Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-10-12
A MEMORABLE EVENT.

Wednesday, Sept. 2G. 1900, will hence
forth be red-letter day in the town and
home of ROYAL Witherell. citizen of
ShOreham, living on one of the historic
ard picturesque farms 81 admirable in
that pas tOral region to the west and
south of the village church-about mile
or SO-a farm where the fruit trees
planted by his own hand long years ago
were this year loaded with brilliant
globes of all colors and sizes and cum
bered the ground with their autumnal
abundance. 1t was on the close of the
summer harvest. and the cattle could be
seen grazing at leisure across the mead
ows and pasture fields stretching in
beautiful spectve and presenting at
tractive vistas through the ringing
woods. whose foliage had already begun
to take on the gorgeous coloring of an
autumn spectacle.
The day broke IN gray mist which
threatened to make it rather dull and
cherries. But as the hours rolled on
the sun burst forth in a mild splendor,
which bathed the face of nature In the
most charming and attractive coloring.
as though the very welkn were designed
to pour its smile of approval upon the
man and his home and his friends and
= =
sary of the birthday of the patriarch of
his native town. now its oldest citizen at
the age of ninetyfour years. and vet
wonderfully preserved in sense and limb,
as his snow white but abundant locks
eloquently told
His family of those who still survive
the mutations of changing time com
prises son and daughter with his grand
children and other kindred. as follows
Mr.. and Mrs. C. Il. Witherel, ). II.
Witherell. l.. c. Witherell, ). G.. With
erell, w. w. Witherell. Miss J. l.. With
erell Mrs. Nancie Witherel. l.. +. Sun
derland, Mr. and Mrs. w. II. Bingham
Almost all of these arrived at the pater-
nal home early in the day. bringing with
them their various contributions to the
success of the occasion. The Rev. DR..
Sunderland of Washington. a native of
Shoreham and life long friend, had ar
rived the evening before, and as the day
passed on the hours were beguIled by
strols around the homestead or by sit
ting on the pOrches of the house and
recalling many tender as well as anus.
ing memories of scenes and persons long
passed away. So the happy hours drew
on and load after load arrived of the
friends who had come to congratulate the
the sincere pleasure of the rare occasion.
Some time was spent in social converse
as inclination directed, and a brilliant
assembly by night-fall had gathered, the
representative people of the town, both
old and young, to participate in the hap
plness of the day. The following persons
were present: Mrs. Abigail Lamb, Mrs.
Emma Jones, Mrs. John mes, Mr.. and
Mrs. VIM. Moore, Mrs. Emeline belong,
Mrs. Edison Farnham, j. @. Caswell,
Henry Caswell, Mr.. and Mrs. 5. j. North
rup, DR.. and Mrs. C. w. Howard. Mr..
and Mrs. G. n. North, Mr.. and Mrs. r.
II. Preble, Mr. and Mrs. Horton Jones,
Mrs. Maria North, Miss Edith Jones,
Mrs. Albert Nottingham, Mrs. Sallle
Smith, Mrs. Charles Smith. Mrs. Sarah
Plat, Miss Nellie Plat, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Douglas, Mr.. and Mrs. Wesley
Larrabee.
After an abundant and enticing COLA
ton had been served. the Rev. Mr..
Bacon, long the minister of the church
in Shoreham and still virtually its pastor,
made most beautiful and appropriate
address, the substance of which is as
follows
My aged and respected friend: We con.
graduate you on this 9th anniversary, with