The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-09-25
ehrsrRVK eAelANr DATA
Horace W. Bailey Favbts ThslF
Publication.

Il nave your note OF August ~,
and In reply will say that II was my
good fortune to attend the anniver-
sary celebration at Thetford and
witness the pageant. The celebration
which consisted entirely OF psgsan-
try exceeded my expectation and was
an unqualified success.
The aftermath of the celebration
SENS to have been very well ex-
pressed by the North Thetford cor
respondent of the Bradford Opin-
ion, In the following words;
Our pageant which in the begin
ming seemed large undertaking. as
II certainly was. has been success
fully carried out, and some good re-
suits are bound to follow In Its
wake The pageant will now slowly
recede into past and into history
perhaps to reappear at some far dis
tant day, as an episode in similar
spectacle The ticket Office alone re-
ports taking In some $2265 and
5000 people are estimated to have
been on the grounds during the
three performances bringing consid-
cradle business to our stores, hotels,
etc
"Pageants OF this nature In Yer
mont are pretty much the children
OF the goth century, and have two
separate and distinct features, the
commercial and the historical. In the
Thetford celebration. the CONNER
cial Is set forth in the above quota.
tion relating to the number OF peo-
pie In attendance and the cash de-
posits at the ticket Office while the
historical part Is expressed by the
words The Pageant will now slowly
Irecede into the past and into his
tory
1T seems to me that the best ant
fullest results can be obtained only
by happy combination OF the com
mercial and historical as is the case
in the recent Wallingford celebra
tion where the entire proceeding
Twill be made the final chapter In tn,
history of that town which Is nov
being published by the Tuttle com
Ipany OF Rutland,
Next week Rutland celebrates tn,
150th anniversary of the granting
OF Its charter. In connection with thu
Rutland county fair. Preparation
are made for an entire gala week
by far the most important in th,
history OF the county and city. TIT
most important auxiliary to thi
grand Goth century event Is the pre-
paration and publication OF an his
torical pamphlet. in which are re
produced all the old pictures OF IN
ancient town, together with moder
Rutland with carefully complies
cleaning OF its most important his
torical data This historical docl
ment will be alive. much sought a
ter and read and studied with Dr.
found interest and great benef
long after the celebration Ia fol
gotten and all Its participants gon
out OF mind and memory. Wallinl
. ford and Rutland haye certainI
struck the happy combination of BIZ
tory and commercialism.
"Thetford ID rich In historic Tor,
the coming OF John Chamberlin, th
first settler, the founding of Ii
church, the establishment OF the oil
academy. the CONSERVATION create
! by the Burgoyne invasion, the trea
: ment OF Tories, the representation
! OF Rev. Doctor Asa Burton. the apo
tolic hero Of Thetford, the visit
ton OF Rev. Peter Powers OF Ney
bury. the first Christian minister
the Coos county, and Doctor Flea
;, err Wheelock the founder OF Oar
mouth college, as well as many OF
= er episodes were OF the profounde
historic nature.
remembered and rehearsed durir
the lifetime Of this generation. aft
which they will be forgotten, or b
a come greatly exaggerated In u
legends OF the future. II Is Meth
q lphilanthropic nor patriotic TO expeI
so much energy and so many dolla
TO erect history which will crumb
and decay with the passing OF 1
n makers.
Il would be unQualihedly In fay
OF this kind OF celebration II d
ii. town OF Thetford would put In
- permanent form the history rem
~ sented In Its numerous episodes.
er that future generations for all III
m could benefit thereby. II towns no
Iee ing this kind OF q celebration G
Il, AFFORD only one OF the two importa
features, commercial OF historic,
" should certainly do away with I
commercial aspect and devote
time and energy TO producing sor
VI thing historical. permanent and Ia
Il ing In nature. like marking histc
cal spots, publishing historical
on dresses and the publication OF to
histories.
I'm the recent grand historic q
bration at Bennington, what an
portant addition TO history could
made by brief sketch, a prin
synopsis OF the various episodes,
. gether with the publication OF
Batchelder's splendid historical
dress at the dedication OF the s.
:, Warner monument. Current hist
" Ia like a square cake OF Ice left
! posed TO the summer sun and
rs form and substance soon
solves, then Is forgotten. To be I
~ full pageants with their numer
4 o episodes and events must be red
ed 10 cold type. then preserved
q the printing presses"