St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-08-27
WaferfOrd'S DaY.
Old Home Week Celebrated by tne
Town on the Connecticut.

enioved themselves last Saturday anu
the invited guests had good time cele'
brating "old home week" The church
at Lower Waterford was the rendezvous
for the clans and at noon a bounteous
dinner was served in the vestry. About
$50 people were fed and they were well
fed, too.
At 2 O'Clock the church bell rang and
all were invited into the audience room
of the church for the postprandial exer-
cises. Emory E. Hovey presided and
after prayer by Amos Carpenter music
was furnished by the church choir.
Edward P. Carpenter gracefully wei
coined the guests and thanked them for
coming to help those now living in
Waterford celebrate the day. He said he
was proud of his nation, his state and
his birthplace, the town of Waterford.
He was also proud of his vocation of
farmer. On behalf of the people of the
best town in the state he extended to the
visitors hearty welcome.
Ora Bishop of McIndoes followed with
an address full of "reminiscences. He
spoke of the fact that the town had fur
nshed to the world two chief justices
of the supreme court in the neighboring
states of Vermont and New Ham shlre-
Jonathan Ross and Alonzo P Carpenter
and then called the roll as it was in
1855. His daughter Miss Lillian
Bishop, followed with a wel.rendered
recitation.
After duet by two lady members of
the choir, Elmore T. Ide of st. Johnsbury
was introduced. Mr.. Ide said it was
always matter of regret that he was
was not born in Waterford and he was
glad to say that his mother was born
here, his grandfather lived here for many
years and his great-grandfather was one
of tile first settlers OF the town. He was
also glad to say that his wife was
native OF Waterford. Though he would
not care to leave St. Johnsbury, he
wished he could be made an honorary
citizen of Waterford. He said that the
Waterford people excelled in many things,
especially in paying their bills. There
would be no need of bankruptcy court
if the people in Vermont paid their debts
as did the citizens of Waterford.
He was followed by Arthur F. Stone
who spoke on the significance of "old
home week" and how much it meant to
those far away to get back to the old
home occasionally.
Edwin L. Hovey of st. Johnsbury, a
native of the town, followed in a remini-
scent vein and told several stories of
former days. He thought all such occa-
sions as this taught us to think more OF
our neighbors and less of ourselves and
was glad to say this was day OF pro,
gress in every way.
Rev. George M. Rees, the Congrega.
tional pastor, said he was a Welshman
and this was the first meeting of the
kind he had ever attended, and he hardly
knew what to say. He recalled the early
home, its unsel6sh occupants and the
hardships they had to endure. Its
steadlastness and heroism infects US to
day and makes us better and stronger
, We are the sons and daughters OF tn,
e truly great and we must make our live
: worthy of them. In closing he spok,
4 Of the value of the church in the commun
. ity and what the little church Of Lowe
}, Waterford has been to the communt,
s. for the last 100 yeats.
l. Elk Senator Ross was enthusiasticall
Y received and spoke of Waterford as h
y knew it through the first 26 years of hi
;. life. He said the people of those day
: were industrious and whatever success
u came to one today was by hard work
II careful thought and an honest heart
y Industry, experience, cultivation of judg
'e ment and forethought will make char
y acter that is enduring.
- Judge Ross then cited the fact that th
- - town in 1902 established town lbrar
u and supported it, keeping the books i
IL the town clerks office. He said h
; thought this was the first public lbrar
. in Vermont. The church we are in
:, the oldest Congregational church in thi
- county. He spoke OF the fact that tn
III people of other days all had Bible name
and that the Bible was widely read an
its precepts carefully followed.
S, After singing "Auld Lang Syne" Hoi
= Franklin D. Hale of Lunenburg was il
- troduced as astate attorney who dare
u enforce the prohlbitory law. He spoA
ne OF the pleasure it gave him to be preser
rs and paid touching tributeto his lathe
s. Sprague Hale, who was with him here
year ago. He said the outside worl
" had been blessed by the settlement
is Waterford. In closing he made a stron
ly plea for the retention of the prohibition
4 law and asked all the ladies in the hous
r. who believed in prohibition TO rise. A
''' most every lady in the church rose q
es this request.
II, Herbert |. Goss, lawyer from Berli
re Falls, N. H., was the last speaker. H
al said the people of Waterford seemed lE
IN brothers and sisters to him and he we
d. glad to testify to the honesty, integrit,
sc perseverance and industry of the earl
rs. settlers of Waterford. The farmers
er, today must specialize today to be SUI
en- cessiul and besides knowledge of the
own business they must also be bushes