Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-12-27
FOREFATHERS' DAY.
Appropriate Exercises by Middle
bury Historical Society.

The annual celebration of the landing
OF the Pilgrims took place at the Con-
gregational church Friday afternoon
and evening under the auspices of the
Middlebury Historical society. The
orator of the occasion was Prof Samuel
Emerson of the University of Vermont
who took for his theme 1.-The Puritan
Contribution to the Problem of Self
Government. The exercises began at
five O'Clock and were we'll attended.
AT the conclusion the Labaree society
served the annual supper in the vestry
of the church which was very appropri-
ately trimmed for the occasion. During
the exercises vocal solos were rendered
by Mrs. S. S. Eddy, Mrs. Charles l.
Button and Mrs. Mabel Cottrell.
MR.. BAILEY'S ADDRESS.
One of the guests of the Middlebury
Historical society at the Forefathers'
celebration last Friday night was United
States Marshal Horace w. Bailey of
Newbury. Mr.. Bailey responded very
happily as one of the speakers after the
dinner, and in an off-hand address full
of wit and merry humor he kept the
audience in keen enjoyment for several
minutes. He followed these remarks
with careful paper on Zadock Thomp-
son, author of the well-known Thomp-
sons Vermont.
Mr.. Bailey's address on this cele
brated Vermont historian was as fol-
lows:
zADOCK THOMPSON.
Born in Bridgewater, Vt, May 30,
1896.
Died in Burlington, VT, January l9.
1886. Aged SO years, months and 26
days.
He married Phoebe Boyce at the Bovce
home in BridgeN ater on September 4.
1923. Their first child, son, was born
in Bridgewater April 6, 1925, who died |
on the day of his birth. Two daughters
were born to them in Burlington, only /
one living to maturity. She married |
and left daughter, Sarah Thompson
Cushman, who now resides at North |
field, Vt. From this granddaughter
and from Irving T. Shurtleff of Bridge
water, grandnephew living on the old |
Thompson homestead, | have gained |
much original information about this
great man. Sedate and studious as a
boy his mind ran in channels of original
and scientific research He began his
life as publisher by making an almanac
IN the year 1919, the same year he en-
tered the U. V. M. as freshman. His
sisters sewed the amanacs and he
peddlcd them from town to town, often
taking paper and rags in payment. By
this humble but honest means Zadock
Thompson paid his way through college.
What lesson, what an inspiration to
the boys of today who think they have
a hard time of it getting through col
ege. In this business of almanac pedd-
er Mr. Thompson went on foot and by
horseback into nearly every town in the
State of Vermont, gathering from town
records and from the older people the
data for his history and gazet-
-eer.
1t is little wonder that history thus
cleaned has stood unimpeached for
-hree-quarters of a century. He pub
lshed several almanacs and furnished
he astronomical calculations for Wal
.on's Registers for thirty-four years.
nc SlduudIeu III 1910 anu TWO years
ater was chosen a tutor at his univer-
'ity. In 1928 he edited the Iris and
Burlington Literary Gazette and later
he Green Mountain Repository, both
published at Burlington. The year
1913 found him teaching in Hatley and
Sherbrooke, p. O., where he published
| geography of Canada. In 1885 he
vas ordained an Episcopal minister by
he Rt Rev. Bishop Hopkins, and in
S37 became teacher in the Episcopal
institute at Burlington. From 1S41 to
he end of life he was under appoint
nent by the State as geoogist and
naturalist as well as curator of the
State cabinet, being commissioned to
ollect specimens for the same. In
S5l he was appointed to the professor
hip of chemistry and natural history at
he University of Vermont. During
is busy life he found time to write and