Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-10-30


They went by way of the Duck Pond road
until beyond the pond when they branched
off to the left, passing through pastures,
woodland and meadows, opening gates,
etc, until they finally came out at the
four corners above Sheffield The route
was a very familiar one to Mr.. Jenness as
it passed directly by his old home, the
place where his parents lived, and where
the family of thirteen children were
reared. OF these children Mr.. Jenncss,
who is now past eighty, was the youngest.
His fathers house was on the height of
land, where Herbert Gray's residence now
stands. Mr.. Jenness kept a hotel, there
being three hotels between Barton and
Sheffield. The present Duck Pond road
was put through, Mr.. Jenness tells US, in
about the year 1916. He remembers COM
ing to Barton some seventyfive years ago,
and the village then consisted of a few
houses back on the hills. The mail from
Canada TO Boston passed through these
towns but on reaching Sheffield branched
off to Danville, which was a prominent
place at that time. There were no post
offices, but the mail was delivered at the
houses as the carrier passed, every one
living on the main road. The first paper
known to the people was the North Star,
published atDanvilIe. Mr.. Jenness' sister,
who married John Mcclellan Of Glover,
was the first female child born in Sheffield,
and Capt. William Gray, who died some
years ago was the first male child born in
the town. Mr.. Jenness' father, Richard
Jenness, who moved to Sheffield in
1892, was the custom house officer in
Sheffield in 1872, when there was. great
amount Of smuggling being done; the
men who We're carrying on this traffic
were desperate characters and when dis
covered they did not hesitate TO shoot to
kill, and there were many exciting en-
counters between the smugglers and the
officers of the law. NeWbury was the
nearest market but most Of the farmers
went to Dover and Portsmouth, n. H., to
do their trading. They usually went in
parties, taking food for themselves and
teams, and camping at night wherever
they happened to be. The trips took
from three to four weeks. During Mr..
Jenness' early childhood there was a
farmer living near his home who made
wooden dishes and in the winter took
them on his sled and went about peddling
them among the people; Mr.. Jenness has
some of his dishes now. The year 1915
was very cold season and the farmers
crops were failure, making it hard for
them to get food on which TO subsist.
They succeeded i'll getting game in the
woods, however, and managed 10 pull
through. At that time the pigeons were
ca icLy hot hoy TO no
where in great numbers and many of the
farmers lived on them at times. When
Runaway pond went through this valley
Mr.. Jenness' people could hear it very
plainly and while the sound lasted it was
a source Of great Wouderment to them as
to what could be the cause. The trip to
Sheffield was one " hich afforded much
pleasure to Mr.. Jenness as he saw many
old and familiar landmarks on the way,
and when there met many whom he had
known in MS early life.
EEaTtGn Landing,
Mr.. Campbell of Morrisvllle is visiting
at Porter Bailey's.
Mrs. Asa Harris went to Boston last
week to spend few days.
Mrs. w. j. Joslyn and son have been
visiting in Jay the past week.
Several from here were in Maine re-
Gently on a deer hunting trip.
The water in the Barton river is the
lowest it has been for a great many years.
Rev. Mr.. Sheaff of Barton preached here
yesterday in exchange with Rev. Mr.. Bar
nard.
Wallace Allen of Charleston has moved
into the tenement back of the Austin
block.
Rev. Mr.. Barnard is giving very in
teresting series of Sunday evening talks
upon the subject of prayer.
Miss Jennie Hall, daughter of John Hall,
died last week of typhoid fever. The re-
mains were taken to Irasburgh for burial.
Mrs. Carpenter, mother of b. F. d. Car
tpenter, died at his home here last week
from the effects of a cancer from which
she had been suffering for a long time.
She had reached the age of SO.
An insane tramp burned w. w. Fosters
barn situated on the road from here to
Irasburgh, last Friday night. Saturday
evening he was arrested and taken here.
Effort will be made to discover where he
comes from.
Some of the young men of this place
were brought before States Attorney
Graham last week on the charge of hav-
ing defaced the new curbing in front of
the M. E. church.. After a hearing the.
boys were put under bonds and the case
adjourned until Nov. IA.
On Tuesday evening, Oct. 81, the Ladies'
Aid of the Cong. church will give a Hal
1oween social and measuring party. En-
tertainment furnished by Mrs. Barnard's
Sunday school class of young ladies. A