Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-05
YERMONT'S SMALLEST TOWN
Said to Be Laboring in Throes
Of Mighty Struggle.
to Make Things Interesting.

peaceful tenor that Vcrmonts mountain
towns only enjoy. glastonbury. smallest
community in the Green Mountain state
and tinicst organized town in New Eng
land as well, is laboring in the throes OF
a mighty struggle. says Il writer In the
Boston Sunday Post.
For once in its long history its IL voters.
aroused by the pre- ssure that the prohioi-
ton influences in outside towns are at
tempting to bring to bear. have taken
sides upon the question of license and
threaten TO make things interesting when
the polls open again.
Last year for the first time in years
Glastonbury voted no license. and 10y "a
vote of to I reversed that OF the prcced-
ing year. But when the question comes
up again in all probability the struggle
will be a bitter one.
on one side will be arraycd the Matti-
sons, father, two sons and son-in-law.
who constitute onc-third the voters or the
town. and who have in tho past domln-
atod every town gathrinG. Their oppoh-
ents, constituting an equal number may
try to persuade the Mattisons that they
are not running the town. as the Mattison
family has for almost a generation.
Strange as it may seem that such n
question might cause such tumult in TINS
quiet little Vermont township. stranger
still is the fact that never yet, whether
the town voted for license or not, mas
any resident attempted to open a par
room or licensed resort. with n popuia-
ton numbering but IS souls. and hardly
onc-third of these of an age when wouid
rntitle them to purchase intoxicants. Glas-
tonbury has never held out any rosy in
ducemcnt to the prospective liquor dealer.
And on the extremely rare occasions
when some ambitious tavern Keeper CEN
tcring his thoughts npon glastonbury as
an ideal spot for a summer hotel. iht-
mated that he might apply for a license
there. the influence OF Judge norman
Mattison. emperor Of Glastonbury has
quickly resulted in the intending appll-
cant rclinQuishing any such idea.
JUDGE MATTISON THE ARBITRATOR
For in no other town in all New Eng
land has the progressive spirit of one
family impressed itself upon the com
,nunity AS has that Of the Mattisons for
the past two decades. The Mattisons run
glastonbury. and have for 20 years. And
everybody in Glastonbury adnits it.
Hitherto the word OF Judge Mattison
or any of his sons has been sufficient 70
ouell disputes of any sort ana settle
urestions of more or less import for good
and all. And but for this question of
license or no-liccnse the rule OF mo
Mattisors would undoubtedly endure un-
disputed for decades to come.
Small as this little town of Glaston-
bury looks upon the map, despite us
area of six miles square. small as the
number of its inhabitants Is, small as
the size Of the vote which Glastonbury
casts rcligiously every year. the central
figure of this quiet little community is
a Zig man in this part of and
as his sons are men of the same calibre
it is small wonder that emperor Mat
tlson'' and his family have hitherto run
the town practically to suit themselves.
FAMILY ALL OFFICE HOLDERS.
Less than 60 years of age, possessed of
wonderful activity and tact, a successful
farmer and one of the best known char
acters in Normont's timber belt. Judge
Norman l.. Mattison has held every
Office that it has been within the power
OF the town or the county to bestow.
-Four times elected to the Legislature,
a familiar figure at the Vermont as
semblics for fully a quarter of a century
II is small wonder that the people of
glastonbury point to him with pride and
boast that no other town in the Green
Mountain State possesses his equal.
And Furthermore. to show their conf
dcnce in Madison and his tribe, the vOt-
ers of Glastonbury have invested him
and his sons and relatives with almost
every public Office in the town. The two
positions flied By other men have been
cohl'rr'" upon '"e i"'''i S""p'N ''o''s'
the town charter obligatos their tenure
ly those holding no other position.
~
At the present time Judge Mattisor
fills the positions of town clerk. lister
assessor, constable, collector of taxes
town law agent and Judge Of the county
court. He has been treasurer, juror and
sclcctman in the past, besides represent
ing Glastonbury in the Vermont Legis
laturc for four successive years.
The three sclectmcn who administer
the towns affairs are all membcrs o,
the Judges family, two sons and a broth,
rr-in-law. The only other important offic,
outside that of town treasurer is commits
rioncr of roads. and "A nephew. Will.
Madison, holds this also.
Nowhere else in Vermont or in an,
ntIcr Stnte will "a similar coco bo ,ro