St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-08-25
RYEGATE.

RYEGATE.
The annual Nolan reunion was held
at A. W. McLam's, August 10. Their
maple grove was supplied with platform,
table, seats, a swing, hammocks, and
telephone, and was decorated with flags
and flowers. About $50 persons were
present. Only 1875 registered, but of
these lis were connected with the family
by birth or marriage.
At 1890 p. m. blasts from an old tin
dinner.horn resounded through the
woods and the company gathered about
the daintily furnished table. The bless
ing was asked by Rev. ]. S. Thompson.
One hundred and seventeen persons were
seated at the FIRST table" which, altho'
it was bountitully ladened with things
good for food" did not "groan under
its burden" for it was we'll built. AS the
weight of the food from the table was
added to the weight on the seats the
only reason that these too did not
"groan" was because they, as we'll as
the table, were built by foundry man.
The rain that seemed so near all day
came only near enough to remind all
that pleasure hangs from a slender
thread of circumstances.
The afternoon exercises began with
music by the orchestra composed of Pliny
and Theodore Nolan of Concord, n H.,
and CARLYLE, Milligan and Agnes Nolan
of Ryegate. The chairman, A. W. Nc
Lam, introduced Hon. ames r. Nolan
OF Topsham, state senator of Orange
county, who expressed great surprise in
being called upon to speak. After refer
ring to the pleasures of such meeting,
he spoke of those who used to be the
fathers and mothers in the district-all
gone now-and that every one of those
who were grown up people when he at
tended the old church are gone from
earth. He said in part 1t is left with
us who are here today to uphold the
faith OF our fathers. They observed the
Sabbath and walked in the ways of up
rightness. Let not their remembrance
die"
The chairman then said: when Israel
wanted king they found Saul, who,
when he stood among the people, was
higher than any of the people from his
shoulders and upward. The McLams
have such man-King W. A. Hunter of
Worcester Mass" and introduced Mr..
Hunter who said People often get to-
gether and praise themselves. That's
what we are doing today" He brought
greetings from the Scots of Massachu-
sits 'for they claim an interest in
| Robert Bruce and our other Scotch
heroes" He was glad that his ancestors
came to these Vermont hills and that
they dug from them gold-the precious
gold OF industry and contentment, loyal
ty to truth and pure religion and that
they left us an inheritance to be proud of.
A young minister who was preaching
on trial forgot his sermon remembering
only the text which he repeated many
times-"I am the light of the world"
but nothing more came to his memory
but 81 am The light of the world" At
last an old lady called out, "Weel! weel
if ye're the LIGHT othe worP we need tae
be snutfit." The moral was clear. Mr..
Hunter also repeated Burns poem con-
tanning the words ooh wad some power
the gittie gle us tae see oursel's as ithers
see u.s."
The next speaker was introduced as
"the Goliath of the McLams-T A.
McLam," who spoke feeIingly of the
place of meeting, the schoolhouse close at
hand where" he said, II got all the
schooling | ever had, of the good times
they had there when 40 or more pupils
attended, of the school picnics held on
this very spot, the lyceums with their
debates and papers Zone of which he re-
peated). And now so many of those old
homes are deserted. "Are the old ways
being deserted too?"
Walter T. Nolan of Concord, N. H..
spoke pointedly to the young people
about the great Importance OF building
up good character, of being true and
pure. He said, in substance, the presi-
dent of one of our largest railroad COM
panies employing 10000 workmen, was
asked to state IN one word what char
acteristics they most desired in their
men, what they most wanted their men
to be, replied, Clean" A little later he
said II would like to change that one
word and have it stand Christian"
Rev. d. M. Mckinley said, IAN Indiana
senator affirmed that to succeed etc., one
must stand well with the farmers of the
country; so today it would seem that to
get along at all one must stand well with
the McLams. If we would succeed we
must have good backing to our under
takings and if we would boast it is well
to have something of which it is worth
while boasting."
"A citizen of no mean city, Rev. j A.
McKirahan of Ryegate," was intro
duced. He said, "On my way to the
platform I've been thinking where is
that city, and my memory recalls that
| once read that Scottish society sent
committee to this country to locate a
seaport town and they chose Rye gate.
That must be it. A st. JohnsbuIy man
said the only parts of Scotland he had
visited were Barnet and Ryegate." Mr..
McKirahan said, II am not Nolan
but | am halt OF it for L am NC, and
the way you pronounce your name, that
ie more than half of a.