Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-04-30
Horses and tiorsemen.

Gth1lN huhpteu AOf race hEiNtFs 1ut
PAGER needs no urging, no manipulation
Of reins, no leg harness and but very few
boots. II was the fortune Of your cores
Ipondent to see this wonderful good horse
IN two road wagon races last year, winning
both.
Fred p. Aikens has bay trotting four
year-old FLY which, for prospect, out
ranks all iillies OF that age in Barnard.
She is not fairly broken, with no practice
for speed, but shows a gait that viii please
any good horseman. She is by John NJ.
Wilkes, 2.245 and shows her sire's knee
action at a trot, instead OF a pace. Fred
viii take a shy at Tinnie C's four-yeBr- old
mark, 2.264, and may wipe 1t out, but
more likely will result same as Marvin
Whipple's Edgemark notice last year that
Tinnie C's record would look cheap.
Tinnie O.. dam of Tinnie d., Rainbow,
Dexter b., riunie E., and Bradford, all by
Bradlaugh, is heavy in foal now TO John
M. Wilkes. She was never in better trim
and shows her old-t time speed, il let loose.
Barnard Cannon.
Your correspondent has been impor-
/ tuned often to write history of Barnard
once-great gun. To do this in full, with
4 its "reminiscences and many anecdotes
covering nearly a century would fill a
large book, the writer Of which should
4 be more fitly adapted for historian, but
Judge Howard and myself in memory OF
this cannon, it may be a duty that we
ought not to shrink.
In the early POS. citizens OF prominence
formed an independent company OF heavy
artillery and, With help from the state,
this gun, with al its carriages, mountings,
harness and Announcements, came to
Barnard and was quartered in an armory
or clubhouse built by the town for this
purpose on the upper end Of the common.
The gun WIS mounted GA a heavy
regulation carriage, and required four
horses for rapid transit over rough roads.
II carried solid ball Of five pounds
weight, necessitating two pounds Of
powder for charge. Accompanying, was
one horse covered magazine for carrying
ammunition. The whole paraphernalia
filled the clubhouse full; doors were
always securely locked, and opened only
on drill days. This building, with its
contents, was the one great interesting
curiosity Of Barnard, especially with
school children, who were often seen
looking through cracks in doors, hardly
daring to speak above whispers,
When Lafayette. the celebrated French |
general, remembered as the powerful |
auxiliary 10 American independence, /
made his tour through Vermont about
1924, Barnard's cannon with its company
turned out with all Of the citizens to
welcome him at the old Aikens stand, |
where he made a brief halt on his way
from Windsor 10 Royalton.
Elisha Chamberlin and Nathaniel
Stevens were the chief gunners in those
DAYS and much Of my information in
regard to this event came from Uncle
Lishs, as Judge Howard and myself
were not there, neither being born until
three years later The great desire OF
gunneTs was to excel in rapid firing !
Here Stevens and Chamberlin got in /
their best hold and during this salute OF |
welcome Gen. Lafayette was heard to 1
remark, THAT is a smart gun and well /
handled
This was never forgotten by Uncle Lishe
or Nat Stevens. 1t was told over and over
BY them for years and years as their proud 1
est day, altho they made a march to
Plattsburgh for the closing fight with 4
Great Britain Gen. Lafayette was much /
pleased with his reception in Barnard,
hardly realizing that such a sparsely set
tied mountain town could show as much
enthusiasm.
This event alone should have preserved
the old gun to everlasting memory, and 4
were it standing today on its carriage in
front of our town house il would be a his
toric monument for generations to come.
Instead, there came the disgrace that riot
Gus boys succeeded in destroying the best
relic of Barnard's most prosperous days
The gun was noted far and near for its
loud mouthed voice, as many a window
and loose plastering could testify. when
too near. Adjoining towns were well
posted by the laundering tones OF Barn
ards cannon on national days and by VIC
torious political parties; so much 50 that 4
many demands were made for help to cele-
brate important occasions. The old gun
always acquitted itself SO as to win COM
mendation, adding to its reputation of be-
ing the "boss speaker
Time went on, years rolled around,
bringing many changes. The Old Artil-
lery, Joined by others, came to the conclu-
sion that Barnard, not being seaport or
likely TO be. heavy artillery was hardly
needed for defence. but company Of rife
rangers would be just the thing to operate
against Indian or Canadian raids that /
might be expected from time to TINA So
the Ancient ana Honorable was disbanded |
and the new company formed, many Of
the old men joining.
From that date the cannon went into +
disuse except for its noise in celebrations
The gun house became dilapidated, doors
no longer shut or kept on hinges The
wheels were taken from the carriages and
used by some old members for carts. Ieav-
ing the bodies, harness and other equip-
ments TO rot, neglected. some years later.
the building was moved to the lower end
OF the common and used for a town hearse
house. Finding too much snow there in
winter, later 1t was moved again to the |
rear Of the present town hall and IS still
used 10 house the hearse.
The old gun kept on doing business for
all, ushering in June training day and
Fourth Of July, always speaking a good
loud word for every successful political
party who was fortunate enough to have
possession. Time and time again il was
kidnapped and carried into solitary CON
finemsnt, from one party to the other.
awaiting a change in political affairs. al
ways resurrected with an uninjured voice
and no lack of following
On Barnard's great centennial day in
June, 1870, the gun was at its best, speak
ing volumes Of congratulations to the
town that, after wrestling a hundred
years with SHOWS, blows and drouth. stin
lived
How many heard the cannon roar on
that blissful day whose voices, like the old
guns, are stilled in death
Some years ago we came very near losing
the cannon to a Woodstock man by the
name Of Carpenter. He was a member OF
the original artillery and claimed to have
paid more than his share TOW ard expenses.
lie had tran HE in frafHfrsar arT,,.a old