The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-04-07
Editor Reformer :

L
More than. a year ago I wrote Miss
Minnie E.-Blanehard of New York
city. to The effect that | had learned
that she. was the original promoter OF |
.'The Vermont Society of New York,
and asked her for some of the details !
as to how the undertaking had been
accomplished. She was Gullford
girl, daughter of Edison Blanchard ami
lived here on the family homestead un-
til after her fatLer 5 death. l was
well acquainted with them, consequent.
w felt an interest IN what she done
and knew that Others in this town and
elsewhere would like to hear about it,
therefore l asked her, if she had the
time. if she would give me the outlines
of the ease with M permission to have
it printed in The Reformer.
In few days l received from her
q detailed account, giving full de-
scription as to how it began and after
q wear or more effected a union with
the Brooklyn society.
At the time her letter came l fully
intended sending the account to your
paper, but failing strength did not per
nit, as | have done little or no writing
since.
In the Reformer of April 3 notice
that the Vermont society in New York
were to hold their annual banquet and
reception at Delmonico s on the even
ing of April 9TH set me to think
inn and / decided to make an effort to
pick up the work dropped more than
a wear ago. Miss Blanchard 5 letter
reads in part, like this:
90 Early in 1907. as l was sitting in
church one Sunday the thought came
to my mind, why could not ! do
something toward forming n society
Of VermonteTs in Manhattan borough
." had been for a couple of years
an invited guest at the meetings of the
Brooklyn society of ,Nermonters, a
many Of their members lived in Man
haitian Borough, and my idea was Il
form Il society to hold its meetings il
Manhattan and ever since had beer
in New York ] had thought such al
organization desirable, but it had neve
occurred to me that ! could possibl
become a moving spirit in the enter
prise till it came upon me in a momen
like an inspiration. 1t was some week
before ! ventured to make a beginnin
and in fact nothing definite was don
until 1908 came, and with it PAM
that made business duh and gave IN
more time to devote to the plan. | di
not at that time know but very fe7
people from Vermont in the city bu
| called upon one woman with whoI
/ had a business acquaintance and VIII
was formerly from SaxtOns River, an
asked her if she knew many Vernon
ers in New York. She gave me n
names but later sent me to Mr. an
Mrs. G. c. Stoddard, who were bot
from Westminster. Both were please
with the plan and offered to assist
any way possible. Mr.. S. gave me tn
names of about 20 Vermont publics
tious having subscriptions in Ne,
York to whom 1 wrote asking for list
of SUCH receiving lists from II paper
These were carefully gone over by l
and such names selected as we though
best. l had 30 names to start wit
Then Mr.. S. gave me the names of Sc
eral Dartmouth friends who were We
monters and suggested that as
Charles F. Mathewson, who was
graduate of that college and Wa
street lawyer, to act as leader in IL
movement, saying that he would nal
good president of such an organic
tion. He also recommended that ] s
Mr.. Andrew w. Edison, associate supe
intendent of the board Of educate
and a graduate of Dartmouth. N
Edison also remarked that Mr.. Mathe