Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-09-29

have been ment1Oned; but IN In1S COIL
nection mention should be also made
of the dramatic organization which
held a reputation in this community
/ for many years. AS great variety
of tastes are present in samll COM
munity as in a large one. The sing
ing schools taught by Asahel Cowles
we're a source of humOr as well as
harmony. The two churches were
\ strong and prayer meetings and re-
yivals of course furnished some
amusement as well as piety; but there
were some who found the prayer
meetings did not offer sufficiently ac-
tive outlet for their talents of ex-
! preston. AS a result, the "Thespi-
f1so were organized in 1873 at the
home of Hugh Buchanan, and named
| by Capt. S. B. Tucker and w. C.
johnson. The first production was
"Ten Nights in Bar Room," and the
Limerick Boy" Then "Uncle Toms
Cabin" "Neighbor Lakewood" and
east Lynne" were played, usually to
crowded houses. "The Lady of Ly-
ons," "Capt. Kidd" and "Up YER
mont Way" were added to the list.
The innate literary talent of David
HILL" otherwise Wesley Hildreth, re-
cent editor of the Express and Stan
dard, found dramatic expression in
several plays of great local interest,
"Forced to the War;" "Bound by an
OATH" and s'Lone Tree Mine"
The company in it's early years in
cluded Capt. S. B. Tucker, Will john
son. Nathan Stimson, Clarence Col
ley, George Ford, Charles Ford, Hat
tie Parker, Carrie Parker, Ella and
Jennie Baldwin, Jennie and Lell Rog-
ers and others. The Baldwin girls
were great singers, and Clarence Col
ley was as natural a comedian as
ever crossed the footlights. He was
as funny to look at on the stage as
Francis Wilson, and he could sing and
dance inimitabiy. The talents OF
Colley and Hildreth deserved better
training than this little community
could give. Mr.. Hildreth was the lead
ing spirit in the later productions OF
the company.
The years of my young manhood
did not leave the impression that VII
lage life in the 80's and COS was par
ticularly harmonious, or of sort to
offer the greatest inducement to its
young people to remain. Every move
TO secure more modern schools or
sidewalks or water supply or sewage
disposal met with obstacles. Parents
sent children out of the place to be
educated for college. The first water
brought to the village from outlying
springs was accomplished by the or
ganiZation of a private corporation.
If new sidewalk We're to be laid, its
location and construction were sourc-
es of endless acrimonious debate. Re-
ligious and political feeling ran high.
There was much rivalry between the
churches. Fortunately the Landing
ran true to Vermont form and there
were few Democrats in the place, but
Al II how
wondering how as good man as
Dean French could possibly be
Democrat.
1t could not be said that high en-
thusiasm for unity of action marked
the spirit of the place. And yet the
seeds were there. 1t may have been
that the poverty was of material
wealth rather than of ideals. Ger
tainly the lack was not of heart. New
er was a village endowed with more
generous hearted folk. / found the
Methodist boys could play as gener-
ously and fight as vigorously as those
of my own church. Perhaps If con-
fession is good for the soul I may as
well admit that the most generous
fellows and the best fighters of all
belonged to neither fold.
And the schools, while they did not
reach the level of excellence which
we now desire, did certainly create
for some that hunger for a knowledge
of better things which once reused
can not be satisfied. I could pay
high tribute to more than one teach
er at the Landing in my school days.
The first boys to go to college were
Earl and Ellery Baldwin; then Loren
20 Stimson, who fitted at st. Johns
bury and went to Dartmouth. 1t was
some years after this before Clarence
Wiley and Charles Bartlett headed
the procession of college-going
youths. Not less than twenty-five,
possibly more. of boys brought up in
Barton Landing and Orleans have
gone to college.
In 1909. owing to the expressed in
tention of the railroad company to
change the name of the station. viii
lage meeting voted to change the cor
porate name of the place from Bar
ton Landing to Orleans, and while
some of the visitors at your celebra-
ton will still lapse into references to
the Landing" they very well know
that Orleans is the fit and proper
name.
The casual visitor today needs but
to look at Orleans, with its new in
dustries. its modern improvements,
It's pubic utilities. and Its many evil
dences of prosperity to be impressed
that the former lack of harmony has
given way to broader public spirit
And none can be more sincere in voic-
ing their wish for its continued mani
festation for the good of the present
and the benefit Of the future genera
tions than those who were once OF
your number but can now return for
only an occasional visit. Whatever
can be done to make the place a
worthier home for the bows and girls
and give them a thorough. even rie-
orous, but yet happy training, will
be the best investment of its civic
force that the community can make.
In closing NAV thank YOU for the
courtesy with which you have listen
ed to what must have been for many
a tedious narrative, and express the
pleasure it has been to me to 90 over
once again the events of nv Youth
to see old faces and hear familiar
voices lone forgotten and revive the
warm affection which 7 hold for this
place and all those who have made it
the splendid community it is.
All wives who have been married