Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-04-15

Disciplined soldiers? Yes. That's |
what they are. and Vermont never
! gave birth to a nobler, more devoted |
self effacing body of men than the |
ministers of the Methodist Episcopal |
church. And their great and earnest |
: good Is done. not because OF, but In |
. spite of the immutable law that may |
transfer them at any time TO an un-
congenial and discouraging field even |
though their usefulness and power In
present one Is only beginning. l
can enthuse over the men who dumbly |
go forth and do the best they can un-
der conditions that discourage. but
don't expect me to hurrah for the sys
, TEN of itinerancy. / know too much
about 1t.
The theory OF unquestioned obedi
ence to church. creed or society is
being succeeded by the law of I'M
questioned obedience 10 the best with
in ourselves.
see by the Messenger that MEL"
MuZzey, one of the best known old
time Central Vermont engine driv-
ers, is dead. Mel was one Of the best
and most daring of the school that
Frank Barrett, Deacon Kirk and a
score Of others, nearly all OF whom
are dead today. Their day was dur
ing the halcyon period when old Gov
| ernor Smith was alive, when every
engine had name and personality,
and when the engineer practically
owned the machine, running 1t him
self, repairing II, caring for II, loving ,
| II and cherishing II far more carefully
/ 81. !
banded. Which gives point to the
following anecdote, told about Mel
Muzzey.
| A.,
Plugging an engine is reversing '
IL while under Roadway and forcing r
steam into the back gear to check the n
motion of the train. II was supposed s
to strain an engines insides and h
most old timers hated to do 1t. Mel I
was pulling a train through st. AL t
bans yard one day and some one sig 4
nailed for brakes Mel footed his n
whistle, shut off steam and swore y
firmly but not gently at the brake a
men. The train kept on moving, des-
pite the frantic signals. j. NJ Foss
master mechanic, another oldtimer of
revered memory, was watching and
spoke to Mel.
Mel" remarked that official, why D
in ---4---- don't you reverse that en- In
gine?" /,
Mel glared a moment and then re- io l.
We'll Mr.. Foss. don't like to b,
plug my engine" 10
IAN right, Mel" replied the master re
mechanic You just take your en- 70
CINE to the round house, get Cen n,
trail Vermont engine, then plug her all re
you --- pleasei"
The old and often stated problem OF
how to support a champagne appetite
on lager beer income is given be
homely twist by the proposition of Ike
how to support a sealskin wife on q tn
muskrat income" as stated by a or
Methodist minister at conference the tn
other day. And it's quite PROPOSE
ton, as 1t stands.
After fighting the Vermont Union
Signal with horse foot and artillery int
IN the desirability of putting out di'
state convicts to work making good cy
'oads IL certainly does me a whole lot an
If good to read this cheerful para ze'
yraph In a recent issue: why not me
let the prisoners In the state institu- col
ions to breaking rock for roads? Now mi
heir work In the Rutland institution no
ONES into competition with free biz
abor, something few other states per- VIII
nit If they were placed upon rock inc
tiles or feeding crushers, an abund- sin
nee Of road material could be pro- Ar
uced, and while keeping these men In
usy at an employment that would be
or public veal. would furnish ma
erial for excellent roads cheaply."
II Harry Parker of Bradford wants yes
D be senator, he probably will he, but tin
presume to ponder that he wont put dat
n any Jugs or fix any handles to his Ho
anne. Harry isn't constructed on sta
nat model He and Luther Johnson is
Randolph have practically corner
! the newspaper business of Orange
ounty and now they might as well
o to work and hoop up the sena
Drial business between them. But I
here's many a slip between a print tior
hop and Montpelier at that. Ask 9th
tiles of Springfield; he knows. viii
Vel
con
I want to pay a brief tribute to
Pop" Engels-for that is the name
V which his friends knew him-who
led last week in Rutland. Pop was
lie great exception-a man without r
n enemy. A musician club-man, af- mir
r-dnner speaker and general good Cor
llow, the like of Pop we very sell Mel
pm see and the place of Pop no man div
i'll ever fill. AS an entertainer, he bee
God alone He could play Chopin nra
Dcturne so that it would melt the the
cart in your body and the next in
mute dash into a vaudeville ditty a n
lat would start every toe tapping cun
nd every pulse beating: he would sit refr
the great organ in church and pre,
afshai its solemn pipes INTO imfnor- and
/ harmonies and the next day re- and
aarse a minstrel show or preside at the
club dinner with witty skits and rag the
me ballads at his tongues end. the
yes were wet at Pops funeral that II 8
ere little used to tears and throats hihi
at emotion never choked before. for
he'd as he was laid away. I wish tion
knew enough to write his epitaph. i ,
IT. as I remember him. I believe he leas
Guild want this said Of him: for
We come into life both naked and peo,
bare
We go through the world In trouble
and care.
We die and we COVE know not
where W
But, thoroughhreds here. wen be den,
thoroughbreds there" vice
udic
selv
Harris thanks the good Lord that witt
e Bradford opinion Is sane amidst othe