Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-12-21
THE BEAUTIES OF BARNARD.
choncy's Famous speech in tho Vermont
House OF 1867

! II was during the long debate In the
i House In 1857, on the location Of the state
capitol, that the late Moses Cheney delivered
! his famous speech on the beauties Of the
4 Barnard site, and the health and longevity Of
/ lis people, II had great weight; he was
forcihe speaker and undoubtedly had
much to do with the retention Of the CAPT.
,ol in Montpelier against the claims Of Bur
1 lngton.
| The following extracts from his speech
are taken from the Official journal Of the
proceedings Of the House At the special SEES.
4 sion In 1857;
| Mr.. Chairman, there hundred towns in
the state Of Vermont that might claim the
! for the removal to Burlington, or CaStleton,
or Burlington, or Rutland for beauty, health,
etc The gentleman from Brattleboro tMr
BradleyD acknowledges that Brattleboro
could accommodate the state, but he sets forth
no claim. does not ask for the state house
/ But the gentleman from Braitleboro knows
that the state can put her house into any
town she may choose 20, whether the town
asks for It or not; and as the question Of
removal Is up, IL may be the duty OF such
towns as are easily accessible by the state,
to SET forth the natural claims Of their towns
for the state house. Yes sir let US have q
general disclosure, so that the state, should
she conclude TO remove her capitol, might
make the best selection possible. And, now,
sir / will say that ! have heard no reasons
for the removal to Burlington, or Castleion,
or Rutland, which consider superior TO rea,
sons which may be adduced for the removal
to the town which I represent Talk Of
pure air, good water, green grass, fine pros
poets, healthy location! Is Barnard a whit
behind in any Of these respeetsl Why, as
TO healih-the people Of Barnard seldom
think Of dying, and the children don't be-
licve there is any such thing as death, and
when the subject Is mentioned they say they
never will die. Some old men have lived
until they were tired all out with life, and
have died on purpose; they have told their
old yarns over until the taste was all out
Of them. they said they had lived ever so
far beyond al the promises and they
summed mp by declaring that they would
not live always" and got up a coniriyance
for quitting the world and got oil somehow.
But there is one mpp in Pomiret, who, TO
crafty the minds Of the curious, has con.
scented to live; they saved him out, and told
him he had got TO stand 1t for curiosity.
Well, he is now q hundred and thirty or
forty years old and would have been older
had be- been born sooner he has to wait for
the years 70 roll rorpd,l and be lives whore
the hreezcs Of Barnard blow directly upon
him. Laughter.l
In the course Of the debate the gentleman
from weIiord referred to Mr., Cheney
blooming" coun,enuncc and in second
speech Mr. Cheney said:
DosgaFt the temperance gentleman from
wes,ford know the difference between rum
face and that heslthiu glow which necessar'
lis attaches 20 every Barnard countcnancci
These ruddy looks are but the effects Of
the nwgonting Barnard air, which we CO.
piousy breathe. and Of the Barnard waters
which Ne quaif and freely battle in.
Why, there would be no sense in Barn
ard man using stimdlants to cheer his spirits.
Barnard people 30, from natural sources,
always so happy that they can hardly con
tain themselves:
How iocund do they drive their teams
afeld,
and how.
In early morn,
They brush with hasty steps the dcws away.
Sir / have by no means yet fully set forth
the claims Of Barnard for the capitol. On
the subject Of healthy location, longevity etc.
would assure the committee that We have
yet revolutionary pensioners who are so
vigorous that they sit in their chimney cor /
rers and twir their thumbs and chew tobae' I
co with AS much gusto as men Of forty and
fifty years. The distant views are very do
licuus And sir our astronomical scenery
is especially delightful We are up so high 1
aud our air is so cerulean, that | have no .
doubt we can. see myriads Of stars with the
naked eye which are seldom seen in Bur
lington with telescope ! would inform the
friends Of Burlington also that We nave .
Barnard Pond II is not so large as
Lake Champain, but it is regular water /
and there is more OF II than the Legislature /
can ever use and as much as they would ever
need to look at. /
Sir. Barnard does not wish to have the /
s,atehouse removed from Montpelier. but .
should the state conclude to make change,
| think, from all the showings that have
been presented. either with or without coun-
sci that the removal must be to Barnard,
Sir. this is my last, for the town from
which l have the honor to be sent does not
continue q man for long series Of wears ~
this office, Within her borders are many fit
for representatives, and we take turns. In
the course Of fifty or sixty years may pos
sibly come again, IL should retain my popu-
larity.