The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-11
CELEBRATED?
GUESS WE DID
Barre Was in Time Early
for the Arrival of the
Dawn Of Peace
HUGE CONCOURSE
OF PEOPLE OUT
From 3:28 They Have Been
Celebrating the Surren-
der of Germany

tion Of the most momentous arnlistice
negotiations in the history of the world.
The victory rehearsal of few days ago
left the population Of the Granite City in
a mood to demonstrate its patriotic sat
isfaction at the earliest opportunity and
when the big whistle at the gas plant
proclaimed the news this morning around
$3.50 o'clock it was followed by an out
pouring of people the like of which the
oldest inhabitant had never witnessed.
Surrounding towns were prompt to dis
Germ the significance of the ten blasts
from the fire alarm whistle, and long be-
fore daybreak the celebration lost its ap-
pearance of purely local demonstration,
for residents Of nearby places hastened to
town to join in the rejoicing.
Men and women who have outlived the
scriptural three score years and ten never
expected to see the dawn of such day.
Nothing that transpired after the news
that Lee had surrendered at Appomattox
courthouse can be compared with the en-
thusissm which greeted the news that
the era of rapine, of baby killing and Of
atrocities which historians were reluc-
tant TO attribute to the Huns of old, was
over perhaps for all time. More than
700 Barre boys who offered to give their
all in the battle for human freedom were
in the thoughts Of those who sailed forth
TO celebrate the capitulation Of the Ger.
man. Ii the celebration which followed
! the receipt Of the news seemed to eclipse
anything that has happened in the his.
tory of the city, Ii will be well for the
historian of to.days doings not to ex-
haust his superlatiyes. There will be a
bigger celebration when the boys come
home.
Peter the Hermit, in his pilgrimages
across Europe, never stirred to greater
depths the people of bis time than the
war for liberation has stirred the cosmo-
politan population of Barre That the
theory Of divine partnership between
kaiser and Gott might be blasted forever,
that the doctrine that might takes pre-
cedcnce over right, might vanish, the
very flower Of the eity's manhood has
joined the colors. Perhaps a majority Of
Barre's offering is over there An hon.
ored minority sleeps in heroes graves.
Color, creed or race figured not in the
sitting of men who were to be called, and
likewise to-day's celebration of thanks
giving was not concerned with the names
and racial attributes of those who made
the supreme sacrifice or who stood ready
to give their all when the order to cease
fire reached the trenches over there. It
was public expression Of thanksgiving,
and even the most International of people
could not help feeling its thrill
Barre got the news at 1928 a. m. The
Times Associated Press service furnished
the information for which everybody had
been waiting. The word came just be-
fore the half hour struck and only a few
minutes later ten blasts from the fire
whistle at the gas plant were proclaim.
ing the news to town and countryside
Barre Town, where vigilsnt quarry
watchmen were on the alert for the first
news of the Teutons' virtual surrender,
was the first to answer the call Ten
blasts from two or three whistles at
Graniteville were followed by the ringing
Of bells. BY that time whistles and bells
were forming q chorus here in the city
and within five minutes after the first
welkin rang, it is doubtful whether any
one here in the city remained asleep.
BY a. m. every bell in the city was
ringing and with few exceptions every
stoneshed whistle was in tune with the
occasion The whistles which did not
later, after sufficient steam was avail
able The committee appointed by the
Joint conferences of the Board Of Trade
and the city council Saturday forenoon
responded almost on the moment, and
within ten minutes after the first call
preparations were in train for huge
bonfire. The first display centered at
point east of City park Quantities of
wood, tar and oil, previously stored in
the rear of the old Church street school
building, were piled high in the street,
and by o'clock the kaiser's pyre was
ready for the torch. No Fourth Of July
celebration within memory has produced
a bonfire that equslled the mornings
blaze.
In the cold damp of the morning it
was lodestone for hundreds, yes, thou
sands, of celebrators, and in friendly
glow people assembled TO add the music
of horns and bells to the excitement.
Horribles, decorated automobiles and
other celebration devices began to appear,
and by daylight the big doings were well
under way. It was delirious crowd, but
well ordered, and despite the fact that
the police were prepared for any emer-
gency, the celebrators discharged their
duties in creditable manner and no crit
icism was possible,
Before mid forenoon the crowd here in
the city was greatly increased by acces-
sions from out of town. Work was sus.
pended everywhere, Not wheel moved
in the granite industry. Stores and Offices
were closed and employees were told to
60 the whole way in their celebrating.
Fortunately Barre had a well devised
scheme of celebrating in town, and 50