Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-09

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given to show It's general trend. II am
inclined to think these explosions are not
Sc frequent as formerly, even fifty years
ago. for ! am told by ancient people OF
veracity, who formerly dwelt at Fort
hummer Composite the mountan) that
there were frequently explosions and fire
and smoke were emitted"
Volume one also contains an account of
two very interesting "Church maulings ="
Tho first at the eas st parish in Wcstmin-
ster. the subject being Mrs. Bethiah
Holton. member who adopted Unver-
I salisn. In this trial Judge Lot Hall fig
ures as council Judge Hall was the
grandfather of Benjamin H. Hall of Troy.
y. Y, author Of Halls Eastern Yer
| mont"
The other ecclesiastical proces dinEs are
against the Rev. Matthias Caster, pastor
OF the church at Castleton A bill Of
complaints numbering Is specific items
was brought against this minister. and a
council called to settle the trouble. The
charges were brought fo~ violation OF
doctrine, discipline and manners Two
Of the charges will suffice for samples
Item That the said pastor holds
that no infants are guilty Of actual
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the world" Item 18th THAT he calls
all the congregations Except the church,.
infdels." The well-known Rev. job
Swift was moderator of the Council. The
Council take UP the charges item by
| item and report on them the report being
strongly In favor of the defendant pastor.
with some gentle and loving rebukes
thrown in. It also lays out n program for
the town, the people and the church. 1t
recommends a separation. II harmony
does not obtain. This is the most complete
report of a proceeding of this kind. a
century ago, that the writer has ever
seen. 1t Is a valuable scrap Of
Ecclesiastical History" and custom
After the publication Of these pro-
ceedings In later issues OF the magazine
both sides are discussed 80 that the
reader may judge for himself as to the
| pros and cons in the case
Interesting articles on the "Onion river
falls at Waterbury," The Salt SPRINGS
at Bridport and Orwell" and very IN
teresting memoir of Seth Warner, and
Remember Baker, are given. Vol. 2 con-
| tains an extended sketch OF Josa 8
| Lyndon Arnold son OF DR.. jonathan
! Arnold, founder Of St Johnsbury GEN
eral William Johnson's letter written in
camp September Q. 1755. gives a graphic
account of the Battle Of Lake George.
| The most complete account that the
| writer has seen is given of the selection
of Col. John A. Graham of Rutland, for
a mission to England, by the Episcopal
| Church OF Vermont to secure the con-
secration of Rev. Samuel Peters as
Bishop. The account gives In detail the
| arguments and correspondence between
! Col. Graham and the Archbishop Of
Canterbury, whose function II was to
consecrate the newly chosen Vermont
| bishop. The archbishop declining to ac-
cede to the request of the Episcopacy OF
Vermont. brought about this controversy
and correspondence. II was this same
Col. Graham who published a volume Of
his letters written from various places in
| Vermont In London in 1871. This book
of 1856 pages has sometimes erroneous.y
been called "Graham's History Of Yer
mont" Two ponds in Vermont receive
attention as being out OF the ordr airy,
one at Thetford the other at Brunswick,
both near the Connecticut river. A very
smoothly written and somewhat strange
political letter is published written by
Daniel Buck, dated at Norwich. VT,
November 80 1873. addressed ~ the
Freemen of the Eastern District of Yer
mont" The subject matter is MIR. Buck )
election 10 Congress. The strange and
unusual feature about il IS that Mr.. Buck
didn't want the office and debated some
time in his own mind whether he would
accept or not. Another strange and I'M
usual thing is embodied in these words;
III upon candid inquiry and fair in
vestigation you find me designedly to
deviate from my avowed principles, then
infict upon me your tortures Of public
censure. accompanied with newspaper
invectives" Had Mr. Buck lived in our
day, holding public Office he would know
that no invitation would need to he issued
to constituents or newspapers to adj
minister criticisms and cuttings.
! II impossible IN the time and space
allotted me 10 go into detail as to the
contents Of these volumes. I have, how
ever, dwelt long enough on the local
features of the Rural Magazine to give
a fair view of it's general local scope and
trend. Fortunate indeed is the man who
lives within easy access to the historical
treasures contained In the Billings
library. and unfortunate indeed is the
man who will not avail the opportunity.
Samuel Williams was born in Waltham,
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from a long line OF celebrated divines on
both sides he was an ordained Con
gregational minister and just prior TO MS
coming to Vermont IN l7SS was graduated
from and an instructor In, Harvard Col
lege. He was a grandson OF Rev. John
williams of Deerneld Mass. who with
his family and fiock we're taken captive
by the French and Indians In l7N at
what was commonly called the Sack OF
Deerneld." Samuel Wllliamss father was
Wareham who at the age of eleven years
WAS one OF the captives, Mr.. Williams
when he came to Vermont enjoyed the
destruction Of the D. d, and LII. ID. de-
gree He settled in Rutland and was
pastor of the first Parish Church l1S9-l7&.
small portrait of Mr., Williams which
hangs on the walls of the church parlors
is his only one In existence so far as
the writer is able TO learn. In addition
TO writing a history Of Vermont In two
editions and editing the Rural Ma ga2ire,
he was founder and first editor OF the
Rutland Herald. He was Rutlands rep
resentative for several years active and
alert in tho interests Of his adopted town.
He was a most aggressive advocate OF
Rutland as the home Of the /. Y. Nj.
which was decided b. n vote Of the
Legislature Of 1901, when Rurli"Tton had
80 votes, Rutland q. Montpeler and
Williamstowp each. panvilio, Casileton
and Rerlin one each.
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