The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-06-04

larry CAOO6h3 thNAC n6o DCCA iANbAC uC-
structive clearing of the woods till
nothing is left but brush and sprout
land The lumbermen themselves
have cut out the trees they needed for
commerce and left the great wood
land still full of beauty and delight
In the swamps still deep shade and
solemn mystery survive, and the for
est flowers spring perennially in the
glens beside the brooks where the
trout abound. The deer find their
coyerts on the big mountains around
the village and if now and then bucks
does and fawns are seen in the far
mer's precincts. they add to the at
traction of the country. The damage
done by the deer is grossly exaggerat
ed. but despite all the efforts of sucn
men as Mr.. Hapgood, the legislature
of Vermont has seen fit to allow the
slaughter of does, as well as of bucks
in the open season. When cases of
alleged damage have been run down,
to fact. it has been shown that it has
cost the state tenfold more for the
services of the commissioners than
the damage amounted to.
Peru's names is always a subject of
question. The fact is, it was given
as we believe was the case with our
Massachusetts Peru, with the notion
that it would rather attract the set
| tier looking for a favorable location
since Peru" stood for riches in the
days of old. That was the considera-
ton which carried the town meeting
in the early part of the 10th century,
when the original name of Bromley"
was supplanted. Bromley" was nam
ed from the early English proprietor,
and he still has the honor of the
mountain, which dominates the village
and distinguishes the town. 1t is to
been mentioned that it was the origin
nent citizens of that day, whose argu-
ments brought about the change which
| his descendant Marshall j. Hapgood
in these days holding a similar emf
nence among the citizens, now re-
| grets. He sees how meaningless the
relation of a Green mountain village
is to the country of the Incas-the
| Spaniards would never have deyasta-
ted the Peruyians of Vermont for their
gold, nor is it country to get rich in
| There Is a little gold in Vermont
rocks, but let us be thankful that it
is so very little The gold one gets
in the Bennington county Peru is
health, life, clean living and freedom.
Peru has had its small share of his
tory, and has commemorated 1t. On
Stark's memorable quick march from
| New Hampshire he and his men, tray
| cling across country to take part in
the battle OF Bennington, -one of the
| important early battles of the Revo-
authenticated in the town and the
spring of delicious cold water from
which they drank is well known and
has always been frequented Just
above this spring, in a rise of ground
now stands a granite snaft which mem
orializes the halt of John Stark by a
proper inscription This was due TO
the initiative and largely by the gift
of Dr. Burton, a noted New York city
physician who loved to visit the vii
lage in his later years. Behind it
there is a pretty grove which tae
town keeps for a background for the
! historical monument. There will be
other markers erected in the future
as there is one now ON the site of the
first schoolhouse, and the first church
The civic spirit has caught Peru and
It is in no respect more evident than
in the absence OF all advertising signs
These things are not allowed even
the circus posters of performances in
big towns are forbidden The cti-
zens of Peru are practically agreed
that such dishgurements injure the
town.
OF course there is a master spirit
in such town and village There
must be a leader in civic betterment.
In this case it is Marshall j. Hapgood