The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-09-17
A BIT OF HISTORY
The Burial Ground at North Bennlns-
ton

IN FEBRUARY, 1898, some OF lle
leading villagers formed an associa-
ton and later bought ground joining
the old ground on the east and south
and the owners of the old ground pre-
sently merged It in the new. This
association has been actively main
tanned ever since by annual elections.
Almost every prominent citizen of
the village and rs vicinity has SER
we'd upon its board of officers. Hiland
Hall so served in various capacities,
from 1855 to 1873.
For many years the ground was in
the neglected and forlorn condition
I so often seen in New England grave
yards, with leaning head-stones,
grass uncut. weeds and briars ram
pant-a sight from which the passer-
by painfully averted his eyes. In
1904, however, some public spirited
ladies formed a committee and raised
fund to beautify and care for the
ground They and their successors
have wrought wonders, converting the
spot from an eye-sore to a place
where order and beauty and neatness
reign, so that. even If this were all,
the eyes of the beholder now rest up
on it with infinite satisfaction.
There are no people of wide fame
lying there. Perhaps the most noted,
both for character and service. was
Isaiah Mattison, who preached the
Gospel for forty years without sal
airy. For the rest, they are "the
plain people"-all-but Of such as
make the sinew and the character of
that which is best in American life.
Here lie a country doctor or a law
yer or two; business men; toilers of
every degree; soldiers that fell in the
Civil war land their ages cut upon
the stone prove again the saving that
that war was fought by bovs): and
here, with their wives. children and
friends all about them and the green
turf over all the rude forefathers of
the hamlet sleep"
If then this is no place to sound the
trump OF fame WIN should this arti-
Gle be written? That is now to be
told. The writer knows not who
chose this spot for the purpose TO
which it Is devoted. Whoever he
was, all who know the spot will agree
that he deserves a monument for that
choice alone. which seems now like
an inspiration
The hill Is higher than one would
think. From the mouth of Paran
Creek, below Hinsdillvlle. two miles
or more away. the ground rises. now
gradually and now sharply. but al
ways steadily, to the crown Of this
hill. Arrived there a scene OF rare
attractiveness bursts upon the sight.
II combines beauty and grandeur in
almost equal proportions. Let the
visitor face the northeast and turn
| slowly to the right. Before him
| SALISBURY mountain and the white
| Rocks" soar into the heavens, blue
in the distance. tree-clad 10 the sum.
NIT, massive imposing. To the south
he fronts the battle monument. ap-
| parentlv on q level with Il. and. n
its right, the verdant, lofty, svmmet
rical cone OF Mt. Anthony. To the
west lies n noble forest. known in tn,
writer's boyhood as Halls woods,
and, again to the right, the eye rest,
upon the high ground where the rus
tic Green Mountain Boys so Valiant,
breasted the trained invaders set II
battle array Thus the whole circum
ference Of the horizon is spread he
fore the eye. except a small arc ol
the north hidden by trees.
n. as It certainly will. the natura
beauty and grandeur Of the scene i'm
presses the traveller he will be NOV
ed also by the evidences OF human
presence, for he sees a region file,
with smiling farms and homestead
that may presently lead him 10 eN
claim with the poet:
Here are life and action. beauty
health and man:
Dwellings fair trim gardens. tur
whereer you can"
But now, having taken I'm the vie'
thus hastily. LET not the traveller hui
~ away. Let him sit awhile. an
give II all a chance TO sink into hi
consciousness, as surely Il will II
will feel with Goethe that ION ever
height there lies repose." And whe
no last he moves away from the qui,
hour. the omnipresent peace and n
= | MAAAAUA WNMANN AllHA nave HtAu Hii
he Will not 20 without murmurin
that indeed.
4 This Is a place where one might s
and weep.
His load OF grief or cankerlng cal
: away;
/. Wearied ambition here might IA
asleep.
l The lover come to sigh. the saint
pray"
In this appeal to the traveller III
q the reason for this writing. or q
OF which these faint words hint.
who merely passes bv on the ro'
will gain no notion. But let him @
n ter the main gate and walk to q
q crown OF the hill II Is only n hu
s. dred Yards He will never regret
To all that he may have seen Of N
worlds beauties he will here ha
added another that will dwell in
memory as long as this world shl
hoh him.
Amos G. Draper
pptcnNrpc apEAK IAN