Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-07-06
MOTHER VILLAGE
COMES TO FRONT
West BrattIeboro Furnishes
Memorable Celebration
Street Parade Notable Feature-Patri'
otto Address by United States Dis
trict Attorney Billiard.

The responsibility for the celebration
of the holiday in this town Wednesday
fell entirely upon the shoulders OF the
residents of the mother village of West
Brattleboro. and the people there accept
ed it with characteristic energy and car
ried the celebration through with vim,
providing program for the entire day
that was thoroughly enjoyable.
After the morning parade there were
all sorts of races games and contests III
the street and on the common, and more
genuine fun and amusement was proVld-
ed in some of the contests than Il three
ring circus can provide. The human
burden race, in which one of IA team OF
two men carried his partner from one
end of the course and then rode back on
the back of the other, resulted in numer-
Gus cases of hysteria on the part of
spectators and some bruises on the
bodies of the contestants. That was
only n sample of a genuine old-fashioned
Fourth of July celebration.
1t was 030 when the parade, under
Alton Blodgett as marshal, got under
way, and all up the village street the
paraders were greeted with applause and
laughter. Behind the marshal marched
Miss Mildred Copeland, CARRIED as Co
Wilmington as Uncle Sam. Hayden
Squires in military uniform carried the
national colors, and behind marched Il
drum corps that worked hard and played
good march music.
The parade included a great variety
of interesting features. The drill com
pany of Modern Woodmen of America
under command of Capt. Herbert +. Har-
ris of this village marched behind the
drum corps. Without an attempt to
take some of the features in their order,
there was a big float drawn by "A pair
of oxen and driven by rens by Paul
Richardson School children occupied
this float. Carl Sargent handled another
pair of oxen by the od-fashioned method
and on this float rode members of the
Goth Century club.
Frederick Richardson had his dog har-
messed to gaily decorated cart in which
rode big Teddy bear, and Ronald Gun
nell had goat as the motive power for
his cart.
Miss Fannie Stone marched with a
banner urging Votes for Women.
Twenty-six women, CARRIED in the cos
tune of the English Red Cross with
Miss Emma Mixer at their head, formed
very attractive feature. Not every
village of the size can boast of three
set of twins, but West BrattleborO can
and did, for they marched bearing ban
ner informing those who read il that
they were ''West Brattleboro Twins.
They were Hazen and Hazel Fox, Evelyn
and Elizabeth Nichols and Charles and
Chester Robb. .LgDaonuJn ( uUu
Maxine Stelman and Ruth Gunnell
were two attractive bicycle girls on dec
Grated wheels. Mrs. w. S. Cove drove n
handsome horse htched to flower be-
decked carriage. Warren Walker, wear
ing a mask and costume, kept whip
cracking and his horse dancing as he
"strove desperately to control the steed
and when the parade was over he had II
beautifully staged runaway right up
through the street
Lots of folks were heard to remark
about the very sensible costumes worn
by young women who apparently intend
to do garden work. They were some
what in the nature of the general build
of overals. Little Robert LeRay on a
decorated velocipede attracted his share
of attention, as did Cherolyn Barber and
Doris Copeland with their decorated doll
carriages The Hillside Farmers clull
was out in force in proper garb and i'm
pements of warfare, including bear
trap, and there were several decorated
automobiles. The rear was brought NJ
by six men, CARRIED in uniforms of the
vintage of 1900, who dragged a two
wheeled cart on which were keg and a
half barrel, above which was placard
informing the public that I'VE Got the
Booze" They followed Immediately after
the West Brattleboro fire department
with pair of horses drawing the old
hand engine and with every man of the
oop,nanU in rauillo ion rod shirt
When the parade dismissed the hanC
engine was placed at a cstern, and by
pressing into service husky looking indi-
viduals in the crowd the brakes were
manned almost to capacity, and there
were three different short tests of the
throwing capacity of the tub" Most OF
those on the brakes appeared to be sat
isiied that there were no more tests.
With the hand tub once more relegated
to oblivion John Mckay, chairman OF
the sports committee, equipped with {
tireman's silver speaking trumpet at
first. later discarded for IA small mega
phone, organized the various events of a
sporting nature and ran them off with
commendable promptness. Some OF
them were run on the streets and Others
were contested on the common. One re
grettable accident marred the pole vault
one OF the laSJ events, Wnen lne poe
roke and Henry Lawton of this village
sustained a COLES fracture of the right
wrist.
During the luncheon hour an orchestri
of eight pieces provided enjoyable music
and shortly after ! o'clock in front OF
Academy hall, an entertainment wa'
provided Rev. |. NJ. Compton presided
and Rev. A. V. Woodwork Offered
prayer. The orchestra played a selection
and 1azen Stockwel sang two solos
United States District Attorney " A
Bullard of Burlington gave a brief pa
triotic address in which he contrasteC
strongly the differences in the forms o.
government and the United States.
Speaking of the entrance of the Unit
ed States into the war and the work o.
the Red Cross, he said that many boy
who are going forth to fight the battles
of their country will receive a mother
are from Red Cross nurses, He pointed
out that it is the boys of the countr!
who are to do the fighting and who hav'