Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-02
MORE "REMINISCENCES.
A Former Burlington Boy rites of the
Burlington of fifty Years Ago
San Francisco Feh II 1900


San Francisco, Feb. II, 1899.
l26 Stockton st.
To the Editor of the Free Pres:
1t has become quite the thing seeming
ly to write Of Burlington fifty years ago.
May add my name to the list Of ancients
and contribute my mite 10 the general
fund of "reminiscences?
Mr.. Chittendon, in his list of young law
yers omts quite Il noted one. Surely j.
Mem. Shaftcr should not be overlooked
with his red shirt as Il member of the Old
Boxer Fire company. and his han1-ball
ON the side of SAM Pope's store, corner
of College and St. Paul streets.
Few years ago some Onr tried to tell
the story of chopplns the whig pole on
the square" He did not get it exactly
right. 1t happened on St. Patrick, day.
Early that morning an efllgy of St Patrick
ornamentcd with a necklace of potatoes
was discovered high UP on the pole. and
the halliards were cut. Very soon Il
crowd of justly indignant Irishmen col
lected and one of them commenced to
cnop the pole. He WAS induced to dcsist
and a young sailor was hired to climb up
aud lower the offending figure TGc
wouhded pole was neatly repaired by one
of the Robys, being plated with iron and
strongly braced, and it did Sood service
for years after wards.
our Strangost Oh racter in those days
was Isaac Nye who owned ;hl wharf at
the foot of King street and the store with
a stock of goods at the mead of the Whalf f.
One morning his store WAS not opened,
1t was never opencd for business again.
The goods persisted on the shelves. lie
never collected any more wharf dues. H.
had raft of spars, between the WhdIVt 5,
from which we boys learned to dive and
swim. He refused $4,000 for them and al
lowed them TO rot there. john Bradley
y. to tlttN- IT -.
would not sell it. He wanted that partt-
cular spar for a special purpose. Bradley
quietly took the stick and used il, after
wards telling Mr.. Nye what he had done
No payment was ever demanded. but
John was sOlemnly informed that such
conduct was very wrong" NJ. Nye new
er missed a funeral Seated alone in his
high backed buggy, driving mis- Old brown
horse he always brought up thc rear OF
every procession to the grave yard.
! Horace Wheeler had foundry and nSa
chine shop al the foot of NJ ain street lie
was very unfortunate in the way of fires
He once published an article relating how
many times he had suffered in that man
nor. He raised a large family, cqujppinl
them well for lifc's duties. He lived to be
"a years old.
We hear a good deal Of the political cor,
ruption of modern times. The boy knew
trick or two in those days. There useC
to be quite a strife between the young OPP
posing partislns as to who should caplur,
John Thompson, the negro fiddler, ant
keep him drank till they could vote him
Cassius Peck once had him slowed ava!
in the cellar of the FCck's store. John go
at a Cask of liquor, opened the faucet anC
forgot to shut it off!
In those days the air was full of TIL,
drollerieS of Tim Waite. He was paSsint
off the stage as | was coming on. Som
of your older people should be able to re
call some raCy examples of mis- keen wit
( Employed at the American Hotel ne wa
required to get up al the first ringing o
the bell on the roof He was late on
morning and his excuse therefor was tina
he didn't hear the bell because Of the nOis
mode by the bell rope Whicl passed nj
through his room ] saw him but once
1t was al n turkey snoCt at Wino0 Iii. II
kept tho crowd Laughing, II occurred l.
me, however. that they laughed not s.
much at what he said as because he SAT-
it.
Another quaint character was old Ecl
Bishop, whose little old Franklin Hotel
occupied the cite of the present Van Mes
House. He was full Of oddities, hut W.
quite aged and l was too young to knuy
much about him. Just 80 years ago to ia,
almost those old walls witnessed q mem
, orcblc scene 1t was the departure Of III
first party of gold seekers for California
Among them We're j. sullivan Adams
William c. Harrington and Oscar
Blackman. They assembled at the hote
in the evening for a supper, keeping
up till the stage started at A O'Clock i
the morning. | have always susi ecte
that some Of them left town that winte
morning, LOADED for bear"
Many other scenes and faces crowd i
OIL the memory but perhaps your reader
will he crying ''enOugh"'
A feeling Of gentle sadness steals owe
a i0-yCar exile, as he looks back throug
the dim distance on these pictures wit
their surrounding halo of youth; and til
hope is fondly cherished that among tn
readers ii ,he Free Press may bo foun
d few whose kindly recOlectons of tn
writer, if not their interest in his sui
ject, viii prompt them to read his articl
? with indulgent criticism.
GEORGE T.. HERRICK.