davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
A Matter of Good Will to ALL

The Register prides itself that it has
made no enemies Such small number
of persons as may class themselves IN
that category are self-made. From the
nature of the business, a newspaper IS
poking its nose more or less into other
peoples affairs and occasionally it finds
itself treading On somebody's toes.
There are avowedly cases where this
is done without discretion but we have
vet to convict ourselves or any right
minded newspaper man OF deliberately
setting out to make trouble Tor any
one from purely personal motives
News merit, public duty and newspa-
per license, are all elements in journal
ism that are i'll understood by many
who find themselves, for the first time,
especially entangled with newspaper
publicity Many people are equally
ignorant of the obstacles which beset
even the most conscientious publisher
in always presenting the unbiased
truth. These animadversions are in
preface to our plea of mot guilty in
any matters of personal animosity;
and to such persons who have, for
some reasons known best to them
selves, been leagued against us, we are
moved at this time to extend a general
amnesty. We have learned to love
Middlebury, and cherish our associa-
tions here. May our friends, the coun-
tv, the town and the college all hap
PLY prosper.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
In Explanation

Our withdrawal from The Register
is due to our desire to enter newspaper
work. Facetious as that remark may
seem, it is in reality a nugget OF truth.
The direction of a country newspaper
business is encountered with many de-
tails outside of pure journalism: on
one finger there is the problem OF Il
nancing on another, the details OF en-
plovment; on another, the oversight
of the printing business, which IS a
manufacturers work; on still another
is the advertising and subscription
promotion OF the paper itself, all OF
which allied matters take precedent
over editorial work if the business is
TO be maintained as a commercial sue
cess. While The Register organization
has been built up to the point that
manv of these details are delegated to
able assistants the general business re-
sponsiblitv still conflicts with the news
and editorial work to the extent that
we wish to abandon the former com
pletely in favor Of the latter Solely
for consideration Of health this decis-
ion was reached some time ago, and
time having worked no change OF mind
in this regard we are avowedly pleased
to be turning the business responsible
:ty over so propitiously to our neigh
Dor, the Major. His retention OF
Messrs. Rossiter and Seymour as as
sistants in the newspaper and printing
departments respectively, will be fur
Their guarantee that the business will
continue to thrive as a credit to ltse.i
and to the whole county.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
M any Public Offices

Having attended both colleges OF lib
eral arts and the law, and mingled with
this a decade Of newspaper experience,
Mr.. McCuen has been especially well
qualified for public Offices and both
his city and the county have honored
him on several occasions He was a
member of the Lower House OF the
Vermont Legislature in 1906 and again
in 1910, and was senator from Addison
County in 1912, and during these three
terms of his legislative career he was
classed among the leaders in progress
.sive legislation. In his home city he
also served many years as a school
director, and a two-year term as an
alderman He has served also on many
State commissions without compensa-
ton, and particularly rendered valu-
able service on the Lake Champlain
Precautionary Commission, the Deeper
Waterway Commission, and the Nc
Donou oh Commission OF Vermont The
success Of these projects was due in no
small degree to his untiring efforts
His entire political record has been
one of devoted allegiance and service
to the Republican party in this coun-
tv. and as chairman Of the county Re
publican committee for fifteen years
it has been to his credit that me organ
ization has been so strong and active
that Addison is deemed the banner
county of the state in the Republican
ranks
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
A Last Stab

Upon returning to our editorial deSK
recently we inherited a peculiar local
political situation, in that our village
trustees had taken the unusual stand
of forbidding Register reporter to
attend meetings at which public bust
ness was transacted. "Secret Sessions
has since become a byword OF rldicule
of this action on the part OF the trus-
tees wholly indefensible as a matter OF
proper relation between public othclals
and the legal voters OF the village.
Good naturally we have chafied at
this situation which we believe either
the trustees themselves or the village
voters will eventually remedy; but IN
the meantime we would acknowledge
that, so far as our personal observa-
ton goes, the trustees have, in other
respects, been enterprising and praise
worthy in their business. The new
pavement on Main street, the up-keep
of the parks including the new band
stand, better policing OF the streets,
the Inauguration of the curfew law,
the installation of the new hre siren,
the seeing through of the work on the
new concrete bridges, have all been
items of improvement which, regard
less of any other feelings, should be
acknowledged to be in the interests
of the tax payer even though he event
uallv does have to meet the bills
There is, in short, no bargain in which
one gets better value for his money
than in the village taxes, if he would
but give thought to the better stand
ing which Improvements give to the
town. In these matters recklessness Is
to be avoided, but Middlebury has toe
long leaned backward in this regard
and the public will not fail to support
a reasonable amount OF progress. 81
much for the trustees, except this las
stab: The gossip that the sale OF Ih'
Register was inspired by the village
trustees and that the village treasure
had been instructed to draw vinag'
order to buy The Register, IS all al
unmitigated falsehoodl
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
A Military Career. Also

At the outbreak OF the war, Mr. Nc
Cuen became one OF the patriotic lead
ers in his city and was elected mem
Der Of the Public Safety Committee.
But nothing less than active service
could appeal to him and long before
the draft was inaugurated he had en-
listed as a volunteer at the Plattsburg
Training Camp This involved closing
his business entirely and giving up his
profession for two years, sacrifice
which most veterans know involves no
small personal loss At Camp Greene
he won distinction and honorable men
ton for the system he employed in the
entraining thousands of soldiers from
the camp to the post of embarkation
He went to France with the Fourth
Artillery Brigade OF the Fourth Divi-
sion, regular army, took part in the
Aisne- Marine engagement, the battle OF
Chateau Thierry and Vesle River, the
St. Mihiel drive and the Meuse-Ar-
gonne offensive After the armistice
he went into Germany with the Army
of Occupation. While in France he
was assigned to division headquarters
of the Fourth Division as assistant to
the GIL chief Of staff, where, for his
devotion TO duty and administrative
ability. he was honorably cited ant
recommended for promotion to the
rank Of major All OF which is not
set forth to us by the major himself
but is appropriated by us from Other
sources, as deserving Of record upon
his now assuming the editorial chair
Amonq the members OF the American
Legion he enjoys a popularity through
out the state. and holds the Office Of
treasurer in the state organization
And still to be added TO his interests
are his farm connections and his &C
tivity in the Addison County Agricul
tural Society Of which he has beer
secretary for the past two years ant
for which he is now engaged in ar
ranging the 18th annual Addison
Count y Fair tBk falE Surely, al
things considered, The Register SHOULD
feel fortunate in having a man Of hi
general knowledge and ability and in
terest in the business affairs of Add
son County become principal owne
and publisher. As an alumnus Of tn
newspaper fraternity returning to tn
fold, as a brother Deke, and as
friend, we personally bid him wei
come" and bespeak for him the sam
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
Forbidden Ground

Although expressly requested to re-
frain from elaboration" about the new
owner, the Major cannot be dismissed
without being at least partial vic
tim to publicity. He will shortly be
in a position to turn the limelight on
others he cannot object to standing
in it for a moment himself The who's
who record in the General Catalogue
of Middlebury College discloses that
he has just passed his 4lst birthday.
He was born in Vergennes, May 80,
1880, son OF Nicholas John and Kate
Hannah ALLEN McCuen. The date
makes him five years our senior, but
the numerous bonors that have be-
fallen him in public, military and pri-
waite life, give him still greater handi-
cap over us in the matter of all-round
experience Following up his two
years as a student at Middlebury Col
lege, he became in 1901 the editor and
publisher of the Vergennes Enterprise
and Vermonter H. l. Hindley now Of
the Rutland Herald was at one time
associated with him on that paper
For eleven years Mr. McCuen con
tinued as proprietor of the Vergenne'
paper, but during the latter part Of
this connection there he found time tc
also take the full iour-year course il
law at Boston University Law School
from which he was graduated with the
degree of Ii. B, in 1914. Since that
time he has been well known as
practicing lawyer in this county, witt
offices both in Vergennes and Middle
bury, with the exception of a gal
caused by his service in the late war
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
A Quadrennial Review

The four years have passed swiftly
and pleasantly; swiftly because even
e country newspaper office offers plen-
Nv Of outlet for ones nervous energies,
and pleasantly because, in the main,
our efforts toward building up livelier
newspaper and bigger and better print
ing business have been all very heart
ily supported by our readers and pa
irons. The handicaps Of war time, now
almost remote enough to be forgotten,
were no small hindrances to the de-
velopment Of the paper, but in spite
of them, and with the fullest possible
cooperation in the nation wave OF
patriotism, The Register still strove
forward. The complete reorganiza-
ton Of The Register plant, physically,
and the installation Of such modern
accessories as the linotype machine
were large tasks in the midst OF the
war, but they made possible greatly
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
A Personal Incident

The very week of the entrance OF the
United States upon the late war marks
the date, in April 1917, at which the
now retiring editor took upon himself
the management and ownership Of The
Register, following upon his thirteen
wears connection with The Associated
Press in New York and other cities
A purely personal but human interest
incident of this jump from city to
country journalism may not be i'm
proper to recall here for the first time,
for Whatever entertainment it may al
ford With the talk Of war on the one
side and the temptation of country
experiment on the other, our mind was
verv much divided when the oppor-
tunity to purchase The Register pre-
scented itself On the one hand it was
verv much our desire to remain in
the center of things, so far as big
news activities went, if this country
were actually to 60 to war. But there
was then, in March 1917, still much
doubt that Wilson would lead us into
the fight Accordingly, the option
which we then purchased on The Reg
ister property was taken with some
misgivings. Our resignation from so
long a connection with The Associated
Press was, in fact, given with the pro-
vision that if war were actually begun
before March 80, the resignation would
be withdrawn, The Register option
money forfeited, and we would "see it
through with the old A. P" AS events
turned out the war was held off until
April G. and in the meantime we had
proceeded with the purchase OF The
Register and taken up our new work
IN Middlebury. Such little things as
a war often determine our fatel
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
More Notice of The Trail

The New York Times, June II, has
column editorial on The Green
Mountain Trail, prompted by the re-
cent appearance of the 1921 edition OF
The Long Trail Guide Book Messrs.
Cooper, and Congdon and DR.. Paris,
who comprise the guide book commit
tee, must feel much pleased that their
efforts have been brought to such wide
public notice as the Times gives.
The Rutland Herald follows suit
with another fine editorial on the sub
ject, all of which bids fair to bring
the trail work very much to the fore
both at home and abroad, The Reg
lister has received a number OF appre-
ciative letters in reference to the tour
columns of mountain lore which WE
recently contributed to the cause, and
we sincerely regret that other engage
ments prevent our acceptance OF Prof
Voters public invitation to JOIN the
party at Sucker Brook again next
week. We hope lot OF villagers vii
get in touch with him and 60 up tC
finish the log cabin. If so, will some
body please bring back our axe anC
tooth brush!
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
The Register in New Hands

Well along in its Seth year, The Reg
lister is sufficiently stable to accept
without sense of shock the announce
ment made on page one OF this issue
Of a change in its guardianship. A
controlling interest in the corporation
has this week been purchased by Rob
ert W. McCuen of Vergennes. Al
though the present editor will assist
in the direction of the business for
few weeks, this issue is properly the
time for our valedictory, and for cor
dial welcome to Major McCuen as our
successor. At the risk of magnitying
our own efforts, we believe the new
owner is to be congratulated upon ac-
uuiring control OF a newspaper and
printing business of such present and
potential worth; and, by way OF organ
izing a mutual admiration society, The
Register may likewise congratulate it
self upon passing into the hands OF as
worthy and experienced man as MI.
McCuen is deemed to be. Prior to
his service in the late war and prior
also TO his entrance upon law as his
profession, Mr.. McCuen was editor
and publisher of the Vergennes Enter
prise and Vermonter. 1t is significant
that although nearly decade has
elapsed since his former newspaper
connection, his interest in this profess
sion abides with him undulled, bearing
out the old saying that once a man
has tasted of printers ink he never
wholly loses that appetite 1t is espe-
ciallv fortunate that Mr. McCuen is
well known and favorably known in
the county at large and in Middlebury
particularly, for he was here as stu
dent at the college and has since had
law business to bring him here ire
uuently. The passing of The Register
into his hands is far more to be pre-
ferred we are sure, than 81 the man
agement Of some stranger to the
county.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
An Essay on "Fnlers"

If our memory serves US Alright,
Theodore Roosevelt once penned an
energetic defense of "the value OF use
less information We wonder if he
found as much pleasure as we do in
scanning the newspaper "hller s.!
Those stray lines Of miscellany with
which the makeup man completes an
otherwise short column Of type, or the
little pieces of plate with which he
fills the bigger gaps, all provide no
end of entertainment Verify a lot OF
iov would be taken out OF life il the
statisticians for instance, should be
prohibited from dstilling such bits CT
information as that the sticks OF chew
ing r.rl consumed annually would
build a double track, if laid end to
end. from here to the moon. Or one
such as this tail-ender of a column in
today's paper before us Ninety per
cent of the runaway husbands have
blue eyes!"
Surely some one must be thanked
Tor digging up so many stray tit-bits
of nonsense. But odd facts have al
ways had their appeal, as is evident
from the older magazines, which were
loaded with them. The Old Farmers
Almanac would never have had the
circulation it does were it solely a
weather prognosticator. The "fllers"
cover a wide range We read in a cur
rent paper, for instance, that THE New
York Aquarium has added to itself a
special hospital where fish may be
treated for their ailments" Consider
ing the number of poor fish in New
York. the reader is left to marvel how
all of them can be accommodated at
the Aquarium hospital
Every reader experiences the sur
prise now and then OF stumbling upon
bit of miscellany which seems to
have bobbed up at the dear old phys
Geological moment" and that today
was our surprise when, upon conclud-
ing the foregoing valedictory we chanc-
ed upon a Stick % plate" which dis
closed the origin of the term swan
song. Many authorities, we are in
formed, could be quoted in support Of
the opinion that the swan dies so
joyfully that he sings sweeuy when
he dies" Thus the origin OF the phrase
Swan song" as applied to any fare
well spiel. The poet Coleridge penned
a couple Of lines that seem fit to con-
clude this column:
Swans sing before they die; 'twere no bad thinI
Should certain persons die before they singl"
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
Subscription Rate: $500 a year, pay
able only in advance.

Cash must accompany all orders for
advertising from parties not having an
account with u.s.
Make all checks, drafts or monev
orders payable to The Register Com
pany, Inc.
Editorial and Business Office, 1886
Main street, Middlebury
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
THE M1DDLEBURY REGISTER

Published Every Friday Noon
Entered as second-class matter, al
The postofice at Middlebury, VT.
Charles E. Crane, Managing Editor
Daniel P. ROssiter, Asst. Editor
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17

We cannot be expected to change
advertisements unless copy reaches us
before Wednesday night.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17

increased production, sufficient, indeed,
to nearly quadruple the gross business
In this movement the cooperation OF
most of the former help in the office
was no small factor and all things
combined, it leaves The Register today
in the position OF being going busi-
ness" in every good sense of the word
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17
The Last Word

Since our swan song must be woven
to four full columns in width for the
convenience of the makeup man,
NAV these concluding lines be noble
ones Without taking the matter too
seriously, we would recall that on
March IA, 1919, The Register voiced
its approval of the League OF Nations.
Shouted it, in fact, from the house
tops. In black face type we scattered
through the paper the slogan,
"The League of Nations is RlGHTW
This was the most forceful and ire
vocable editorial we ever penned, or
typed. If there is any memorial we
would leave behind us it is set OF
linotype slugs on which that line is
reiterated, and the anniversary of its
first publication to be observed by its
repetition in The Register We will
take all of the responsibility therefor,
Major 1t takes more than mere
; Lodge to unseat that conviction from
our minds. What did you and other
millions of our best men fight for other
than to bring the world little further
out of chaos2 Without the League,
without the participation of the Uni
ted States in it, where does the world
stand other than in the very mire OF
outlawry from which it split precious
blood and spent untold billions in a
Herculean effort to emerge? Indeed
we are not blind to the interests that
held us back from the League idea,
but as a substitute for the slogan OF
back to normally" we should have
by far preferred forward to great
ideals" Our soldiers have been heroes;
our statesmen towards
More Notice of The Trail
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-17

cordial support in The Register enter
prise that the town and the county
and the college have so generously ac-
corded to us.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-07-19
SEVERAL CoNvIcTs HURT
And Some May Die As Result OF the
Riot.

Pittsburg, Pa, July l9.-Prisoners in
the Western penitentiary here yestcr-
day broke all discipline restrictions, fired
four buildings and for time kept the
institution in uproar while prison
guards, deputy sheriffs and policemen
tried to put down the discord. Six
convicts wefe shot and two Others cut
in the battle. Prison officials said that
three or four of the wounded would
probably die.
The outbreak, timed 10 start with
the ringing of the first fire gong, be-
gan in the dining room, where the
cdnvicts sought TO detrsct the attsn-
tion of guards from the fires, prison
officials said. Alarms sounded from
four places in the institution almost
simultaneously, when guards disc)v-
cred the prisoners had fired the build
ings with any material abailsble.
Some six hundred prisoners had just
taken their seats in the big dining
room when one of them sent soup
bowl careening down one of the long
tables. Instantly the room was in com
fusion, for at the same moment the
fire gong sounded an alarm from the
shop, the linen shop, the
kitchen and the chapel.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-07-19
WHITE SOX PLAYERS
WERE UNDER CONTR act
For World Series Just the Same as for
the Regular League
Season.

Chicago, July Harry II. Grabi-
nsr, secretary OF the Chicago American
League Baseball club, was the first
witness called to-day when the state
resumed presentation Of evidence in
the trial Of White Sox players and
others charged with conspiracy to
throw the 1919 worlds series to Gin
cinnati.
Grabiner testified that the White Sox
players were paid for their work in the
1910 worlds series by the Chicago club
and were employed for the series pc
riod, as we'll as the regular season. The
players pay in the series was at the
same rate as in the regular season, he
said.
This testimony was introduced BY
Of the defense that the men were not
under contract TO the club during the
series.
Cancelled checks for the worlds Sc
ries pay were presented as exhibits,
with the contract of each PLAYER. I'M
der cross examination, Gabiner was
asked to point ont anything in the
contracts providing for playing a
worlds series or for series compensa-
tion.
Gabiner said clause four, providing
that the owner may make rules for
his players, might cover a worlds Sc
ries. The defense then pointed out that
the contracts read for the playing
schedule as provided by the American
league Of professional baseball clubs
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-07-19
DID NOT WARN HUSBAND
OF PLAN TO KILL HIM
Mrs. Helen G. Hemming Also Denies
That She Knew of Purpose of
Frank Eberhardt to Kill Him.

Northport, \, Y, July l9,-Denial Of
reports that she knew or warned her
hus band, Harry G. Hemming, Of a
plan of Frederick Eberhardt, her Duck
Island estate caretaker. to kill Hem
ming, was made by Mrs. Helen G.
Hemming to-day in her first public
statement since Eberhardt shot Hem
ming and committed suicide last Ell
day.
Mrs. Hemming made her statement
following refusal CT District Attorney
Young to aecede tc he demand of
Sheriff Kelly that she be held as a
material witness. Mr. Young said he
was convinced she was unable to pre-
vent the shooting
She could only conjecture that Eber-
hardt's attack on Hemming was
result of the caretaker's enmity be-
cause Hemming had insulted her l3'
year-old daughter, Helen It was this
same insult, she added, that made it
for her to consent to a re-
with Hemming