Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-08-12
A VIEW OF TowNsHENo.
A Summer Visitor Writes His Inn
nressions of the Pretty Town.

A young man from hoWei ""es''
who has been spending several weeks
In Townshend this summer writes rs
follows of the town, and incidentally
of the narrow gauge railroad:
Going from Greenfield you take the
II. & NJ. TO Bratteboro where You
change ia the Central Vermont, a
narrow gauge branch, running 20
miles beyond Townshend. The day !
came circus was showing in Brat
teboro ana the inevitable crowd ere.
ated the impression of a heavy pas
seneer traffic. But the fare charged.
ahout Ave cents mile twithout
mileage book goes TO show that
crowds like this are not of everyday
occurrence This was my first eXpe-
rience with wood burner engine,
and as the crowd forced me to
humble seat on the platform outside,
was not pleasantly impressed win
the shower Of sparks and cinders
which were freely scattered upon me-
Having removed my new straw hat to
keen il from blowing away | soon
discovered that ii would be ruined as
an ornamental part of my apparel I'm
less protected so | covered II with my
handkerchief This caught fire several
times from sparks ana, meanwhile
nv hair was getting well filled with
cinders, which l didn't fully realize
until next morning when ! found my
pillow covered with mysterious black
specks which continued TO drop from
my hair despite vigorous and long
continued applications of the hair
brush. For the first time In my life
[ regretted not being bald But, re-
ally. my discomfort was slight and
only accentuated the pleasure | felt
when we at length arrived IN the
beautiful, quiet village OF Townshend'
The center is reached by half mile
stage ride up gentle incline, follow
ing a clear, pebbly trout brook, now
very low from the long drought. Your
correspondent, by the way was, with
in a week, so far recuperated as to
be able to follow this brook couple
of miles toward its source and TO
bring home 20 nice trout, all religious
" measured and within the six-inch
limit, one 9la inches. 4
Townshend village lies on a sort OF
plateau al a considerable elevation
above the meadows which border the
West river, a branch of the Connecu-
cut These meadows grow good crops
of corn, potatoes and grass and APP
near much like the Deerfie4d mead
ows. There are two grocery and
general merchandise stores kept by
w. S. Holland and F. r. Lowe TIM
shop and a combination harness re-
pair shop. soda and cigars and barber
shop. The tin-shop also carries pop
and supports BARRIERS chair. The |
postoffice Is kept at a private mouse.
Two mails are received and sent out
daily both north and south j. H.
Taft maintains fine livery OF a dozen |
horses. This comprises, with the
blacksmith shop, the places OF pupllc |
business with the exception OF the
Townshend inn, Howard Nj. Burke /
This is in every way an
and addition TO the village |
Built half dozen years ago, II looks
brand new and is clean and neat in
all its appointments. A good table Is
kent and sojourners are sure of being I
well treated there, and can find on the !
hottest day a shady spot and reviV-
ing breeze on its broad piazzas a
OF transents are accommo- /
dated there, besides several regular |
boarders, who linger to enjoy the pure
air and scenery, the quiet and healing /
of these good, old Green mountains
Whoever laid out Townshend village /
followed the pleasing, old-fashioned /
custom of including common. Ihe
churches, Baptist and Congregational
town house, stores, circulating IL
brarv of about 500 volumes which is
kent al the house of DR.. f. l.. Os-
good. and some OF the older and more /
houses face the common /
and circle round it, In the centre OF
the common, which Is well shaded 4
with sugar naples and provided with /
swings. is a fountain of very pretty (
design. In mentioning the buildings !
which face the common l omitted the +
I .eland & Gray seminary which occu-
pies handsome, new, wooden struc- /
ture, the old brick building having /
been destroyed in the fire ten years /
ago which wiped out good part oil /
the village. This high school occu- 4
pies a prominent place in the life OF /
the town. AT present it has an en- 7
rollment of S. pupils gathered from
the surrounding towns, some coming I
from a distance. quoting from the
1904 catalogue: what is now Lee
land & Gray seminary was incorpor-
ated by the legislature of Vermont III
1924 under the name of Leland Gas
steal and English school in honor of
Lieut.. Gov. Leland. The name was
changed to Leland seminary in 1919
and to Leland & Gray seminary in
1862"
The Baptist church is very pretty
structure, built to replace one de-
stroyed by the fire. Rev Mr.. Royal
is an exceptionally earnest, brainy
and broad minded man and well fit
ted to work in a broader field, though
really. who could wish for a broader
field than this, or one more worthy OF
cultivation? The New
Highlander is an analytical thinker
who demands the truth with no frills
or tom fooleries mixed in. Woe be-
tide the young minister who comes to
such a field expecting to win favor
able notice by dudish dress and long
worded. high sounding platitudes IN
lieu of sermons, and blessed he who
has a mind and heart big enough to
understand and sympathize with his
simple. homely flock to minister TO
their needs and to walk with them
from dav to day as a brother and