The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-03-20
Warned TO LEAVE
How Vermont Towns Got Rid Of
"UndesirabIes."
SeIectmen Were Empowered to Order
Them to Leave, and Judgment
of Officials Evidently Was
Net lnfailibIe.

Speaking of the current misappre
hension as to who are the poor and un-
fortunate in this world, Nomad Of
the Boston Evening Transcript has
come upon a most curious note about
the poor and the rich, and the fear Of
the pauper and having to support him,
in Vermont paper. Mr.. +. p. Wells,
the accomplished historian of New
bury, Barnet and other Vermont towns.
is q man who is always studying the
early social conditions of the com.
munitieS of which he has become the
historian, and with regard to this he
contributes an interesting note to the
st. JOhnsbury Caledonian. He says
that about 100 years ago there was in
effect-Or pretended effect-in the Yer
mont communities. the practice of Off
cial warning out of town" This
meant that when the Selectmen
thought that some person or persons
in the town were likely to become pub
lie charges, they were empowered to
have the constable leave at their places
of abode "precept' or notice warning
the parties whose names were on the
summons to depart the town" It
appears that in some cases it was
easier thus to warn these persons than
TO make them get out of the town and
there was one case in St. Johnsbury
which affords q curious commentary
on the law. In 1915 Joseph Fairbanks
and family" were thus warned out Of
st. Johnsbury. They did not go; and
Mr.. Wells is justified in remarking that
had they taken the hint that they
were undesirable citizens, and depart.
ed the town, ut would have made some
difference to st. Johnsbury," for the de-
scendants of this same Joseph Fair
banks built up the scales industry
upon which all the present prosperity,
and certainly much more than half its
population, is founded, besides endow-
ing the town with libraries and other
possessions and making it more or less
famous all over the world.
Certainly the Vermont selectmen
were poor judges Of "gumptiOn." They
warned off the Fairbanks, and no
doubt cherished certain citizens whose
progeny at the present time never
would be missed in the community. Mr..
Wells tells of another case of warning
out of the town, this time at Barnet.
VT A man who had recently come
Mt cd IN
leaving a wife and five children, and
the selectmen, seized with panic
lest the town would have to support
the family, duly warned the widow to
take her offspring and depart the town.
Mr.. Wells adds: whether the widow
obeyed the precept or not ! do not
know, as neither records nor tradition
have any further mention of them here,
hut from what | know of the lady she
was abundantly qualified to take care
Of herself in Barnet or anywhere else,
and the sequel shows that the children
were equally able to keep off the
town One Of these children became
a noted physician in New York anoth-
er was lawyer in Buffalo, and a
grandson was prominent member Of
the convention which nominated
Grover Cleveland for president in 1884
and seconded his nomination; one of
the daughters married a lawyer who
later was member of the supreme
court of New Hampshire; second be-
came a noted teacher and principal Of
ladies' school. The third daughter,
l think, died young"