Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-07-22
The Summer School at Lake wilIoushby.

two weeks closed Friday. The session was
very helpful and interesting one and the
spot chosen for the first meeting of these
perintendents was indeed a charm and
an inspiration in itself. 20 districts have
been formed in Vermont and 16 of the 20
superintendents were present, one being
detained on account of sickness and the
others for various reasons. The session
opened Monday evening, July s, with an
address by Lieut. Gov. Prouty of Newport
and talk by DIR. Holton on Sanitation"
On Wednesday Jacob A. Riis, author,
orator, philanthropist, reformer and editor,
of New York city, addressed the superin-
tendents in the forenoon on his observa-
tions of the youth and in the afternoon he
spoke to the public of his work In New
York city. Other speakers were Prin
Rowland of st. Johnsbury, w. M. Hatch.
Edgar Silver, Supt. Brownscomb OF Mont
pelier and others. f. l.. Green of st.
Albans and Gov. Proctor were unable to
be present. Besides the addresses by
various individuals many conferences were
held and discussions entered into that will
be a lasting help to those present in their
new work. Much credit is due State
Superintendent of Education Mason 8.
Stone for the success of the meeting, he
being there during the whole session,
taking an active part in all that was done
and looking out for the comfort and
pleasure Of those present. Mr.. Stone was
assisted in the work by Prin. III. j. Stan
nard of Barton. Besides the educational
part of the meeting most of the members
tried their hand at fishing and were more
or less successful. An organization was
formed, to be called the ''Vermont School
Superintendents' association. with A. N.
Eddy of New Haven president and E. s..
Watson of Newport secretary and treas
urer. The sessions were held in the Con-
gregational church.
Another E lind Person Who Engages
Successfully in Telephone Work
VIM. M. Hodsden of Troy.
| In a recent issue OF the MONITOR we
read with interest and pleasure of the sue
cess achieved by Miss Myrtle Aldrich Of
West Burke as a telephone operator. We
did not question the accuracy of the state
|
told us of the proficiency of Miss Aldrich.
Further than this, few years ago we
knew Miss Aldrich personally, and knew
her to be young lady of talent.
In the June number of the Ziegler Maya
zine we learned of Miss Susie Davis oi
Virginia City, New, who is twenty years
old and who has been blind from infancy
Miss Davis is the most rapid and accurate
operator in the Virginia City telephone
exchange. In q recent competition sh
was successful over all other competitors.
In our own county of Orleans, however
we have blind man who is engaged sue
cessfully In telephone work, in the persol
of VIM. M. Hodsden of Troy. Mr.. Hods
den is the son of the late Albert and tn
late Dorcas Angler Hodsden. He was bor
in Troy on Feb. %, 1858, so that he is nov
forty-nine years of age. When INT year
old he had a run of fever which left hi
!, eyes In bad condition. Within about
: year afterward the light went out. Whe
}, "Will'' was sixteen years old his fathe
opened hotel, and conducted the sam
Il for ten years. "Will'' tended the bari
!, took care of teams, washed buggies, an
!. did the work of a hostler. Men who bt
longed to the travelling public twenty-fiV
q years ago will recall with satisfaction IL
g good meals they enjoyed and the good ca
T. their teams received at Hodsden's hotel
Troy. The writer remembers hearing .
T r. Cowles relate how he stopped at Hod
y denis one night and how he carefully he
DR. the lantern for the hostler to clean Il
d. mud and snow from the horses legs, n
= suspecting that the efficient hostler W
IN beyond the aid Of artificial light.
. The writer was present one day, yea
ago, when "Will' and another fellow car
to the barn of the writer's father for lo
of hay. The NOW was high. "Wn
:, probably never had been in the barn b
~ fore. Without difficulty he went up ov
the scaffold and over high beams to get
the hay on the bay, which he then pitch
down to the man on the sled. At times
ok conducted small livery, and, Yankee Ill
on traded horses occasionally when he thoug
there was dollar to be made. He can t
the color OF horse by putting his hand
the animal.
20 III 1oSV ne opened q store, which ne &C
On. Quoted for fifteen years, some of the til
on alone, some of the time with partner, a
lso some OF the time with a clerk. His ste
he consisted chiefly of groceries, medicin
ire boots and shoes. He waited on custom
and made change with great facility.
October, 1905, he sold his stock of goods
ms Arnold Edmunds.
Ige In 1903 be took the Peoples teieph
nal exchange, which then had only
100, phones, into his store. Moving the
hey change into his house when he left
ore In store 1905, he has since devoted his
re- tire time to telephone work. His excha
his covers Westfield, the south part of 7
and the south part of Newport. There
BRO about one hundred instruments n
ing Others are to be installed as soon as po
an BILE. Mr.. Hodsden not only does the "
on of an operator, but he virtually looks a