St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-10-21
Museum Notes.

Since, recent happenings in Eastern
Europe have brought the countries OF
that region prominently before the pub
lie eye, special case has been filed with
articles from Turkey and Bulgaria, and
placed in the main hall near the entrance
door Among the Turkish are slippers,
and fez, also several styles of pipes, all
finely decorated. A number of Bulgarian
books are displayed including a botany,
geology, and the New Testament. 1t
may be noted that while the Bulgarian
| language is founded upon the Greek,
several of the letters OF its alphabet are
the same as our own. The tract book
shown in this exhibit, was translated
from the English, by Rev. {. F. Morse,
who spent Is years in Bulgaria, and is Of
| special interest because it was the first
religious book to be put into Bulgarian.
This week the Museum has received a
gift from A. d. Marclerez, of North
! Craftsbury, consisting of fine specimen
of serpentine with asbestus, and several
samples of asbestus fbres. The speci-
mems came from the Asbestus Mine on
Belvidere mountain, Lowell, which is
owned by the Lowell Lumber and Ashes
tus Co. This mine is of interest to Yer
monters as it is the only one in the
United States, which produces asbestus
Fireproof flooring and asbestus paints
are among the articles made from this
mineral.
An exhibit of various woods has been
presented to the Museum from the estate
of the late Mrs. Albert G. Chadwick. 1t
contains excellent specimens of oak, pine
and ash, and some unusual pieces, like
curly poplar and clouded ash.
w. H. Preston has presented the
Museum with a clockreel, which he
secured some time ago, in an old Yer
mont homestead. 1t was used in colonel
days for winding the fax threads into
knots and skeins.
1T counted the exact number oil
strands in a knot, usually forty, and
licked when the requisite number had
been wound. Then the spinner would
stop and tie the knot"
Mr.. Preston has also loaned the Mu.
scum two wooden trenchers and wood.
en- plate Trenchers were the chief arti.
Giles of table furnishing in early colonial
days, before pewter came into common
use Alice Morse Earle writes: Zone OF
the most important articles for setting
the table was the trencher These were
made of wood, and often were only a
block of wood, about ten or twelve
inches square and three or four deep,
followed down into a sort of bowl in
the middle. In this the food was placed,
porridge, meat, vegetables, etc. Each
person did not have even one of these
simple dishes; usually two children, or a
man and his wife ate out of one trencher.
This was a custom in England for
many years; and some very great
people, duke and his wife, not more
than a century ago, sat side by side at
the table and ate out of one plate to
show their unity aud affection. 1t is
told Of an old Connecticut settler, a
deacon, that as he had wood-turning
mill, he thought he would have a
trencher apiece for his children. So
| he turned a sufficient number ofround
trenchers in his mill For this his neigh
bors deemed him deeply extravagant
and putting on too many airs. both as
to quantity and quality. since square
trenches, one for use by two persons,
were good enough for any one. even a
deacon"
The clock-reel and trenchers are placed
with the colonial exhibit at the north
end of the main hall.