St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-03-24
VERMONT NEWS
..u.,ome Tale from Benson.

has just IL; g George P. Norton and son,
week Wln Drs y retnrning from the wilds OF
Frank wG We near Lake Champlain, after
Root PT hnnt saws the Plattsburg Press,
aday discovered in a thickly wooded
they u' on the side of a mountain a
section ave- UT Its peculiar condition
small s4 tbe curiosity of Norton, who
rOusss;u t tel, made an investig cation.
nlneu,AIsn lantern, they made their way
Using 10 cave They had gone less than
into u; IL II The side ofth mountain when
60 Zee. n, me- upon the remains of skele-
they CAM a na;r of handouts were tightly
t Toned about the wrists, a chain at;
cIas 1'd 70 a post nearby evidently had
tacn1fa listened to the handouts, gold
Dee l, las' with a small locket or fob
n eeesobsd was found also. In the locket
at'a.Ds email daguerreotype, and the in
Va a,t q W. Matilda Moss, 1857"
S npw # will be remembered by many Of
NOV oIds a. inhabitants that family by
tsst U, name kept the old red tavern on
t 7 at.n n[ near what is now called
& T In' .Is bridge. This tavern was very
E Iluu. the third floor being used entirely
n al dance hall. During the winter
AZ oatbs dances were held nearly every
D liOb Many light heart and foot
1 s1Saosd to the tune OF Money Musk" in
t uas' famous old tavern. The last dance
~ss held Christmas eve. 1858.
Ne" IN This particular night, as the story
:. reIated BY one of the Benson villagers,
n,e Of the largest dances ever held in
. yra vicinity was in progress. Matilda
T ,Ins a tall handsome brunette, was the
bslIe ' Of the evening She was admired
E Sr her beauty, and great attention was
Shown her by a man named Isaac Terrill,
oIwbom Tohn Moss, her husband, be-
Csme exceedingly Jealous. A free-for all
fabt ensued which resulted in the break
ne up OF the dance. That was the last
ever S seen of.Matida Moss. A few days
/ later Moss reported that his wife had
committed suicide by jumping into the
river. The authorities became suspicious
and began an investigation. The matter
was soon dropped and John Moss fled
\ tbe country. 1t is now considered GER
tain that Moss took his wife, after the
dance that evening, to this old cave,
hound and chained her to this post, and
there let her slowly starve to death.
State Aid for Libraries.
In order to increase the efficiency of the
4 free public library of Vermont by aiding
4 to place the best books before its citizens,
particularly the young and thus giving
hep to the cause of free public education,
/ the state board of library commissioners
/ has been empowered by the Legislature
/ Of 1908 to give assistance annually to
1 those free public libraries that are COM
petently serving the inhabitants OF the
towns in which they are located.
In addition to the hundred dollars
worth of books which may be given at
establishment, section 4 of the new law
reads as follows Said board may, in
1 its discretion assist free public libraries
Sbllows: II a town whose grand list
exclusive OF polls does not exceed ten
thousand dollars, through it's library
trustees satisfies the said board that it
has free public library or libraries,
(which are doing practical and efficient
Avork for the public benefit and are rend-
&enng useful assistance to the public
s. schools Of such town, the board may ex-
Epend such amounts at such times as they
Hmay determine, not exceeding one hun
#fred dollars annually, for the purchase
/ OF books for such free public library or
libraries owned and controlled by such
town. The total amount expended by
said board of library commissioners,
under this section, shall not exceed one
thousand dollars for a year"
Tocarry this provision into effect the
state board of library commissioners
has adopted rules that will insure assist
ance to each free public library which
'atshes the board that it is making
tsell useful in the public schools and to
he different sections of the town where
It's located.
Further particulars may be had of any
member Of the board or its secretary:
d. NJ. Wilson, Randolph; Mrs. w. P.
NTH, St. Johnsbury; Mrs. c. M. Wins
'W, Brandon; E. NJ. Goddard, Mont
s!ller; Miss Fannie B. Fletcher, Proctors-
lille; Miss Frances Hobart, Cambridge, |
,cretary.
Woodstock School Troubles.
trouble between the school board and
gh school principal at Woodstock, was
fused when Mr.. Wiggin expelled Philip
anSom for impudence, and considerable
ell,ng resulted. An agreement was
ade that the boy should return to
nool at the beginning of next term.
leh change was made in the school
'ard and the new board voted that
'hSom resume his studies March 10.
le action was taken apparently with
II consulting Mr.. Wiggin and when he
Tned of what had been done, he
omptly handed in his resignation. A
zens meeting was held and a commit
was appointed to confer with the
'nloers of the school board and the
'u't was a vote to reconsider their
lon: L, H. Morgan, new member
! VI, Sdlu that HC ulu not DClOlS
uerstand that the old board had once
agreed to support Principal
gym IN the case of the Ransom boy,
lerWise he would not have cast his
te that precipitated the trouble. The
"som boy will be reinstated next term.
A Pensioner of 1912.
iFS' Adeline Currier, who died at Rich.
u, March II, was pensioner of the
u u OF 1912 and probably the only one
LnlS part of the state. She was born
. .le year 1912, but married a veteran
mat war who was fifteen years older
n herself, being his second wife. Her
pand served at Fort Constitution,
lsinouth, N. H., without pay, and
I'll the war closed walked with some
trades to their home in Enfield, N. H.,
, having the price of a ride, begging
|! on the way and sleeping in barns.
ing the Civil War, Mrs. Curriers' SON