News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-04-29
BY FIRESIDE AND WAYSIDE
John Elliot Bowman
Concluded from issue of Apr. %, 1911.
While the Wind Blows

While the Wind Blows
The wind tonight has passed the west
ern hill.town, merely pausing to rattle,
by way of jest. the doors in the corridors
of the almost empty summer hotel and TO
rip roll of iron sheeting from the veran-
da roof with crash that makes the
startled sleepers dream of summer thun'
der storms. Even ones dreams in the
country have a greater freedom tDap
those vouchsafed in town. How many
sojourners in flats ever dream OF any
thing more natural than stage thunder?
Now the gust has reached northern
New England and hastens on its way
toward the Canadian forests. Once, az
it passed through this region, it struggled
with great trees and left tangled heaps of
twisted branches and splintered trunks
to mark its trail. Now it blows across
mountains which have been cleared.
Their snowclad sides stand out in brill
liant wilderness against the moonlight.
The wind recognizes the sawmill at the
! foot of the mountain as the instrument
by which its old-time acquaintance have
been removed, and gives the tall smoke
stack a wrench in passing and bellows
taunt down its smokeless flue. 1t greets
some of the farm houses as friends and
bIeathes a musical note of recognition
over their chimneys. 1t has known some
of them for a century and quarter.
Either came the younger generation,
OVERLOOKING from densely settled towns
Of eastern Massachusetts in the lull that
intervened between the French and In
dian Wars and the American Revolution.
England's victory in America had rem
dered the forests of the New Hampshire
Grants comparatively safe. SO the towns
! of Middlesex and Worcester counties in
Massachusetts, and the older villages of
Connecticut sent out prospectors and
settlers. The Revolutionary period was
not altogether one of war. Men were
buying land, clearing farms, and build
ing homes in the wilderness. The wind
that now blows across the clearing where
once a farm house stood knows well the
story of the settler who raised its rafterS.
Only depression in the earth marks in
summer the site of the dwelling and that
is now level with snow as are all the sur
rounding fields. The wind pausiug for a
moment sways the branches of the pine
that throws * shadows where was once
the door yard.
As boy this pioneer wintered with
Putnam at Fort Edward. In the War for
independence he had fought under Wash
ingtUn at Long Island and had suffered
the privations and dangers of life on
board the Jersey prison.hulk. 10 the
summer of 1850 he came into the New
Hampshire Grants to examine land with
view to in 7estment. His experience
vas varied with adventure. While he
was in one of the villages came word that
British force with Indian allies was at
hand. The memory of Burgoyns's des-
cent from Canada was fresh in the minds
of the settlers; the battles of Sarat oga
and Bennington were but three years in
the past. Every man whether resident
or transient answered the alarm, and
made two days advance into the will
derness only to learn that the news was
false.
The traveller returned to his native
state. The war wore on. AT its close he
Joined with his neighbors in plans
to emigrate TO the Independent
Commonwealth of Vermont. In the
year when Washington was first
elected President, the settler, with his
three sons, set out with the opening Of
spring, and entered upon their new land.
They worked in the woods Huti the late
fall, then returned to their Connecticut
home, where they remained until the fol-
lowing spring. With the opening seas on
I they set out once )re for Vermont,
walking, and driving a horse that drew
sledge loaded with tools and provisio ions.
On their journey they purchased a COW.
Entering their claim once more they
worked through the summer, clearing
more land, burning the fallen trees, rails
ing some provisions for the coming win
ter and building a log house. 10 this the
father and youngest son lived throug h
the following winter while the other sons
went back to Connecticut. The COW sub
sisted upon the forage afforded by tree
tops cut down for her to feed upon.
With the returning spring the absent
sons came back to the Vermont wilder
ness to find their father and brother dill
gently employed in sugar making. Au-
other year passed as before, with work
in the enlargement of their house. the
raising of barn and the planting, haI
vesting and storing of crops. Next fail