The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-03-17

a
markably clear memory and the older
citizens Of Bennington will probably
remember the young man that spent
three years on the hill in Jason
Stearns' shoe shop.
George w. Yates, Jr.
MY name is Stephen Come. | was
born at st. Hyacinthe, As miles from
Montreal, IS October 1929. My wife
Mary Roe, was born at Whitehall, N.
Y, IA June 1893. The Sth of May 1S49
arrived in bennington. WeIsh's cir.
Gus was at the East Village that night.
II was good circus. Admission rs
cents went right to work In Jason
Stearns shoe factory on the hill He
and five journeymen did the work. We
turned out eight pairs OF boots and
shoes per day. Mr. Stearns paid 81 .0C
to $3.50 per pair for making boots. A
fine pair of mems boots sold for Sc. He
sold women's shoes at from Sl.50 to 81
He paid US for making women's shoes
62la cents pair. 1t was all hand
work.
THE other factories on the hill were
Mr.. Fishers wagon and blacksmith
shop and wheel wright's place owned
by Honey Ogden Mr.. Scott had O
store and cabinet shop. Mr.. Clark had
book binding office. The printing of
flee was closed. There was a harness
shop there. ! forget the name of the
man that kept it. There was hand
some courthouse and comfortable
stone Jail but never slept in ii. The
'Catamount House was standing.
George Robinson who kept the hote
started q fire company. We had an
old hand engine about 10 feet long
The town promised new engine but
the promise was broken so We took the
old engine, started her at full speed
down the north hill and let her jump to
destruction. Mr.. Merrill was sheriff
at that time. The lawyers. as remen
Der them, were Judge Isham, Alex HUI
ling. Truman Huling, Tarrant Sibley
and about three Robinsons. The doc
tors were two Swifts and DR.. Bigelow
! think the storekeepers were Charles
and Alfred Robinson, l.. Patchen, F
Blackmer and Mr.. Scott. There was
barber shop in the East Village. Da
vid Robinson, lawyer, spent $4,000 o.
his own money in Washington trying
to keep the postoffice on the hill but
the East Village got It just the same.
I'm the fall of 81 Jason Stearns fail
ed. | had the key to the leather room
There was about 5000 worth of leather
therein. Stearns and his lawyer tried
to keep me from getting my wages bu
my lawyer, John T. Robinson, told me
to keep the key so ! got my wages
Lyman Patchen carried on Stearns
business during the winter. Lyman
Patchen was the richest man In Ben
nington. He was worth about 500,
900. DIR. Heman Swift was next will
about $4,000. A man named Jone,
was also very rich. ALI. Robinson
Charlie Robinson, Billy Haswell ant
George Bigelow we're leaders amOnl
the sporty men of that time. Treno
Park was young lawyer in the Eas
Village.
The town was not very religious
and don't think very many went Il
church. went to the Methods
church In the East Village. In 1860
was married by Rev. Mr.. Hand, paste
of the old church ON the hill. The
were talking of building Catholi
church when left Bennington. Tha
was in the spring of 1852.
Mont Willis, colored man wa
sued by woman for the value O
some clothes he had agreed to send t
Troy by the stage. The people wante
a lively trial with lots of abuse by tn
lawyers SO they Clipped in and hire
Trdnor Park of the East Village an
Lawyer Briggs Of Hoosick Park cal
ed Briggs a bull dog and Briggs Gale
Park a whiffet. Park said, When
wolf growls a bull dog will bark
'Iige' Downs raised the money Ito pa
both lawyers) by subscription. w
all wanted to hear the fun. l put
$l.25. The jury disagreed While tn
trial was going on one Of the youn
sports was left in charge Of Robinson
drug store. He sold whiskey, etc,
all corners and 1t was a very gay day
"The Robinson boys who kept stor
were, think, on the jury. There wa
parade ON the hill and in the Eas
Village every 10th of August. Once a
old darkey rode in front of the parad
in an ox-cart. Over his head was
banner that said: Jacob going
Egypt Lots of men marched dresse
up in ragged clothes.
I'm the East Village they had WOO
en- mill and machine shop kept by
Mr.. Gates. Mr.. Booths cotton an
wooden mills were not running. Their
was lots of numbering. They went
Troy and over the mountain by stag
Mr.. Weeks owned the stage lines. The
we're building railroad when left
1862. There was a poorhouse over t
ward SALISBURY.
1.-The powder mill blew up while
lived in Bennington. Nobody wa
hurt. 1t was on the Woodford roa
about a mile and half from the pos
Office. | remember the "guideboard
away out beyond the East Village. Tn
Eacademy and the seminary were bot
running then but don't remember tn
names of the principals. They use
ITO have dances at WOodford Cit.
There was fight every time. The
had dances at many other places alst
The circuses used to come in wagons
Welsh came twice one year so the
wouldn't let him come at all the mex
year.
81 remember Johnnie Merrill an
Charlie Sanford. They were nice boys
Serene Peck kept drug store In tn
East village. They used to close tn
stores Thanksgiving day but the