Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-03-31
NOT ALWAYS DRY
Gin and Cider Brandy Once the Cur
rencY Of Randolph.

]
shows complete change of public senti.
ment IN the last ninety or a hundred
years.
Now when temperance principles ale SC
strong that there is good deal OF hest
tatlon about putting boiled cider into
nllnee pies or tavoring cakes with few
drops OF an extract made with alcohol
when IN fact il is the ayowed intention
OF the people that liquors Of all kinds
snail be about as scarce as radium-it
seems sufficiently strange to learn that
early in the last century gin and cider
brandy, as circulating mediums, took
the place OF money, which was tighter
all the time than any Of the inhabitants
ever were occasionally.
transportation was costly and difficult
ana there were no markets for the corn.
potatoes and grains Of all kinds which
the settlers raised. So Yankee thrift
asserted itself, and distilleries, gin and
cider mills sprang up and converted the
surplus produce OF the land into beverages
Tor which the demand was so wide and
! steady that they became the currency Of
the town and beat anything Bryan and
I the populists ever had to offer.
In the old land records il is set down
Ihat on May %, 1910, Dan Moulton for
| boOO gallons Of gin, "paid to his full
satisfaction" decided to Libbeus Egerton
100 acres Of land swith house, store.
potash and other buildings thereon"
October z, 1872, Libbeus Egerton, for
the consideration OF $40 gallons OF gun,
'paid TO his full satisfaction" conveyed
this same property to John, Phineas. Jr..
and Joseph Moulton, who afterwards
decided il back to him for the same con-
sideration. 1t is described as being on
the third branch OF the White River
"beginDing at a stake and Stones standing
ten rods and % links westerly Of a GER
tam spring from which Seth Chase takes
he Fs-uf To- l. i.
SIX rods to stake and stones standing
In the north line of the highway leading
from Randolph TO Braintree, thence south
westerly 10 the corner OF roads from
Braintree and Bethel, (opposite Mansion
House, then to last line OF the road leading |
across the bridge to the top of the bank |
OF the branch and ten rods below Seth
Chases former corn mill, then across /
the branch and bank to skirts of Seth /
Chase's mill pond, thence to north line |
OF Isaac Thayer's land fnoW /. s. Chaseis). 4
and then TO Benjamin Tifiany's land y
1.-The road from Randolph to Braintree"
was the one over the hill past VIM.
Woods, w. p. Flint's, Alfred Websters,
A. ). Fosters and the Drury farm, and
the tract OF land above mentioned must
have included what is now Park street at
least, and more IL the boundaries could
be better understood.
II is said that the brick house on the
Irving Lamson farm, now the property
Of X. A. Smith, was originally built by
Thomas Lamson for a tavern, and in the
course OF its construction more funds
Miss Eunice Flint returned Saturday
being needed a mortgage on the place was
taken by Samuel Mann, who furnished
1900, Of which $500 was in cash, and the
rest IN the next thing to cash, cider
brandy.
Near the river, back OF the Martin farm.
where James Howe now lives, a moose
vas shot by huntsman OF those days,
Joshua Martin.
The first land record on the town books
6 dated July 8, 1888, when Barnaby
Haskell Of Norwich, "YOeman, for and
IN consideration OF 20 pounds lawful
Windsor, also Yoeman, a lot of land
which he held by virtue of a charter of
The town given and granted by the 1,
governor and council and assembly
November p, 1872, jeremiah York for
he sum OF IS gave to Ezekiel Story a deed 4
% "one-tifth part Of pew in the meeting
house near the middle Of the town" The
pew was "a front one on the side OF the
broad alley and adjoining the pow OF
samuel Pember;" the said Story 'to have
md to hold the above premises with all 4
he privileges thereunto belonging to
lim.n
In 1909, Huckens Storrs was collector
or the town OF Randolph OF the tax OF
me cent on each acre of land granted by
he Legislature OF this state at the October
ession in Woodstock in the year 1907,
Untitled, IAN act assessing a tax of one
ent on each acre of land in this state for
he purpose Of erecting a state prison."
IT. Storrs, in the discharge OF his duties as
ollector, sold for S2.29, June 8 at public
endue to Abner Weston, she being the
ighest bidder" 143 acres of lot 125 in Ran
olph, on which this special tax had been
either paid nor rendered. Il
Another such tax A bner Waldo, first con- :,
able, was ordered to collect by a warrant :"
hich read;-Whereas the legislature of u
lis state in session at Montpelier, Octo-
er, 1872, granted tax of one cent on a,
lch acre OF land, except land sequestered !.
public, pious and charitable uses, for W
le purpose Of defraying the expenses of Il
to be collected and paid into re
le state treasury before June /, 1873 \ ou n,
e commanded to levy and collect the "
me, agreeably to law, Of the proprietors
Id landowners in Randolph, amounting OF
the whole to S2S4 90, - sum from which n
ie then taxable acreage can be easily \,
ckoned. hi
II is said that there used to be a corn at
Id where the mill pond now is, but in
e great food Of 1880 the river changed its N,
urse and cut its present channel. I,
r.