Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-10-19
Romance Of early DAYS.

q
After some little effort, the Kimball
Public library has secured from st. Johns
bury a copy Of the second volume of Mrs.
Abby NJ Hemenway's Historical Gazetteer
OF Vermont-a work now out of print
/ in which are found the histories of Frank
lin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orange
counties.
Randolph is treated in an especially
entertaining fashion, and readers who
peruse the story Of the town in the pages
Of the Gazetteer will have il borne in
upon them strongly that truth Is not
only stranger than fiction, but fully as
romantic. One of the most interesting
sketches is that of the Griswold family,
descending from Joseph Griswold, who
emigrRted from England to America
about 1850, with two brothers, and
settled i'm Connecticut. While swimming
in the Connecticut river one day, he was
seized with cramp and nearly drowned,
but an Indian maiden, skilled IN the lore
OF her father, a medicine man OF the
Pequot tribe, came running from her
wigwam and after long time succeeded
| in resuscitating the young man.
After that, Joseph found time and
opportunity to visit the pretty squaw,
whose name was Margery and, marrying
/ her, eventually removed to Randolph,
settling in the northern part of the town.
/ Mrs Griswoldis father, who by the death
/ OF a brother became sachem of the
/ Pequot tribe, often came from Connecticut
/ to see his daughter and her family. His
/ last trip was made in 1873, but the
wearisome Journey was too much for him
and a week after his arrival he was
carried in his chiettain's clothes in the
dead Of night and laid TO rest in field
/ south OF the house. His daughter and her
husband, with her two eldest sons, dug
| the grave and placed the sachem's gun
and Ratchet by his side and his tomahawk
/ in his hand.
When her own turn came TO die, Mrs.
| Griswold made her son, Benjamin, take
4 solemn oath that the grave OF her
/ father should always be kept sacred aud
4 the huge stones covering ii never removed.
/ Then she pronounced fearful curse on
/ his posterity II the oath were broken,
'desolation, destruction and utter OBJ
livion to be their portion"
"The characters Of Mr.. and Mrs. Girls
void were such as cast a beneficial in
fluence upon society,"" says the account,
/ but as a natural consequence there were
some traits which descended upon their
posterity; a quick appreciation OF kind
/ ness, a lasting recollection OF injuries and
a disposition to revenge wrongs received
marked every one of Margery's children,
who imbibed many Of the superstitious
rites OF the Pequots from their mother.
The tombstones of the Indian chiei
have long since been part OF stone fence
aud the plowshare has many times turned
the sod under which the sachem sleeps,
but Margery and Joseph are buried IN
the cemetery at Randolph Center and
close by lie their sons, Benjamin and
John.
Benjamin's son, Howard, had boy
named Benjamin, who fitted for college
at the Orange County Grammar school
A year previous to his entering college
there was a revival OF religion in the
academy and town and Benjamin, I'd, wal
one OF the first subjects OF conversion
He felt it to be his duty to become
minister OF the gospel, but when hi
communicated his views TO father, th'
old man shook his head aud said, my
son, | shall not oppose you II you wish e
spend your life and property In thi'
manner, but would far rather see you
dressed in the blanket and wampum o.
your great grandfather and painted witt
the warpaint OF the nation than to have
YOU choose the course you have h'
never afterwards referred to the subject
but furnished the necessary funds foi
both classical and theological courses
and when the boys portion was exhausted
told him briefly that he must thereafter
look elsewhere for help.