The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-03-12
WILLIAMSTOWN.


1t seemszto us a very significant fact
that since our State on February 3,
voted for local option, we have never
read or heard a letter written from
another State, by former VermoDter,
who did not deplore the fact. One of
the last letters of the kind, came from
very worthy Vermont lady for years
a resident of California, whose former
home was not far from Burlington.
Another, is letter from a successful
Chicago physician land not u native OF
this town who laments thpt his ma
tive State could consider the thought
of adopting local option law, and
wishes our people could see the work
ings of high license law i'll Chicago.
Another Vermonter in Missouri thinks
it most lamentable that his native
State has so degenerated. Does not all
this and more like it vastly more than
offset the editorials of metropolitan
papers who congratulate Vermont on
getting out of its benighted (Dprohib-
tory condition?
In the large number of Smiths in the
hist o1y of our town, we have been able
to recall with certainty only the fol-
lowing who have followed professional
lives Ministers, Asa B. Smith and
his brother, John @. Smith, the for
mer a missionary to the Sandwich
Islands, the latter had son, who was
also amissionary in Ceylon. Physicians
brother of Judge Alvin Smith, and
Dudley b. Smith, son of the latter,
now living in Plainfield; Elias Smith,
who died in Wisconsin. If there were
lawyers i'll the Smith families we
know not who they were, unless, per-
haps. brother of Ira Smith, who
went to Covington, Kentucky, and
brother, Capt William Smith, in
Governeur, N. Y. Like the Martins,
the Smiths have largely been farmers,
here, and have taken various parts in
the life of the town in various ways.
If the above list should prove imper-
feet we shall be glad to correct it,
We wonder if any other mental
photograph" of the late General E.
Bass, hangs on "the wallis of more
memories, than that of himself in
the charge of funerals He was every
inch general'' ON such occasions.
How many can recall the old time
public funerals here, when the three
churches in our village might be filed
on occasions, and, in imagination, see
and hear the General" when, having
gotten everything in order, he would
advance toward the pulpit and, with
a little shake of the head and stern
voice, would say The audience-or
the congregation Will now give atten-
ton to the. services !" such was the
mastery. control of himself, that prob
ably no funeral occasion ever witnessed
the dropping of tear on his own
cheeks. In fact we know not that any
other occasion ever did that, although
not for want of heart. But, when
after a husband and father had been
laid in the grave, and "a friend in
deed" was needed by the widow and
orphan, to look after the estate, if
any, that was left to them, and sought
honest and efficient aid from him, then
it was, that their hearts were made to
rejoice i'll that which spoke more than
tears often do. Did ever more bless
ings from the widow and fatherless,
here, fall on another head, than on the
Generals? We trow not
Miss Dora Plat Will teach here in
town the coming season.
Mrs. Joseph Sanders is caring for
the sick, in the Monument House.
Our former townsman, John Poor,
now a resident of Craftsbury attended
the Congregational church here last
Sunday morning, riding over from the
home of his sister, Mrs. Stephen CO.
veil, of Berlin. Mr. Poor has been
suffering from ill health of late but
hopes he is gaining now.
Liberty Jeffords is not so we'll as
last week and it looks as if his case
was serious one 1t is said to be a
good deal like that of his brother-in-
law, the late William Hanson.
Warren S. Covell has just bought an
evaporation from the Vermont Farm
Machinery Co., of Bellows Falls to
use on his farm lately purchased of
AFRO E. Nichols estate.
The prohibition element of our
town naturally congratulate themselves
on the increased majority for prohibit
ton, at the late March meeting over
that of February 3 when the refer
endum was voted upon.
George Abbott of Mortified, for
mer townsman, visited here last Sat-
urday.
Chester w. Clark of Chicago, who
visited here last December, it seems
did not return home in January as he
intended. Recently with his wife he
was visiting friends in Chelsea.
Frank Erskine, now teacher in
Chatham. N. Y, has been quite i'll
this season, but is now better, His
wife, Mrs. Susie Benedict Erskine,
has again come back to Burlington,
for medical treatment.
Harley H. Martin, son of III. H.
Martin, is working for an uncle in
Plainfield, ON farm, and gets $500
land board of course) year. But he
is first class hand.
Sidney Martin, who has been with
his brother Lawyer Allen Martin, of
Essex Junction, through the winter,
is expected to return here to work
again on our roads for Commissioner
o. A. Blanchard, the coming season.
An extract from a private letter
from the South, NAV be of general in.
, terest. Speaking of conditions there,
the writer says, 'As for politics one
will probably hear less Of it in the