Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-09-10

The brook which came out under the
sidewalk was always bridged with
plank and was nearly or quite fifteen
feet wide. East of the walk and be-
tween it and the travelled center of the
road with bridge fifteen or twenty
feet long, was a space for wagons to
be driven through for watering bor-
ses and cattle. Just south of the shop
which was spacious, was small
building in which was frame or stall,
in size perhaps three by ten feet, for
the convenience of shoeing cattle or
oxen. which was common thing in
those days, as large proportion of
farm work was done with cattle, con-
sisting of heavy scantling or timbers
with one end open so the creature
could enter, into which the animal was
driven and its head made fast by tying
about the horns or as by the present
means christening in stanchiOns. The
animal was now hoisted from the lloor
by means of an apron fastened oneach
side of.the frame upon rolls attached
to the sides of the frame above and
passing under the body sothat the feet,
while the body was suspended could
be drawn little back and made firm
by straps upon the side beams, leav-
ing the bottom of the divided hoof up,
and in the best position to nail on the
iron shoes. The getting of the OK into
such an unusual position was always
an attraction for the boys as we'll as
others, and as farmers would come
from different parts OF the town TO
have their cattle shod, it was ever
source of curiosity and pleasure for
them, and their eagerness to morethan
see often led the shoer to invite the boy
to stand back.
But to return after a lengthy episode
| notice a writer over forty years ago,
in giving a history of the village of
Bennington, quoted the vote at pro-
prietor's meeting held March 81, 1862,
nine months after the commencement
of the settlement, ito give Esq. Samu-
ell Robinson and Deacon Joseph SAT-
ford five acres of land with the privi-
lege within the said five acres to build
a corn mill on, and forty dollars in
case it be built by the first day of Aug
ust next" but did not quote the bal.
ance of the vote, which is, "and kept
in repair ten years on the rightof land
called minister's land.
The minister's right of land was No.
2s, and as a vote had been taken Feb
ruary 26th five weeks before, that the
spot for the meeting house to be built
upon be the north east corner
on the right of land No. q, it is
certain the location of the corn mill
was to be on the stream which runs
through the village OF Bennington Cen
ter, and through the rights p and 28
which adjoins on the east. To be sure
the stream is now very small with
quantity of water hardly intimating
that sufficient had ever flowed within
its banks, so that practical power
could be realized from it.
We have only to look back one hum
dred and forty years, when this whole
country was an almost unbroken will
derness to understand that the moist
and swampy lands on the west, which
fed this brook in those days of the
primeval forest, was seldom so warmed
by the sun as to materially dry up the
moisture of it, and thus the stream was
very much larger than now. 1t does
not need any great stretch of the mag
ination to see that in the deep ravine
east of the road where is the Chandler
and Blackmer store and toward the
village of Bennington, a high dam
could be built holding large quantity
of water, and that ION the right of
land called the minister's land, agood
water privilege could have been OBJ
tained,'
At the same meeting March 81, 1892,
it was voted TO give forty dollars to
any on the east side OF the town that
shall build q saw mill by the first day
OF September next and also forty dol.
lars to any that shall build a sawmill
on the west side OF the town by the
first day of September next" The
erection of the saw mill was not ham
pered as was that of the corn mill, "to
be kept in repair ten years." and by
the middle of June saw mill had been
built, and at a proprietor's meeting
held June 10th, the records say, "voted
Samuel Robinson Esq, and Deacon
Joseph Stafford forty dollars to build
grist mill at the place where they
have built a saw mill and they are to
have it done fit for grinding by the
first day of September next"
BY this vote there was no incum-