The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-08-30

What q delightful on tolpiS 'SihOh'
n 20 back to, and in the summer
,pb, when the modern vacation days
., mon YOU. stroll over those old green
I'M, wander up and down its pictur-
ons valleys. visit the often quaint vii
No. half colonial and half modern, spy
| d, tba iarmhouses, so many of them
ls,shrg back TO the Revolution, with
M curious architecture of low walls
[r3 long, ,loping roofs, that almost come
n tbp ground. and. better than all, come
|, contact with and feel the warm friend.
I'M Of these people, who have long lived
(lfe and who. as genealogies run, rep
lpqDt pioneers who came to the state,
[lep even unnamed, long before the
French and Indian war OF 1856; Tor even
FbaD what is now Vermont had settle
feD-s scattered here and there, and 1t
Ia at Westminster that the first blood
Ee she'd that later fruited into Concord
|rl lexington and the monument there
Eel, how a young boy was shot down by
M redcoats in 1862 for being a rebel.
Oh Guilford is one of the townships
Eaei long before 1850, and even then
bad a population of something like two
hundred souls They had no govern
knt and were a law unto themselves,
|snc governed somewhat by tribal law:
tn this little province the ancestors OF
FM writer lived, and that, perhaps, Is
Ehy Old Guiford seems different to MN
Enm any other locality on earth, ana
Ehy he goes there as often as he can and
Esits the old homestead, climbs over the
[hls and, by the traditions of the family
tDeoples these hills and conjures up the
|snes Of long ago, when his forbears
|Vtn mountaineers on these rocky ridges,
(1d lived in the primitive way that they
|nut have lived in those strenuous days.
Il was after one of these day dreaming
|Rnps over the hills and at the evening;
|ur, at the home of kinsman who still
|kuesents the blood of those early days,
|ha We fell to bringing up history and
traditions of the family, when my. host
|al do You know that part OF TINS
house was built from the famous old Lao,
|Hy Pole tavern kept by John Gale, and
that barn across the road is the very
same structure in which he housed his
horses when he subjugated the little Re
public Of Guilford and by force OF arms
|nale it give up its charter and become
Part Of the county of Windham and give
rs allegiance to the new state OF YER
|mmt%
Guilford. once an Independent republic,
governing itself, and forced by arms 10
|gve up its charter? Charter from
|TAom:' "Why, King George himself,
land in l755." Prove it to me. why,
|dd not my grandfather and father tell
|ne Of this?" well, the charter is IN
existence, and the records of the republic
|ae in good preservation and can be seen
a the town clerks Office at Gmlforu
|tentle, and a duplicate map OF the as
|Sgments of the public domain OF Gnii !,
fond Republic to its several inhabitants.
I'VE went across to the barn. This was
|tht long stable, those the stalls, and II Is
supposed that Ethan Aliens horse by
|rght had this stall, and from these very
|noTs the herds grass hay was fake1
|a0En to feed it. Then we found an ora
|@rly history of the town, in which the
history of the republic was told and a
|1eT mine Of curious facts was revealed.
Then to the clerks office, held now Dy
|VhaTles Barney, curiously enough a de,
Mndant Of the keeper of the seals l4S
years ago The old custodian OF the rec
|@ds opened the great iron safe and put
|1to my hands the old charter signed py
ne king by Thomas Bennington, his oeP'
|uy IN America. A great sheet OF p,arch,'
|nelt on the lettering was still PLAINLY,
|Nadable, and after much preamble about
ne loyalty of his subjects in America II
proceeds to say that a tract OF his maJes
Vs domain six miles square, in TERRITORY
acrh Of the colony of Massachusetts, L
|sl apart for these loyal subjects, u
uacts Of 100 acres to each family, aho
mat from henceforth they are to DC
nee and independent from all other COLO
|Glss5 to make their own laws and elec'
.lef own officers, to whom the lnhapl
snts shall pay due respect; shall pay
axes, maintain schools, support the crow
aulGh ard that the colony shall be gov
|Jned by select council of three men
|sssted by the legal voters each Marcli
.la such other officers as may be deemet
satscesSary by the council" On looking =
n records found that the full. board
5aoh top to bottom, consisted OF apou
q, men Then, after recounting mucl
authority extended to them, the char'el
N on to say that the only tribute, .!
smlng to be exacted by his royal MAJ
Ivy IS the right for the kings officers U
!. and transport, without compensatlol
n ". Mndrance, such timber on the noun f
n alns as may be deemed necessary 10
TTssIs and spars for the royal navy
Iaefe had been seal attached, but !
y, disappeared. The republic was I'M
srt ei organized, and continued a !,
ivy. s1 until after the Revolution, ana i
'" became township of Vermont uh