Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-08-16
OLD HOME DAY
IN T0WNSHEND.
A Celebration which Marks a Red
Letter Day in the Calendar.
Sons and Daughters Gladly Respond
ed and 700 People Gathered on the
Common Thursday.


ed and 700 People Gathered on the
Common Thursday.
The people of Townshend babe each
other and their guests goodnight and
went to their homes and their beds
last night with a happy consciousness
that all the arrangements for a sue
cessful celebration of Old Home Week
had been carried out in the most sat
isfactory way, and that a red letter
day had been marked in Townshend's
calendar. We say ''the people Of
Townshend" advisedly, because 1t was
celebration which was undertaken
and carried through by the united and
cordial efforts of all the people of the
town. Not to any one, or two, or a
dozen people was the success due.
There were no drags or laggards.
Everybody helped, everybody said
"our" celebration, and that is what
made 1t a success.
The story of the preliminary ar
rangements has been told in the
Townshend correspondence of The
Phoenix week by week. The original
meeting for the organization was held
in June. In due time a list of writ
ten invitations was sent out by the
secretary, and in addition to this the
invitation to every former resident
was made general through the col
umns of the papers. The different
committees took hold of the work of
preparation with energy, and when
Old Home Week came everything was
ready for the good and homelike
celebration which became matter of
history yesterday.
The exercises proper began with a
sermon preached by Rev. NJ F. Hardy
in the Congregational church Sunday
morning. Mr.. Hardy's text was from
Psalms lXXXvi. 6, "The Lord shall
count. when he writeth up the people,
that this man was born there" The
sermon was admirably conceived in
its reference to the spirit and meaning
of Old Home Week 1t dwelt first on
the infallible registry of Gods laws,
on the honor conferred BY nativity.
on the nobility which birth confers,
and the reflex honor which the honor
able citizen cOnfers on the place of
his nativity. The closing thought was
found in the suggestion of the text of
the final great gathering home.
There was a gradual gathering for
several days of the Old Home Corners,
and Thursday morning found the vii
lage filled with visitors and towns
men, Wednesday evening there was a
concert by the Bostonian company.
which filed the Congregational church
and gave general satisfaction. The
exercises began with the dinner serv-
ed at noon on the common. The whole
of the north side of the common was
filed with long tables, the speakers
stand was in the northwest corner.
and two long tables stretched from
the stand toward the south. Some
500 people could be seated at one
time, and zoo were served with din
ner Leitsinger's orchestra furnished
music while the dinner was served.
and at the proper time Principal Edge
comb, president of the Old Home
Week association, called to order and
Rev. NJ. F. Hardy offered PRAYER. Mr..
Edgecomb then gave the address of
welcome, saying that however far
from home one may wander, or how
much engaged he may become in bust
ness or professional life. neither time
nor space nor the circumstances in
which he is placed can obliterate from
memory the place of his birth or the
scenes of his childhood and youth.
He developed this thought by speak
ing of the pride which the state of
Vermont takes in welcoming back her
sons and daughters this week, and
said that no town had a greater right
to rejoice in the good names of those
who have gone out from its borders
than TOwnshend. He was glad to ex-
tend a welcome to those who had thus
come back. and he wished for all the
happiest possible event.
The first speaker called on was
Hon. F. S. Coolidge of Fitchburg. who
said, among many humorous illusions.
that he had come to Townshend not
because he was born there, but be-
cause he had married a wife"
The next speaker was w. Scott
Montgomery of Washington, d. c..
man whose appearance was received
with hearty applause, and who evil
IDENTIFY spoke out of the fullness of an
earnest and devoted heart. Mr.. Mont
gomery mentioned briefly the facts of
his early history-of how he. a Louis
lana slave boy, had been picked up"
at 10 years old by the Sth Vermont
regiment in Louisiana, how for the
next two years he followed the regi-
ment by a sort of adoption, how he
came in close touch with Col H. f.
button and after the battle of Win
chester was brought by him home to
Townshend, where, in 1864, he was
adopted into the family of the late
l.. II. Cathan, and had grown up there
with all the fostering care of a son to
the manner born. He paid a feeling
tribute to the motherly devotion of Mrs.
Cathan and to the late Milon David
son of Newfane, for the inspiration
received from him which led Mr..
Montgomery to prepare himself for
college and to take the course at Dart
mouth. After his graduation he was
for some time teacher in the South,
but for 10 years past he has been
connected with the schools at the ma
tional capital, for II years as a SUI
pervising principal, and for the past
two years, under the reorganization
effected by Congress, has been assist
ant superintendent in charge of the
colored schools To the people of
Townshend Mr.. Montgomery express
ed in eloquent terms his appreciation |
of what they had all done for him
by adopting him as one of themselves. |
knowing no distinction on account of |
his color. To his hearers the appear !
ance and address of Mr.. Montgomery |
was one of the most gratifying events
of the day.
XUbaaI,,oIy