The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-14
Especial to The Reformer.)


NORTHFIELD Mass, Dec. Il.
A tentative program to be presented in
June. 1923. in recognition Of the 250th
anniversary of the first settlement Of
the town of Mortified and the 2OOth
anniversary of its Incorporation as
town. has been formulated by the cele-
bration committee, which was elected
AT the annual town meeting Feb. :,
1920. when it was voted to hold the
celebration.
Among the features planned is a his
torical mass meeting at which 1t IS ex-
pected Vice President Calvin Coolidge
will deliver an address, and at which
historical address viii be given; his
torical pageant of 10 episodes requiring
at least $50 actors who will come, not
only from Mortified, but from Gill,
/ Mass, Vernon, Vt, and Winchester and
Hinsdale, n. H., all of these towns
having been originally included III
NorthfieId; a religious service, an ath-
/ letic meet and a clambake. otner
events may be added later.
] The production of the pageant, which
1 will be given both in the afternoon and
evening. will be under the direction OF
/ Miss leila NJ Church of Rockville,
Conn. by whom it was written. She mas
written many plays as well as stories
and produced pageants OF varied size IoI
! several years. She wrote and directed
the pageant of the town of Wallingtord
Conn. in 1920, which was attended py
/ $4,000 people, and viii direct a pageant
in Springfield in January. n press com
ment on the work of Miss Church al
II WalIingford said:
.She worked for weeks on every little
detail of the pageant, wrote every nnt
j with historical precision, careful only e
n bring out the true facts of the town rs
related by its historians. Thousands OF
people praise her work, conceded by al
TO be the biggest thing ever held IN th'
state of Connecticut outside the Aal'
The first episode of the pageant her,
will be presented by actors from Gill
under the direction of Il. l.. Watson o.
Mount Hermon; Vernon will produc
the fourth episode with Everett rover
directing: and Winchester and Hins
dale will unite in presenting the slXtl
episode under the direction OF Mrs
Donarchy, and j. w. Field of thi
town. Mr.. Field also is to be the prop
erty man for the pageant,
The general committee elected by IN
town to have charge Of the celebration
, includes: Mr.. and Mrs. I. Il. Callen
den Mr.. and Mrs. +. ii. Montague, Mr.
and Mrs. 4. g. Moody, Dr. and Mrs \
=. Wood DR. Wood IS chairman OF III
committee. Mr.. Calender recording sec
rotary, and Mrs. Wood corresponding
secretary Those in charge of the va
rious features are A.: Pageant, Mrs. 4. II
Montague. Mrs. a. J.. Fit, j. w. Field
designers of posters, circular letters
etc. Miss Mabel Merriman, Miss Der
nice Webster; publicity and program
r r. DuIey. T. f. Howard, Mrs. +. Il
z - 4 L
Clamp, L. H. Parker, George Carr; dec
orations, Courtland Finch, Waite
Parker, 4. Z. Fit, Mrs. G. q. Stearns
family histories, A. g. Moody, Mrs
George Foreman, Mrs. l.. II, Smith. Mrs
G. O. Stockbridge; clambake, Il. a
Gabb. F. ". Doanc music. Mrs c. L
Webster. Mrs. W. Il. Moody, J. W
Field. Other committees viii be al
pointed as plans develop.
Mortified was incorporated as tow
by the general court of Boston on pet
Y ton of SO of the settlers of the town j
I June. 1923. The town is known th
/ world over as religious and as an edt
cational center. Few know of the thrill
ing story of her early years which al
/ more full of adventure and of romano
than most towns in America, sine
Mortified for nearly 100 years was 4
outpost of civilization and the northerl
1 base of operations against the Indiar
L and the French.
To keep alive the memory of her sti
ring days in the minds of the rising gel
Z Grafton. to inform those who have r
Gently become residents here, and
/ spread abroad information of her a
cient annd honorable record are a fe
\ Of the reasons why each citizen shou
give his enthusiastic assistance to Il
celebration project.
Two appropriations, one of SO al
i one of SO, have been voted by the tow
! the first in February 1920 and Z
: second in May, 1922.-to be used by I
committee in preliminary preparatio
for the celebration of the two annivt
SarieS