Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-06-07

tleboro the pageant carries the imagi-
nation back to the wilderness scenes of
200 years ago when the Squakheag In
dams inhabited this section. The fol-
lowing descriptive matter admirably
written, from the pageant program, is
an excellent setting for the beginning Of
the history of the town, as depicted in
episode one:
IF some adventurous spirit, newly ar
rived on the shores of the New World
from the countries of the old, could have
anticipated the course of human progress
by two centuries and have taken an air
ship flight up over the Connecticut val
ley about the year 1900, he would have
seen below him and all about him an
unbroken wilderness where busy Brat
tleboro now stands. He would have
passed the frontier approach of civiliz-
alton at Deerfield with its little group
of log houses and it's stockaded enclos-
ure to protect the settlers from the at
tack of hostile Indians and he could
scarcely have detected the trail which
led thence up along the banks of the
great river crossing the West river
near it's mouth and then on to the Put
ney great meadows, and still up and on
across the Green Mountains to Lake
Champlain and Canada. The territory
round about was the hunting and fish
ing ground of the Squakheag Indians,
whose annual council fire was lighted on
the slightly plain at the top of the hill,
six miles across the river, from which
the highway now descends rapidly into
the thriving village of Hinsdale II the
airship flight had been made in mid
die or late May the beautiful bloom of
the shad bushes would have been seen
all through the great forests and along
the river banks, betokening the time of
the running Of the shad, and the In
dian men and women would have been
busy with net and spear to gather the
coveted and abundant finny harvest In
due course would have come the yearly
cruise of the noble salmon from the sea
up the Connecticut and its tributary
streams and in the deep pools far up
the West river, known to this day as
salmon holes the Indians must have
found some of their most exciting sport
AS midsummer and autumn came the
tepees would have been pitched in the
little clearings on the meadows where
the harvest of Indian maize was grown,
and the women and children would have
been seen and heard making merry over
the generous gathering of berries and of
wild fruits of many kinds"
When the opening of the pageant is
announced by the orchestra Fred C.
Adams as the prophet, appears in full
Indian costume and head dress and sings
THE Sunrise" in Indian tongue, his fine
baritone voice carrying over the field
with delightful effect. Squaws and chill
dren approach in single file from the
north and soon company of braves
come from northerly direction. Other
Indians are seen padding canoes up the
river. All make camp and enjoy a feast
Of berries, squatting upon the ground,
and after dancing in a circle about the
grounds, uttering yells and bradishing
tomahawks they disappear The cast
for this episode, in charge of ]. E. Mel
len, is as follows:
Red Men-Prophet. F. C. Adams, W. A.
Shumway, Homer Heath, H. E. Harris,
A. l.. Maynard, f. NJ. White. Earl Wood
ward. H. w. Boyle, E. L Parker. C. d.
Timson, F. F. Clark, d. H. Miller ]. E.
Wilson. William Thayer. c. r. Simonds,
F. A. Miner, G. F. Whitney, A. G. Mich
OILS, H. L. Clark, G. A. Boman. II. N.
Holland, S. G. Graves. Frank Strong, r.
H. Messenger. John Kali. G. A. Twitch-
ell, Leon Walker. F. j. Barrabee, N. R.
Bromley, w. A. Harris.
! Canoeists-Dennison Cowles, Lawrence
; Barber Hugh Agnew, Robert Chamber
/ lain, Ben Weeden, Clyde Chamberlain
Ray Mixer, Hiland Tasker, A. Ellis, Ho-
mer Ellis, Godfrey Crosby, Francis Mar
rion, Manley Adams. Sanford Smith
John McCarty, Carl Smith, Harold Bel
den.
Indian Women-Mrs. C. R. Simonds
L.
Mrs. A. G. Nichols, Mrs. f. M White
Mrs. G. A. Twitchel. Miss Julia C
johnson, Miss Helen Leahy Mrs. Charles
Brockington, Mrs. Fred Ellis, Mrs
Charles Endlich, Mrs. Carrie Allen, Miss
Marjorie Balestier.
Indian Children-Joseph Estey. Eugene
Moran. Justin. Moran, Francis Aus.
tin, Howard Vinton, Leighton Noyes, Al.
bert Allen, Kenmore Emerson, Hayder
Randall. Leila Thompson. Alethaire Els
tey. Clara Perry, Madeline Whittemore
Marjorie Waterman. Charlotte Hildreth
Changing to a day in 1904, the seen,
in episode two shows the pitiful pro
cession of captives, survivors of TIT
Deerfield massacre. marching with In
dams and French soldiers on their wa.
to Canada. To the accompaniment o
sacred music they arrive, tired out afte
a two days march. 1t is supposed tina
the little remnant Of English colonist
stopped near the spot where the pagean
is given. Among the captives were Rev
John Williams and his children. Man!
of the captives afterward were redeemed
through the efforts Of John Sheldon
whose wife and children were massa
cred at Deerfield. While the soldiers ar
building fire the pageant chorus sing
a doxology, after which Parson William
makes prayer for the jeliverance o
the captives The parson and some chill
dren try to escape, but are caught ant
the procession continues toward Can
ada, the wounded and those unable t
walk being carried by the captors.
: When the first settlers came a lgh
often was seen on Wantastquet noun
tain, moving up and down the mountain
side, sometimes almost to the river
edge. Some thought 1t a sprite, or goo
! angel. lowering over the town. Wit
flowing robes and carrying an electri
light, Miss Elsa Eager, representa-
: light, progress and peace, appears a
the Wantastiquet sprite and executes
graceful categorical dance. The ep
: ISOLDE IL in charge of Mrs. W. F. Roo
and Mrs L. e. Holden.
The Indians are the same as in tn
first episode and the other participant
are:
Deerfield Captives-Mary Alexander
Mrs. William II. Richardson; Mar
Brooks Mrs. F. l. Swift; Mar
Field, Mrs. Walter A. Gilbert; Mar
Allis. Mrs C. w. Cushing; Hannah Bea
man, Mrs. NJ. c. White; Abigail Brow
i Mrs. Jesse Haynes; Sarah Dickinson
Mrs. c.. G. Maynard; Mary Hinsdal
Mrs. Bert Newton; Waitstill Warne
Mrs. III. A. Staten; Mary French, Mr.
c. b. Lamson; Dorothy Stebbins, Mis-
Eta Stebbins; Hannah Sheldon, Mis-
Adele Cowles; Sarah Holt, Miss Emil
y Clapp; Elizabeth Stevens. Miss Chariot
$ Barrett; Esther Williams, Gladys Ho
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