Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-08-29
The History of NeMbmrY. VI.

of the goodly town of Newbury, which
has been heretofore announced as in
preparation, is we'll advanced toward pub
lication. note from Mr.. f. +. Wells in
forms us that about 600 pages Of the his
tory arc printed; and we hope to see the
completed volume before long. The town
of Newbury, chartered to General Jacob
Bayley and others in 1868, was the home
OF various men of mark among the
pioneers of Vermont, who played an I'M
portant part in the early history of the
Connecticut valley, and Of the common
wealth of Vermont In that town the
first printing Office in the Conneo ticut val
ley north of Hanover, was established in
1871. and a number of books and pamph-
let's, bi-monthly magazine, and several
successive newspapers were printed there.
partial photography of books written
by Newbury authors or printed in the
town, contains upwards Of fifty titles.
The history will contain a careful genealo-
gical record of Newbury families; and
from what we have learned about 1t, we
expect to find 1t, when published. the
most complete and careful town history
that has as yet been written of any Yer
mont town.
From Some advance pages of the history
we copy the following account of the
drinking habits of the community in the
early days of the last century:
In early days the use of ardent spirits
was universal. Everybody. practically,
drank; only here and there was a man
l,N Il 4 .lrt, all ItNta tN..t
and all the evils that followed In it's train,
was regarded with Indifference by most,
with aversion by some and with hOrro:
by a very few Spirits were handed
around at weddings and funerals. Every
social gathering was marked by excuses,
glass of spirits was placed upon
the pulpit. that the minister might re-
fresh himself when iatigued by the
delivery Of his long sermon. Col ID. S. Pal
ner who died at West Newbury in 1856. re-
membered hearing one of the most noted
divines of New hampshire preach ser
mon upon the wrath to come, when too
much under the influence of liquor to
stand erect in the pulpit. 1t seems
strange how little good men realized the
extent of the evil, and their own share
In extending it. Men in those days sold
rum and whiskey. who would at the pre-
sent time no more sell liquor than they
would poison their neighbors cattle.
Cider was universally drank. and in
some families was placed on the table at
every meal There was Il cder-mll and
often three or four, in every neighbor-
hood. There were also several distillerie
in town The old farmers consumed an
amount of the beverage which seems in
credible. From twenty to forty barrels
of cider were considered necessary to
support family through the winter, and
some of this cider became hard, very hard
indeed. before it was drank. Many but
by no means all. of the old cider drinkers,
acquired a taste for pota -whiskey and
apple brandy But there were many men
who drank cider daily who rarely tasted
anything stronger. Indeed. it must be al
mitted that spirituous liquors did not,
seventy years ago, have the deadly effect
which they now produce.
The men of the early decades of the cen
fury were much more exposed to cold and
storm and their toll was hard and in the
open air Their vigorous frames could
readily withstand the effects of the sti-
mulants. And there may he some truth
in the remark of an aged lady that "folk=
didn't talk temperance till liquor got 50
bad it killed people
Rev. David Sutherland of Bath has left
the following record of the use of liquor in
his early ministry. which began In 1904:
During the first seven years of my pas
toral life | was sorely grieved with the
could enter no house without encounterinG
the rum bottle. or an apology for its alb
senCe. Intemperance was the bane not
only of the church of which | was pastor.
but of all churches within my knowledge. -
Haying and sheep-washing were espe-
cial seasons of excess. People drank in
summer because the weather was so warm
and in winter because 1t was SO cold.
1t was not thought possible to raise a barn
without spirits. As late as 1850 It was not
uncommon to furnish liquor for "raisings
but by that time 1t has begun to be thought
a bad practice.
rho accounts kept of a distilery at West
Newbury from 1911 to 1913, reveal some
curious things. well known citizen, a
pllar in the town church, who kept a
tavern was credited to thirty-seven gal
Ions of whskey In December, 1872, Daniel
Lindsey began to work eight months for
Daniel Eastman, for twelve gallons OF
whiskey month. He simply took his pay
in what was in those days an article of
commerce and no more was thought of il
than If he had taken it In wheat
There is curious bill cxtant entitled:
TO sundry expenses against the com.
misaioners of the esate of Peetiah Bliss
1898.