The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1912-02-08

several years ago on the Marker
place,
Ono hundred years ago Caleb
Buffum OF Dandy bought the old
Dewey place and moved on 10 the
hill In what was then a part OF the
town OF Bromley Peru-after-
wards set off to Mt. Tabor and af-
terwards to the town OF Dorset. This
was called Mt. Tabor leg. and wat
| about one mile wide and six miles
In lenght. Now Esquire Buffum haa
represented Mt. Tabor for many
years at Montpelier, riding his horst
| up and back, only once each term
A bill came up to set Mt. Tabor lei
off TO Dorset. Buffum kicked and
when asked why, he said that hs
had represented Mt. Tabor for 90
years at Montpelier and that he
would not vote to set his home and
| himself off into the town OF Dorset
and county OF Bennington, A com.
promise was made by running the
north line Of Bennington county
around south OF the Buffum place
and you will see the notches there
yet,
There was q large family OF the
Buffum's some fourteen growing up
marrying and raising up families. |
will write of some OF them later on.
There was family OF Hulettf
about 10 years ago that lived around
North Dorset remember one
whom we called Bill Hulett He
was a large man and had rheuma-
tism, obliging him to 90 on crutches.
Nearly all this family died here.
John Bull, so years ago, lived
near the Marken place and had a
big family. Some went to the war,
others scattered. Elmer Bull In q
grandson Of old John.
Over co years ago Joe Brown, Of
Concord, Mass, bought OF Andrews
Bowen and others, large tract Of
heavily timbered mountain land In
Dorset and Peru at the head waters
Of the Otter Creek and around Buff
fun Pond. Bowen had built q small
water power mill on the stream
Dewey Phillips doing the work. 1t
W a remarkable lively little thun-
der storm mill and In 1t was saw
ed the lumber for the big new mill.
Now there was a spry young man
named Joel Wheeler In Browns ac-
quaintance, and after he had bought
the Bowen mill and land he sent
Wheeler up to run the business.
They put In $50 horse power en-
gine and big mill, gang OF ur
and down saws to saw whole log
at once into inch boards, large and
small circular saws, barrel saws,
turning lathes barrel making machin
cry, blind shutter machinery, In
fact one OF the best mills ever In
this section. A big log spout, more
than mile long, to the top OF the
mountain. This was built over sew
eral times and at last consisted OF
a 90 inch yellow birch bottom hcw-
ed concaye and sided up with small
er logs 80 as to form spout the
shape OF horse shoe, toe down, 80
inches wide by 40 high and 80 well
was the bottom put together
that a small stream OF water would
run down In the bottom the whole |
length. The fall was several hun
dred feet and a log would go down
In less than minute. Millions OF |
feet OF the best OF spruce was cut
UP here, 60 men were worked and |
horses to haul both in the woods
and to North Dorset two miles 1
away. II never paid. Brown put |
100000 In and failed. Dan Walker |
OF Manchester came In and 1t was
Wheeler a. Walker, but the business
after passing through several other
hands has all gone, the buildings
rotted down, burned up. and to-day
where once was a big mill and sev-
erai houses, barns. sheds, store,
aud dry houses, not trace In left.
Joel Wheeler was rusher and
hustler but no commander or organ
Izer. he tried 70 carry all his busi-
ness IN his head. A sample will
10. One Sunday morning he took
bis clean shirt across his arm and
started up stairs to put IL on. step
ped out to the barn TO see sick
horse. and kept on for two miles to
North Dorset. Uncle Dan Curtis
raw him and said. Joel step right
% to my bedroom and change your
'hirt, the girls will wash the other
.omorrow." Then Wheeler discover
ID be was carrying around shirt.
Wheeler finally went west where be
lied As years ago. | understand
ie dealt In wheat and corn and
lmassed some wealth. Thus bus
meas rose aud fell
Hernan Buffnm. son Of Caleb Buf-
um, owned what was afterwards
he Dorset Town Farm. lie built
he splendid buildings. raised a
arge family and died several years
Igo at bis sons. o. Q. Buffum. in
Manchester
Beenan Sweet settled on small
arm near the Marker mill, raised
Iuite family who are all dead
~. Charles, who lives Ia California. Il
Tim Dorsey bought Of Jafiah Day
on small farm near the Sweet