The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-03


being slowly developed. Nor did
anyone suspect that her rounded
hills and lovely dales would some
time offer promising vacation
ground-at a prolific the thou
sands in the great cities within
few hours ride.
Today Vermont Is a cheerful.
sunny, independent little state, in
which life admittedly presents more
difficulties than in lands wherein one
may live on breadfruit. But 1t Is
more worth while. II Is distinctly
has a pawky humor that might
trace to its Caledonian pioneers.
A calm. clear-visioned common
wealth It is, too, with distaste for
rebellion against constituted au-
thority. but with fine capacity for
II on occasion; willing that each
shall worship God In his own way !;
intent upon getting the dollars
worth, but not falsely valulng the
dollar; hospitable as are few
states In these days of the easy
road.
Every Town Has Its Peak.
Not a single town In Vermont Is
without its eminence. There are
approximately 900 peaks whose
SUBMITS are 1000 feet or more above
sea level. The northeast corner.
an area perhaps 80 miles by 80, is
In effect a wilderness. Bears roam
there and deer, and landlocked sal
mon are to be caught In lakes rare
ly seen by man.
Elsewhere the mountains seem
more hospltable. The tallest, Mount
Mansfield. 1893 feet high, can be
reached by automobile over good
though steep roads and all are ac-
cessible to mixers.
This is a state of lakes. too; for
there are approximately 400-from
Lake Champlain, 11S miles long. be-
tween the Green mountains and the
Adirondacks, to mere potholes
cleaning In hill Businesses; and Of
little rapid rivers. which slow down
here and there into placid reaches
where the hungry trout leap at
dawn.
For thirteen years Vermont was
an independent republic, making its
own laws. maintaining Its own
army. coming its own money. 1t was
contumacious and stiff-necked
community. for during this period 1t
was not only In rebellion against
England, but was carrying on a lively
private fight of its own with the
state of New York and the Cont
mental congress.
A historian records that "ver-
mont was never anything but free.
Never a crown colony, never yield
ing allegiance to any province,
state or kingdom" When she was
admitted as the fourteenth state TO
the American Union. after the Rev
olution had been won by her loyal
aid, II was upon her own terms.
Champlain's Voyage.
Her written history begins on July
4, some say July IA, 1909, on which
debatable date Samuel de Cham
plain discovered the lake which
bears his name and which Is our
largest body of fresh water outside
the Great Lakes.
On that voyage the Sieur de
Champlain fought with his Algon-
quin hosts against the Iroquois, and
so assured the friendship of the lat
ter powerful tribe to the British,
who were to come later. 1t has
been argued that this may have
decided the future overlooking of
this continent. Who knows?
The first French settlements on
Isle La Motto were not permanent.
White men did not come to stay
until 1724, when settlers who had
seeped In from the Massachusetts,
Bay colony built a blockhouse at
Fort Dummer. near the site of the
present city Of Brattlebore. Here
Timothy Dwight was born in 1726.
Three of his descendants through
marriage with Mary, daughter of Rev.
Jonathan Edwards, were to become
presidents of Yale. This is worth
noting, because Vermont talks more
of her men than of her marble or
slate or granite.
More than once" is the cautious
statement, Vermont has furnished
a greater number of men to Who's
Who, relative to population. than
any other state"
If one begins to name the dis
tinguished sons of the state, one
fears to be overwhelmed; yet it must
be remembered that for decades
they were almost the only export
able product, and have left their
traces everywhere through Ameri-
can history