The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-02-21


z ne stage coaches and be housed
Tor the hight On the return trip
from Boston the wagons would be
tiled up as high as before but with
Goldfish or other goods wanted in the
interior. as New York state was list.
ed at that time. ..,.p .i 49,. Il
The highest point OF this route was
at Stratton on the top of the Green
Mountains and here was as well popu
lated and prosperous a six miles
square as could be found in the state
at that time. The people had moved
on from the colonies OF Massachus.
cts, had found giant spruces for
their houses and barns, lordly naples
for their sugar. and p'enty of bears
and coons and fish for meat. Sheen
for clothing had been brought with
them and cows for milk, oxen for
work and saddle horses for the
marked trail from neighbor to neigh
Dor and for eXeitemenf on the stage
route. What more could Ibe asked
FOR atiihatttitpe? lt,l9.,lisl
IA. Iha iiln.kotperRat STatttn iausihe
kiimas 81 which write was Luther
'foayey Who had come IRON Ware
{ Miss, and from aftniIIy einraticsial-
lly' aristocratic He had married in
to the Hyde family which is noted In
Massachusetts, to this time for its
business acumen and trading facul-
'ti3s and qIutheq Torf'ey was f3}rAtaii-
cd upon by his brother-inlaw to trade
hi h2yyei in Ware for. 100 acres Of
primeval forest on the top OF the
Green Mountains OF Vermont and go
there to make his home.
Many interesting stories of life at
that time have been passed down
from this inn-keeuer grandfather o.
mine, among which is the fol OWING
AErno @eat, distance to- the south
of be eastern part Of the highway
leading from Bsndville to Manches.
Ter NAV be seen a large handsome
wooded mountain. mostly in tile town
'5of Straton. Halyed into this noun,
ytain,s an its south side Isl. a; much
smaller mountain, wholly in Stratton
and known there as the little Strat.
ton mountain.
At the south foot Of this mountain
and extending up its south side
somewhat was a large farm, where
| lived at the time of which write
and for many years Abel Grout, q
solder Of the evolution and his son,
Deacon Abel Grout, ir., with their
families. The sugar Let was above
the clearing en- the mountains slope
and of indefinite extent.
Tho, NOM r,,ngtltr 70 tho ,,ortL
and northwest to the summit of the
Green Mountains and for miles be-
yond TO Manchester was an unbroken
I lrimevalT forest. Early ON the 18Th
OF April 1925, Samuel Newell Grout,
seven years cid, went with his father,
Deacon Abel Grout, to this sugar lot
When his father was ready TO return
hesca led TO Newell and, supposing he
would follow, went home to break
fast Newell not following, the din.
ner horn was vigorously blown and
search was begun for him and con-
tinued till about 10 O'Clock before the
neighbors were called to assist.
A party OF eight men with tin horns
soon assembled and lite footprints
we're found in the snow in the sugar
lot with the toes pointing northwest
erly. The ground was bare in places
and there was much difficulty and
hindrance in following them. After
crossing tho headwaters OF the
Deerheld river the boy turned south
westwardly and went within about
forty rods of the road leading from
Stratton to Arlington. He then made
asharp turn to the northwest.
Four of the men then left for home
Tho Others continued sternuously or
and on, sometimes hunting for the
tracks lost on the bare ground and
when found running as fast as they
could. Giro ing and crooking around
! till night, dark night,-more dark on
account Of the dense forest,--came
on and they could follow no farther.
As nearly as could learn of my
grandfather. who stuck to the finish,
they were then not far from Bowen
pond. Without coats, which they
left at home. expecting only warm
short job, without dinner or supper,
without means OF making fire, they
broke off spruce and balsam branch.
es with their hands, made them q
bed and laid down on it, two under
and two over to enjoy a cold April
night. When the 'unders" were
tired they changed places with the
"uppers"
Crazed with fear that his little boy
was perishng with hunger, cold and
fatigue or was being devoured by
wild, man.eating animals Of which
the Green Mountains there had not
a few. the Deacon would often get up
and make the forest resoupd with
NEWELL Newell Newelll" But
dear little sevenyear.old Newell, who
In his Greetings and crossings about
had trave led, as was estimated by
his pursuers, not less than thirty
lmiles without breakfast, dinner OF