Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-08-25
ATHENS.
Celebration in Historic Athens.


This town has observed Old Home
week this week with particularly graft
flying results. The celebration began
Sunday with religious services as out
lined in a program published last week.
Welcome Home" in white letters on
an arch of evergreen was conspicuous
over the pulpit and portraits of de-
ceased former residents hung on the
walls. At p. m. song service was
led by Mrs. Esther Meacham Northrup
of Waterbury, Conn, who sang the
GLORY Song" An address, home talk,
was given by Pastor Sweet.
Tuesday was the big" day, and since
then the time has been devoted to pic
MICS family reunions and excursions.
Something of the widespread interest
aroused in the celebration is shown by
the fact that the crowd Tuesday num-
bered almost three times the entire pop
ulation of the town. They came from
California on the west to Maine
on the east, and from Toronto on
the north to Florida on the south. No
building in the town could hold the
crowds and the exercises were held on
the lawn between the church and the
schoolhouse Guy w. Powers and Eu-
gene +. Knsley We're the president and
secretary of the committee of arrange
ments and Jerry NJ Powers was presi-
dent of the day
Music was furnished by Mrs Maud
Lake May, a well-known soprano, for
merly a resident of Athens and vet
eran quartet of forty miners consist
ing of j. r. Ball of Wateryille, Que,
Albert Alexander of Greenfield, Mass.
NJ. c. Redheld of Grafton and Harry
Austin of Saxtons River. Old time songs
were sung under the lead of Rev. and
Mrs. w. d. Spencer of Argyle n. Y.
Mrs. May, who was born in Athens, is
the wife of Robert May of Union City,
Conn, and is a solost in one of the
Fifth avenue churches in New York
city.
Original poems We're read by Mrs. w. r.
Davenport of Bellows Falls and Miss
Nellie Kingsbury of Grafton. Old time
"reminiscences We're given by c. p. Stick
ney of Brooklne, James a. Parkhurst
of Weston, Alonzo S. Powers of Bellows
Falls, George Bush of Somerville, Mass,
y. y. Alexander of Greenfield, Mass,
and Ceylon d. Ball of South Acworth,
N II. The last named speaker was a
veteran of the Civil war.
Guy w. Powers read letters from a
number of former residents, now widely
scattered, and included, besides a num-
Der from Windham county, Mrs ellison
of California, Rev. L. Olin Sher-
burne of Burlington, who was born in
the old Athens parsonage Mr.. and Mrs
w. c. Robbins of Washington, D. c,
Prof Marshall Downing, who once own
ed a summer home here known as The
/ Wilderness" and Judge Alfred y. Hall
| of st. Adams, whom Athens is proud
| to claim as one of her real sons,
! The president of the day delivered q
fellcitous address of welcome to which
/ an extended response was given by j. R
| Ball. The resolution committee, through
Leon j. BAH of Toronto, reported in IA
vor of a regular repetition of the cele-
bration. The historical address was
given by Rev. w. r. Davenport of Bel
! lows Falls, a former pastor.
Though Athens today has-now thai
the mill hands have left-only 175 inhab'
itants, yet this little town in the foot
hills has had in its list of citizens q
soldiers of the Revolutionary war. i
also furnished is soldiers for the war o.
1872 and 80 for the Civil war, its quote
for the latter conflict being more thar
! filled without a draft.
Athens, which hardly ever has a law
suit, sent out nine lawyers, four OF
whom became distinguished judges 1
also furnished seven ministers to tn,
state and nation some of whom becam,
eminent, even distinguished, educators
! and authors.