Frank Adams e.
Co. His son married into the Aston fam
lily iu New York.
81 remember very we'll the time when
steamboat navigation was attempted in the
river here. 1t was about 1885 that two
steamers appeared, one having been built
on the river bank below the locks. Capt.
Griswold, famous man in hi, day, operat-
ed one Of these and on the occasion of the
first trips asked aparty of friends to take
ride with him.
The boat was only fairly under way when
the engineer blew off steam; Capt. Girls
void, portly man, was standing near
the edge of the boat and was SO frightened
that be fell head-long into the river and
had to swim to the bank. When he
reached terra frma, he placed his thumbs
in the arm-size of his vest as was bis habit
and after blowing off little steam himself,
said, What will the d thing do next?'
These boats never made more than one or
two trips and one of them rotted on the
bank above the dam.
'In the yard of the house where my
mother and l lived on Henry street, the
one now owned by N. H. Farr, was will
low tree that grew from twig that was
taken from tree that stood over the grave
of Napolean on the island of ST. Helena
After l sold the house, it was cut down ike
any common willow.
Speaking of Hong-Kong merchants, l
used to know some who were immensely
rich. remember dining with one who
had bis table covered with rose leaves
three inches deep; that was nicer than eat
ing on cotton cloth.
cit took this same Chinaman and his
family hundred years to get his ancestors
buried. He built splendid mausoleum to
receive the remains, but the ceremony
could not be performed until the priests
gave permission. Once month he would
60 to the temple, pay fee, land they would
rap stick and see if it would fall in Ger
tain position on the ground. They took
the fees but could not get the sticks to
fall right. If he bad not had SO much
money, the rascals could have made the
stick TALL as they wanted it soon enough.
81 have been in Shanghai and seen
row OF crucifed criminals extending quar-
ter of mile; this was a strange sight to
American eyes. In that section of China |
women were sold and bought like cattle,
and female children we're often destroyed |
as soon as born; it was no uncommon sight |
to see 20 or 80 bodies OF girl babies float
ing in small ponds.
1.-THE Chinese are treacherous set ;any
OF them will cut your throat if they get
chance. remember going with a party
on small boat from Hong-KoDg to Ma
Mia. The boat carried 100000, in
specie, 81 100000 Of which belonged to
me. The Chinese had seen US loading this
onto the boat as we lay at Hong Kong and
we were scarcely well out of the city on
our journey to Manila when Chinese
boat approached us and attempted to hook
onto our bow-sprit. They pretended that
the boat could not be managed but we
knew their game, and used our revolvers
Freely. We saw as many as 90 men drop
before the boat turned away for good.
.sWhen / was in Manila our house con-
rolled the entire output of sugar from that
port and we used to send immense quanti-
lie, to Australia. These merchants in
Australia with whom we dealt were i'm
nensely rich and one time ten or dozen
If their sons started out to see the world.
They came TO Manila and were my guests
or six months. When they left for Europe
hey wanted to know il there was anything
hey could do for me and | told them to
END me a kangaroo dog when they re-
urned to Australia. / was making a col
ection of dogs then and wanted specimen
# the kangaroo dog very much. 1t was !