Year: 1872




were in existence in those days that /


trust are not in existence now. / men
| ton them as things that ought not 10


have been, that all may rejoice at the
| change. 1t was a habit that ministers


and deacons indulged in. and it should
| be mentioned, that all that have had


anything to do with it may be ashamed.
! and never return to the custom again.
You are all sensible of the subject to


which | am referring Our early faith


ers felt that they could not treat compa-


ny well without setting the bottle before


them, to animate the brain and give vol


ubllity to the tongue. Bees and raisiDps


were plenty and everybody knew what


to expect and how he should get his pay.


All classes of men practiced it. and no


body spoke against it. Multitudes were


called to sorrow because of dissipated


children. Many fathers and some moth
ers were not only doomed to see the
: fearful effects of intemperance, but to


feel it in their own depraved appetites.
and to feel that there was a mighty wall
up to the clouds to keep them from good
society, the house of God and heaven
The custom prevailing in this place
when it was my residence, was a mighty
school to make drunkards, and it was
never difficult to find pupils 10 fill the
school. Alas for human depravity
While with pity we survey the habits of
our ancestors, sOdestructiyc and ruinous.
We viii rejoice that we can raise a house
or barn with cake and cheese. and
nobody will 60 home drunk or mad.


SPORTS.


The early settlers Were ingenious in
inventing sports, that they called inno-
cent. Ball plays were Instituted that
gave entertainment for all the boys that
could be assembled, and very many men
and some old deacons to keep tally. As
they were commonly conducted / would
hardly be disposed to condemn them.
but, | think there was too much time
wasted. Sham fights were an enter
tainment that called a heavy share Of
the town together. and furnished
an entertainment like a menagerie.
free from all expense. About half
the company were dressed and painted
for Indians, and they made the attack
upon the company and the guns were
discharged battle fashion. and some Of
the Indians went off limping as though
they were seriously wounded, and we
have never heard anything more about
them since, but we have pretty good
reason to believe that it was all play
They had also many squirrel hunts one
| remember distinctly. There were two
militia companies in town At that time,
Ebenczer Hopkins and Caleb Hendee,
General. were leadersOf the
two companies. The two captains gen
eraled the whole operation. and at sun
down at the farthest, all the game was
brought in and counted There was a
committee chosen and appointed to see
which company had beaten. What
the penalty was for the company that
was beaten | am unable to remember.
But / remember nearly the number that
were killed in all on both sides. and that
the east side had killed a few the most.
Capt. Hendee put the amount in the
Rutland paper in Scripture style, ''And
it came to pass that on a certain day,
that the PittsfOrdites said one 10 another
90 to. let Us make war with the squirril-
ties and crOwites and black birdites
And behold it came to pass that the
put themselves in battle
array at certain time and the battle
was fought. and there fell of the squir-
rilites and crowites and black birdites
one thousand three hundred and forty;





man"


know that this amount is all true,
and inasmuch as it is a history of one of
the early achievements of this people,
and being myself in the battle, it seemed
desirable that it should be mentioned.


| have been looking back upon the
loings of time for more than four score
years. for have called up the state of
things then and can judge somewhat
correctly what has been accomplished
during that period. In improvements
and buildings, and schools and meeting
houses there is a very commenable ad-
vance. and here let me ask you how the
matter stands with you as 10 the great
end for which you have had an exist
lnce in this world. That there is a
church here of respectable standing
have no doubt. for | once was connected
with it. But is it as living as it might
be. and as it is desirable it should be?
Is il as faithful and active and liberal
and self-denying as it might be, and
has promised to be {?