Newspaper Page Text
THE WEEKLY CALEDONIAN The Biggest Newspaper Value for $1.00 a Year in the State of Vermont. Published Every Wednesday Morning at St. Johnsbury. ESTABLISHED AUGUST 8, 1837 ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1919 83rd YEAR-NUMBER 4366 Fire Fighters Saved Concord DANVILLE COUPLE MINDER AUTOQSH AUTOIST DRIVES CAR INTO DITCH AND DISAPPEARS U. S. BOUGHT FIRST AIRCRAFT TEN YEARS AGO Scale Factory To Add Help 4 4 All The Work We Can Handle Until Next Summer" Says Gen. Mgr. Brooks Meets Salesmen v Homes of Mrs. Ellery Ford and Fred Hastings Burned Seven Houses Afire at OnceLoss $6,500 The heroic work of townspeople saved the main vil lage of Concord from destruction by fire today. At one time seven houses in the center of the town were afire. The blaze was finally confined to the homes of Mrs. El lery Ford and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hastings which were burned to the ground and the barns of Mrs. Ford and Frank Joslin were a total loss. The fact that there was but a light breeze blowing at the time the j 1 , , , file started and that the entire male population of the town turned out to fight the blaze saved the center of the town. The loss will reach $C,r,0U hi l i' ii.:.. i :.. 1... ;!,,, i ancc. The fnc is said to have been started by boys playing with mutches. The shirt of the fire was in a shed owned by Mr. JosMn where five tons , of hay was stored. The hay in j ,fo td, th(; mimus of tho,.e who did this shed was afire when the blaze j heroic work at the fire would be to was first discovered. Aid was sum- mention most of the names of the peo' moned from St. Johnsbury and other: l'lo of the town. Miss Helen Reed and , . .. ,,...! Miss Ruth Hastingc did fine work at towns but there was no apparatus,, tclcphone exchhttnR0 in sunnmoning available that could be sent over the , hclj f .om cvcry Section. Ladies of road. Several firemen from St. tiic village made hot effee and sand Johnsbury made the crip by auto-1 wiches and kept them going to the mobile and aided 'the local people j f,re fihgter:;. This splendid work and who at this time had the fire under I cooperation saved u terrible loss to control. Besides the houses destroyed by fire the following homes caught fire but were saved by the hard work of the fire fighters: W. O. Rochcleau, F. A. Brewer, Mrs. George Howard, It. N. Soulhworth and Mrs. L. M. Lewis. rrL- F U flun finti4nic unrlnr the direction of lire Warden can; White was nothing short of marvel-. ous. The men pulled off their coats jumped onto the ladders and climbed . onto the side of roofs which were blistering under the heat but they held their places until the fire was fought to a standstill. Richard Southworth, the New Eng land Tclcphone Company and Fred Woods supplied trucks whicvh made trips of a quarter of miic to the river bringing water in milk cans io supply the fire fighters. The town owns two wheel chemicals and these were used to good cfTect. It re quired refilling to keep the chemicals going and during the lapses the fire gained headway which the firemen had to overcome. The losses from the fire arc: Mrs. Ellery Ford, house and barn, $2,200; Fred Hastings house and damage to barn, $y,00); Frank Joslin, barn and contents, $1,000; damage to other buildings $1,000. The fire started about 10.30 o'clock. Mrs. Hastings was in hcr kitchen whe none of her boys rushed into the house and cried that the shed was afire. She found the Joslin shed in flames. Her two boys, Lafayette Hastings, aged C, and Calvin Hast ings, aged 5, had been playing about the shed a sort time previously. The boys in their excitement after the fire could describe little of what had happened. People in the neighbor hood said that the boys had been play ing with matches. The little fellows were exception ally fine hoys and whatever happen ed was purely accidental. The fire spread rapidly from the shed to the main barn where several valuable sleighs and a light buggy which Mr. Joslin paid $1C() for, were stored. At the discovery of the fire Mrs. Hastings ran to the corner, the former site of the West Concord House, which was burned by fire in 1U12, and cried for help. Men rushed to the scene and then the fire bells on the church were rung. Men drop ped their work and manned the fire lines. The flames spread in the other di rection to the Hastings home. The main part of the house was soon be yond hope of saving. Here the firemen nftide a firm stand. Directly in the path of the flames was the home of Mrs. O. B. Cutting not over 20 feet from the blazing Hastings' house. The men hung wet blankets from the roof covering one side of the house. Other men with pails of water remained on the roof and wet down the shingles as fast as they could get water passed to them. The water supply came entirely from the men who ran the trucks back and forth to the river. This same thing was done in pre venting the fire from spreading to the barn which is directly in the rear of the Hastings home. The barn was connected by a shed but this was torn down by the fire fighters. Men stationed on the roof prevented the. further spread of the flames in this (lllPtl0"- , , .. . The lire went on until shortly af tcrnooI1 vvhcI1 the hliiZC in the Has- tings house was finally downed .out. It will be several days unless there M a la,n wtorc the ruins will be cool cd. The fire is an unusually severe strain to Mrs. Ford who came to Concord with her husband only four years ago. Mr. Ford died last spring of heart trouble. They came to Con- cord from Gardner, Me M. Ford was I the town. Greets Mrs. Fairbanks Afternoon Tea Given at "Brantvicw" by Mrs. Rebecca Fairbanks in t Honor of her Guest A dcliKhlful aftCrnoon tea and I ,ec ion iven by Ml.s. Rebeccaj 1..,i..b,lnUs at her beautiful home.! ,;.. tmiu. niWnnnn i " " j - j " j from 4 to C o'clock in honor of her guest, -Mrs. Joseph Fairbanks, wifej of Major Fairbanks, now of Washington, D. C. The home wasj very prettily decorated witn sweet j peas and cut flowers. The guests began to arrive shortly after 4 and were greeted by Master Philip M. Fairbanks, the young son of the Major and Mrs. Fairbanks. From that time until after six o'clock there were guests arriving and departing and over fifty well known people from St. Johnsbury and this section were greeted by the hostess and hcr guest. It was a very enjoy able affair. Mrs. Hiram Pearl poured tea and Miss Cornelia Fairbanks served ices in the dining room. The dining room was in charge of Miss Sarah P. Cam eron and Miss Margaret Merrill. On the spacious veranda Mrs. Arthur Sprague presided at the table with ices. Mr.- Fairbanks is making a brief stay in St. Johnsbury. Her husband, Major Fairbanks had a very import ant post handling the draft in the Great War at army staff headquarters in Washington. Mrs. Fairbanks and her son have been in Washington with the Major for the past two years. WANT GRANGE TO PROBE HIGH COST OF LIVING RUTLAND, Vt., Aug. 5 That the National Grange, instead of the Na tional Govermctit, take over the inves tigation as to the cause and remedy of the high cost of living was the sug gestion of Oliver Wilosn of Peoria, 111 master of the National Gjwogc, in an address delivered before about 200 farmers, their wives and children at a field day arranged by the County Grange nnd Farm Bureau held at the fair grounds here. Mr. Wilson argued that, with high cost of labor, farm machinery, feeds and fertilizers, the farmers were get ting no more than their dues. "Vou don't see farmers training in the millonairc class," he declared. SWANTON GRAIN ELEVATOR BURNED SWANTON, Vt., Aug. 5 Fire last night destroyed the large grain ele vator of the Park & Pollard company, causing a loss estimated at more than $100,000. The plant was built about a year ago after the company's plant at uswegq, N. Y., had been burned. Arthur Boland and Wife Have Narrow Escape From Death A narow escape from death under an overturned automobile was the ex perience of Mr. and Mrs. James Bo land of Danville last night when their automobile under the unsteady hand of Mr Boland, crossed the Lynr donville road near the old brickyard and turned turtle at the side of the street. Arthur Boland, a brother, was in the car also but he was thrown clear of the machine. A Mass. car came along soon after the accident and after hard work the accident and after hard work rescued Mr. and Mrs. Boland from underneath the car. Mrs. Boland was in the rear seat and Mr. Boland was at the wheel. The condition of Boland and his brother caused the people in the Massachuscts car to re uort the matter at once to Chief of Police Finley. The chief went to the scene anff promptly arrested the Boland broth ers on the charge of drunkenness. They were locked up in the police station. A search for liquor upon them was without results. It was be' lieved by the police that they had been partaking of "Jackcy" otherwise known as Jamaica Ginger which has a very strong percentage of alcohol and it is known to have considerable "kick." The Boland brothers howled and yelled in their cells for some time until the effects of their "auto acci dent" wore off. Mrs. Boland suffered severely from a smashed thumb and a bad contusion on the left leg. Early today when the party had re covered sufficiently a friend drove the party to their home in Danville, he Boland brothers were allowed out on bail until the sitting of the court next Wednesday The car had a smashed wheel and broken windshield. $1,148 IN PRIZES Boys and Girte Exhibits at the Ver mont State Fair to Be An Im portant Feature A new department has been estab lished this year in the Vermont state fair for boys and girls. The premium list just issued offers, on pages 78-85, a total of $1,148.00 in prizes, distri buted among l.r2 classes. These are arranged in 'fourteen exhibit groups, home garden products, home canned foods, pigs, poultry, potatoes, corn, cooking, sowing, maple sugar, home and farm handicrafts, picture-stories, demonstration teams, judging teams, special team prizes. The best two all round teams will win a free trip to the Eastern States Exposition the following week. The prize winning exhibits will Be sent to Springfield free of cost to exhibitor and returned to his home prepaid. There is no entry fee. For information, address E. L. In galls, Assistant Superintendent, Bur lington. THIRD VERMONT REGIMENT REUNION. The thirty-fourth annual reunion of the 3d Vermont Regiment will be held at G. A. 11. hall, St. Johnsbury, Vt.', on Tuesday, September 2nd, 1919. Business meeting at 11 a. m. W. R. C. dinner at 12 M. All veterans and associate mem bers of G. A. It., members of the W. R. C, and Sons of Veterans with their respective families are cord dially invited. Comrades, come, or be sure to ac knowledge this notice. If no reply is received no notificiation of future association meetings will be sent you In case of the death of a comrade will his, friends please notify us. Yours in F. C. and L., Charles H. Woodbury, Carlton Felch, Owen R. Vesper. Executive Committee. SIMONDS MOVES Robert W. Simonds, Formerly Ver mont Commissioner of Industries. Robert W. Simonds, who recently resigned as Vcrmonts state commis sioner of industries, has entered a law partner ship in the firm of Car ney, Simonds & Blake, having offices at Fitchburg and Gardner, Mass., and he will soon go to Fitchburg to lo cate. Since leaving the office of state commissioner of industries Mr. Si monds was offered a postion in charge of the industrial department of an ac cident insurance company with head quarters in Boston, but he declined. "Mr. Simonds formerly lived in St. Johnsbury. , We stand for your Business Massachusetts Car Lands Side-up on Danville Road Seek Owner An automobilist driving a car num bered 70013 (Mass. registry) took a twenty-foot slide through space on the West Danville road yesterday when his car turned over on its side, and he has disappeared completely. There is some mystery about the accident which the authorities have so far failed to clear up. The accident happened on the road between Danville Center and West Danville. Tracks in the road show that the car ran along the edge of the ditch for fifty feet. The front wheel then struck a culvert and was smashed off. The car turned over on its side. i A space in the grass twenty feet ahead shows where the driver of the car landed. He had gone over the windshield which was not damaged. Whether the driver was injured or not could not be learned today. It is believed he was picked up by a pass ing automobilist and possibly taken to Montpelier. The car is an Abbott-Detroit road ster. By the side of the car was found an order book of the Davis Baking Company. There was also an order for films for the Colonial Theatre of Andover, Mass. Ihe place where the accident oc curred is close to the Ainsworth cot tage. This house is now unoccupied and no one in the vicinity knew of the accident. The car was in Danville yesterday afternoon and the driver stopped for gasoline. FAIRBANKS IS PROMOTED TO RANK OF COLONEL Notice of the promotion to the rank of Colonel of Licut.-Col. Joseph Fairbanks of this town has just been received by his family at Brantview. This is the 4th promotion given Qol. Fairbanks since he entered the army two years ago. One of the first of the St. Johns bury boys to enter the service Col. Fairbanks left home for the Officers' Training Camp at Madison Barracks, N. Y., in less than a month from the time the President declared war. He received his commission as second lieutenant in the Quartermasters' Corps in the summer and was ordcr ercd to Camp Dix but October was assigned to the Judge Advocate Corps with the rank of Major and was trans ferred to Washington. His First work, under General Crowder in the office of the Provost Marshal General concerned the settlement of appeals to the President from the decision of the various draft boards throughout the country. ,He did important work, also, in the revision of the question naire in the shape of a promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. When the draft work halted at the signing of the armistice, Col. Fair banks asked for his discharge but was transferred to the office of the Judge Advocate General to do some especial research for General Crow der. In January of this year his re quest for a discharge was again set aside and he was made legal advisor in the Purchase, Storage and Traf fic Division of the War Department, of which General Gocthals was chief during the war. That his record as legal advisor was a brilliant one is shown by the fact that in May, Gen eral Burr, the present Chief, appoint ed Col. Fairbanks a member of the Board of Contract Adjustment the Board authorized by Congress and the Secretary of War to settle the many government contracts which at the time of the armistice were sus pended or terminated. The recent promotion is a recognition of his able work in organization and administra tion work which has earned for him the highest commendation of his of ficial superiors. The many St. Johnsbury friends of Col. Fairbanks congratulate him on his distinguished record in war ser vice. PLANS MADE FOR W. C. T. U. CONVENTION HERE Twelve ladies of the W. C. T. U. met at the home of Mrs. Elsie M. Harvey, 'Thursday, July 31, to plan for the coming state convention to be held in St. Johnsbury at the Metho dist church in October. Among those present was Mrs. M. L. Pearson, state president, who came to arrange certain matters with the St. Johnsbury Union. The dates are Oct. 22, 23 and 24. Mrs. M. H. Goss was appointed chairman of the committee on enter tainment. Air Service Congratulates O. Wright-Interesting Facts of First Flight WASHINGTON, 1). C, July 31 The following was sent by the Air Service to Orvillc Wright: "The congratulations of the Air Service are extended to you on the tenth anniversary of the delivery of the first airplane to the Government ot the United States, first in the world to acquire a dynamic aircraft. The Air Service appreciates to the full the ever increasing debt owed by mankind to the Wright Brothers, whose foresight, indefatigable re search and practicable application have aided world progress through the invention of a new means of com munication. , MENOHER" It will be recalled that ten years ago, on the 30th of July, the United States acquired the first airplane. This Government was the first in the world to be the possessor of an air plane but had, however, no pilot. Later in the season the following Am. erican Army Officers were taught to fly by Wilbur Wright, 1st Lieut. Frank P. Lahm, now Colonel, and 1st Lieut. B. D. Foulois, now Brigadier General. On July 30, 1909, Orville Wright and B. D. Foulois together made the second and final trial flight with the Wright machine contracted for by the Uovernment the year before. This was a cross country trip of five miles in each direction, with and against the wind. The speed made was 42 miles an hour. On July 27, the endurance test of one hour was in a flight which totaled 72 minutes, with 1st Lieut. Frank P. Lahm. Lieut. Lahm has the distiction of be ing the first American Army Officer to fly. While the Wright Brothers were negotiating in foreign countries for the sale of ' patent rights, they were communicated with by the United States Government, and in the win rte of 1907, the Chief Signal Officer, General James Allen, advertised for bids for an airplane. Of 22 bids three were accepted. The Wright Broth ers were the only ones to deliver a machine. In September, 1908, official demonstrating flights were begun at Fort Meyer, near Washington, in the fulfillment of the contract, but the death of 1st Lieut. Thos. E. Solfridge, passenger, and the accident to Orvillc Wright, the pilot of the machine, postponed flights until 1909. Lieut. Selfridgc was the first man in the world to be killed by a power-driven airplane. The contract price of the machine was $25,000. The maximum speed demanded was 40 miles an hour, with a bonus of 10 per cent for each mile per hour in addition. The Wrights re ceived $30,000 for a speed of 42 miles per hour. This was paid out of the funds of the Board of Ordance and Fortification. f Handlcy-Page carrying 'twelve per sons including the pilot, Lieut. Rob ert H. Sclff, enroute to Washington to Hampton, Va., had a forced land ing on the farm of E. H. Penning ton, three miles from Kisale, Va., and about 80 miles from Washington. One of the motors ceased working at an elevation of 2000 feet and Pilot Solff in order to avoid landing in a forest selected a small field. The air plane turned turtle and although the passengers were badly shaken up it is thought none were seriously in jured. HAMILTON NAMED St. u. Johnsbury Man Made Vermont S. Employment Service Director at Montpelier Edmund P. Hamilton of St. Johns bury has been made federal director of the Vermont U. S. Employment Service succeeding R. W. Simonds who has resigned. Mr. Hamilton will make Montpelier his headquart ers. He expects a revival of the em ployment service in all parts of the state in the near future. Owing to lack of funds the various offices in the state were closed recently. Mr. Hamilton worked for 18 years at the Fairbanks Scale factory. Ten months ago he left to become trav eling senior examiner for the em ployment service. ; w-u Wy53 Wise John. John wns nhle to persunde Ruth to rtb most things he desired. One day the children, with their little cousin, Edwnrd, decided to drnw pictures. Ed ward nnd John each found a pencil, hut Ruth wns still without one until her mother come to her aid with a big new pencil. John, whofye pencil wns a blue stub, looked longingly at the new one and then, In a coaxing voice, said: "Ruthle. don't you wont this nice pretty blue one? It just matchw your eyes." Need!rs to say, John se cured the long par.cil, - The Fairbanks scale factory here is to continue full time work and extra help is to bo put on in the near fut ure, general manager P. C. Brooks stated today. "Busi ness has increased greatly in the past three weeks," he said, "and there is no question but that the factory will have all the business it can handle until next summer." An enthusiastic meeting of the) sales managers of the Fairbanks Morse Company of the West and of the E. and T. Fairbanks Company of the East was called here yesterday by Mr. Brooks, who is General Man ager of all the Fairbanks-Morse plants. Twenty-eight sales managers and officials of the two corporations were present. Mr. Brooks stated today that it was undoubtedly the most en thusiastic conference ever held here. The men were called together to confer over future prospects in an effort to develop new business and to stimulate the trade. The local plant was thoroughly inspected and was reported to be in excellent condition. New types of scales were discussed with a view to meeting new commer cial demands. The local factory has a most promising outlook. Henry J. Fuller of NewYork, Pre sident of the E. and T. Fairbanks and Co., and C. W. Pank of Chicago, Vice-president of the Fairbanks Morse Company, were present; also Vice-presidents J. U. Peters and Harvey Miller of E. and T. Fair banks and Company. 'The sales managers of E. and T. Fairbanks and Co., present were fts following: E. E. Pcndray, St. Louis; F. V. Roy, Omaha; E. De Mdoy, Cleve land; H. W. Welch, Montreal; G. E. Allen, Boston; and J. J. Kavanagh, New York. The sales managers of the Fair banksMorsc coi-poration present were L. M. Hibbs, Denver; W. F. Singer, Chicago; K. W. Jones, Detroit; F. E. Church, Chicago; C. J. LaForge, New York; F. M. Condit, Chicago; J. F. Snarenbcrgcr, Louisville, Ky.; L. L. Briggs, Baltimore; J. E. Mey ermis, Baltimore; George W. Drexe lius, Birmingham, Ala.; . Bouse field, New York A. C. Dodge, Cincin nati; R. N. Romig, Pittsburg; O. P. Bcitcl, Pittsburg; H. Green, New York; J. C. Schuiakcnland, Philadel phia; and L. B. Kelz, New York. BAILEY APPOINTED Succeeds Dean Perkins at the Uni versity of Vermont Will Con tinue as Controller. BURLINGTON, Aug. 5 At a special meeting of the trustees of the Uni versity of Vermont Controller Guy W. Bailey was unanimously elected acting president of the institution and the resignaton of Dean George II. Perkins from that office was accepted. Acting President Bailey will con tinue to perform his dutes as control ler and Dean Perkins will continue to head the college of arts and scienes and will teach sciences of which he has made a life work. LYNDONVILLE G. M. Campbell and son, Raymond, Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Silsby leave to day for Ocean Park, Me., to join Mrs. Campbell, who has been there ten days. T. V. Blaiswall has moved from the Episcopal rectory into a tene ment over the bakery. Mr. and Mrs. A. T Christopher, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Emerson, and chil dren motored to Groveton Sunday to visit Mrs. Emerson's parents. Frances Carter has the mumps. Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Bigelow, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Coniveau motored to Bethlehem Sunday and on their re turn stopped to the Lyndon Tea Shoppe for refreshments. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Burns and son, Cecil, go to Newport, Vt., to day to attend the wedding of Miss Blanche Burns at high noon. Mr. and Mrs. Harley Fisher of Winchester. Mass., are visiting rela-lj' ... . , , ' 1 tives and friends. I Word has been receved from Earl Lang that he has arrived safe across from overseas and has gone to Camp Dodge, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Paige spent the week end in camp with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ranger near the Weirs. Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Kennedy of New Haven. Con., arc at Hotel -Lyndon for a few days. OUR WANT ADS PAY VICTIM OF SHELL SHOCK FOUND IN VERMONT CAMP MANCHESTER, Vt, Aug. 5 Lieut Willi am II. Stuart, son of Duncan Stuart of Onconta, N. Y., and Man chester, Vt., was found yesterday afternoon at one of the loging camps of the Rich Lumber company on the East Mountain, after a search extend ing over seven months. Lieut Stuart returned to New York city from service in France on Jan., 18. He had left a friend saying that he would go to Onconta the i and take the family by surj A few weeks later his fa ceived official notice of his d from Army service, which first intimation that his son this country. Exhaustive se police and detective forces York city accomplished noth ' he had been given up for some time. A Spiritualist in Pownal, suited frequently by the fathi can Stuart, insisted that tl would be found at the lumbei While his father had little the statement, he had kept his at his work as ranger on thf tain. Yesterday the father fo boy at one of the camps, bi unbalanced mental condition. Young Stuart showed somt nition of his father. The fil position of a serious case t shock is verified, but proper tn will probably bring a sound condition. He has been and is f,cill un hallucination that the Govern looking for him and has been an am to show himself. Previous to coming to this vicinity he worked for two months at a log ging camp in New York state, and had been to Wanakena, where the Rich Lumber company formerly car ricd on operations. GOVERNOR CLEMENT NOT TO CALL SPECIAL SESSION MONTPELIER, Aug. 2 Governor P. W. Clement has authorized the statement that he will not call a spec ial session of the legislature for tha purpose of ratifying the amendment of the Federal Constitution granting equal suffrage. The governor's reasons are as fol lows: 1. On account of the expense in volved. 2. Because the whole matter of revising the constitution is now be fore the commission headed by W, B. C. Sticknuy of Rutland. APPOINTS FRYE Governor Names St. Johnsbury Man Judge of Municipal County Court , j MONTPELIER, Aug. 2 Governc-tf Percival W. Clement has appointed George C. Frye of St. Johnsbury, judge of the Caledonia County Muni cipal Court. Judge Frye was appoint ed by Governor Charles W. Gates in 11)15, and held the office until this year, when Mclvin G. Morse, on his OM" " "ora V" rq uk 1" ranee, was appointed by Governor Clement. Judge Frye's reappointment follows the appointment of Judge Morse as legislative reference librar ian, and is on the recommendation of the St. Johnsbury legislative delega tion and a majority of the Caledonia County Bar. Judge Frye made nq application for the position. , Governor Clement has appointed B. F. Butterfield of Derby a member of the State Fair Commission for the term ending January 31, 1922, to fill the vacancy caused by the decease of Myron A. Adap :: t. a. - c. g , . - - --i- - j1