The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1911-08-04

but tney were returned 10 MIN aIter tnal
had been done.
| In 1908, the matter came up in towI
, meeting, and small fire proof building
near the Town House at the Center was
soon built. Some time before this, g
descendant of Richard Wallace, Thet-
ford's Revolutionary hero, had started
fund for a memorial to him. This
fund amounted to about $125.00 and was
put with the town appropriation for the
building and the whole costing about
100000, now constitutes a memorial
to Richard Wallace. Here it is designed
to keep the old town records and any other
valuable articles like the charter, which
may be found.
In 1908, the parish restored the old
church building to freshness and beauty
by expanding about 81 300 dollars and at
the dedication of the repaired building,
Mr.. Slade preached a sermon taking up
the history of the church buildings
the first log church built in 1880, and the
present building erected in 1887. The
material for this sermon was largely
taken from DR.. Buttons papers. At
this service the first suggestion was made
that the town celebrate in fitting manner
the anniversary which was so soon to come.
| The idea was, of course, discussed freely
as time went on and was especially con-
sidered by the many friends and natives
of the town, who come back each summer
to enjoy its beauties.
The road which finally led to the
Pageant as the method of celebrating the
anniversary makes another story, and
very interesting one. Mr.. Slade was
naturally elected historian of the Pageant
but has been endeavoring, while the scenes
of the Pageant have been in preparation,
to present to his own people a more com
plete story of the town history than can
be given in short scenes. On Sunday
evening, July %, he gave talk on the
early history of the church, which was
also the town history, telling the romantic
story of Clement Sumner, the first pastor,
and the coming of DR.. Burton. In this
connection he corrected a statement
made in an article published in The
Vermonter, saying that DR.. Burton was
the first pastor. Mr.. Sumner served |
for about three years during the early |
part of the Revolution and when people |
realized that he was a Tory, he was
threatened with coat of tar and feathers, |
and was obliged to leave town. Several |
old papers were shown bearing on this |
episode among them being bill for board
ing. Mr.. Sumner and his horse for seven
weeks while he was preaching on proba-
ton" The manuscripts of the original |
covenant of the church was shown and
read and extracts were given from DR..
Burtons autobiography, especially relat-
ing to the church at the time Of Mr..
Summers pastorate and telling Of the
settling of DR.. Burton. Mr.. Slade, in
closing, indicated the progress from the
old days when the church was thought |
of as a court enforcing the laws of Christ |
and humbling its members with public |
trials and confessions, and the pastor
a stern ruler and critic, to the new days |
when the church is the brotherhood of
those who are striving TO follow Christ
and the pastor is friend and brother.
Mr.. Slade has also been preaching a
series of sermons along the line of town
development and has laid much stress
on the idea that cooperation is the secret
Of success. This idea was also strongly
brought out in an address given by
President Thomas of Middlebury College
On Sunday July 2, at a union service of
Ill the churches in town. President
Thomas is on the Advisory Committee
or the development of the town, and his
coming was one of the events of the cele-
,ration and a most helpful and inspiring
me. His subject was Vermont Problems
THE MUSIC OF THE PAGEANT.
The music for the Pageant has not been
" any means an uninteresting part of the
that have been going on
he original committee appointed to take
, in charge were Mrs William Slade,
hartman, Mrs. William l.. Murfey, Prof.
'harles H. Farnsworth and Rev. William
V. Sleeper-the two latter, summer