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Mari Tomasi
THE SHELTERED LIFE
Recorded in
Wrtters Section Files
Tr.% L. _ _
1.
She lived in one of Barro's oldest houses. A gracious,
red -brick Qeorgian structure, misplaced, it seemed, in the
confusion of stores, office buildings and beer taverns that
crowded the busy vain Street.
Miss Wheaton Evit in a straight backed chair, her feet
primly crossed, her thin, le -Ate hands caressing a bowl of
sweet -peas. "These flame colored ones are my favorites,"
she said. "They seem to radiate life and warmth. One corner
of my garden is ablaze with them." She spoke in a low, clear
voice. Under the tight bodice her breathing was slow and
easy. Her full, old-fashioned skirt of black moire fell in
shiny folds to the floor. A kerchief of tan satin was
knotted at her throat. The only touch of color in a somber
costume. The fine wLite hair was drawn back neatly from
a broad forehead. lier eyes were still beautiful, large and
unusually lustrous in a delicately moulded face, Except
for the pert, bird -like movements of her lips, she might
have been sitting for a photoLraPh.
"Newell Kinsman, a lawyer, built this house in 1828,"
Miss Wheaton said. "It was two years in building. In
those days doctors' and lawyers' offices were small, ind-
ividual buildings. Lawyer Kinsman's office was directly
across from here. Be employed local men for the labor.
Barre boasted skilled carpenters and stone masons. There's
2.
a house out in Chelsea identical to this one even to doorway
and window frames. The owners say it was built by a man
who bore Mrs. Kinsman's maiden name. It seems logical to
assume tl-st the same man was the master builder of this
house. When my father was a young man be studied law with
old Lawyer Yineman. Eventually they formed a partnership.
Later when Lawyer Kinsman went West my father bought the
house on eAsy terms. Father was a strug6ling young lawyer
at that time. Only the two families have lived here, the
Kinsmans and the Wheatons." Miss Wheaton's eyes traveled
the room slowly. She said simply, "I would hate to part
with it.
"My great-great-grandfat:er on my mother's side was
Barrels first settler. That was in 1786. There is another
man wl)ose name is mentioned in some Barre histories, but
he cannot truly be called one of the original settlers since
he merely came here prospecting and left shortly after com
pleting his business* My great -great-grandfather organized
the first church in Barre, and he was one of the committee
to give us Elmwood Cemetery.
"You've heard, of course, how Barre received its name?
Barre was born fichting. Originally it was called Wilders-
burg. In 1793, seven years after my great -great-grandfather
settled here, that small group of settlers decided that the
name Wilderaburg was coarse and rude. Sherman, a man from
Barre, Massachusetts, was in favor of changing the name to
that of his home town. Thompson was just as strong for his
3.
home town Bolden. They agreed to fight it out in an old
barn. And fight they did. Blows rained and fists smacked
until Thompson was thrown exhausted to the floor. Sherman*
the victor* shouted* 'There* by God* the name is Barre.'
"My grandfather was Captain of the Washington Guards*
men chosen from" Miss Wheaton smiled* "the aristocracy to
esdort the Governor. I still have part of his uniform.
The guards wore blue pants trimmed with red; red tunics.
edged with blue; high leather hats topped with a short
brush plume. Chains wero looped around them to button on
the sides. When I woe a chlld I'd take the hat by its chin
strap and use it for gathering butter -nuts. There were
trees then towards the beak of the house. I miss them."
Miss V.heaton added wryly* "There's a steam laundry there
now,
"My mother used to say that the 1830 period was a very
expensive days The higher classes vied with each other in
elaborate entertainment. Sideboards were always filled
with wines and whiskies.
"Sunday amusements in the old days?" Visa Wheatonis
eyes twinkled. "There was no such thing. The afternoon
or evening was usually spent with an open prayerbook before
you. But we didn't lack social diversions during the week.
Parties* entertainment in the homes* were more popular than
today. I've often wondered if r46.1 Vermonters did not build
such large* rambling houses for that very reason enter-
tainment. And, tor4 "for their largo families. Early
4.
Vermonters were famed for that, you know. Kotel and home
dances were popular. They started at three in the after-
noon. At six or seven supper was served, then the dancing
began again. I've always thought of them as marathons.
The young people were pretty husky. They'd dance until the
small hours, until they were all danced out. Yes, square
dances, of course. And they had good spring floors. The
hotels made a good thing out of elaborate balls. That was
before the days of railroads. Hotels were necessarily short
distanced, this for the four tired coach horse* that had to
be rested, or exchanged for fresh ones. Aristocrats formed
the committees for these balls. They were gala affairs.
"We had our sports, too.
We had golf early. No, the
Scotch certainly had no part in introducing it in Barre.
We did it ourselves. All Yankees we were. I was one of
the committee that started the first golf club in Barre.
I'll tell you how it came about. A young printer he's
now owner of the Bennington Banner had gone to Florida
for his health. When he returned he spoke enthusiastically
of a sport he had enjoyed in the south. That was golf."
Alias Whtlaton paused. She passed a thin hand over her fore-
head as if to stir up memories, "Wait," she said softly,
"I believe a little, a very little Scotch blood did creep
into that first committee. There was a Canadian, a minister
in the Presbyterian church, who admitted to one-fourth
Scotch blood. V;e. got together a small group of us and
selected a location. We invited a very well known golfer
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to give his opinion of the course, I remember the day he
came. It was a wet, miserable day. We went with him to
the church* None of us, except two, had ever held a golf
club in our hands* This golfer lined us up in the vestibule
of .the church, umbrellas in our hands for clubs, and
there we had our first lesson in golf. We original members
of that committee are too old for golf now. We've given up
the club. It's that one that stands above Dodge's Orossing
half way to Montpelier*
"I used to like archery and croquet," She pointed to
the bow -and -arrow over the door* "They were given to me
by my brother. They were nude and presented to him by an
old Indian. That Was years ago when we were both little
children. Archery is a fine sport, good for the eyes and
the muscle. Two years ago a Scotch minister here in Barre
tried to revive the sport. But no Clubs, to my knowledge,
have been formed. The modern sports have their good points.
They're more active. They give you plenty of exercise* I
believe I would have enjoyed tennis. On nice Sunday after-
noons we'd have snowshoe parties* That pair up there be-
side the bow -and -arrow were the ones I used when I was of
school age.
"Living here on Main Street I've seen Barre grow and
change color, you might say* So many foreigners rushing
to the sheds and cuarries brought color and varied interests
to what was a staid, sleepy valley town. I wouldn't like
to say they made Barre 'wild,' I prefer to say 'progressive
6.
and cosmopolitan.' But it suffered the usual growing pains
that every progressive town experiences.
"Those first Scotch were nnt skilled workers; that is,
not in the same class with the artists and fine statue
cutters who came a little later. I mean the Italians. The
first Scotch did rude bulk work. They were an uncultured,
ignorant group, and they had no respect for women. I can
remember then standing three and four abreast in the streets,
and the streets in those days were narrow. They'd make
no mve to allow a lady to pass. Many was the time and
it sefmed an experience cruelly fated to rainy weather
that we'd see a line of them ahead of us. If there happened
to be two or three of us girls together we wouldn't mind it
so much. We'd pick up our skirts and step through the mud
to the backyards of the houses, and in this roundabout
fashion finally reach our destination. There were question-
able women that came into Barre at this period. Perhaps
these Scotch were to be blamed. They wore a bad lot. Most
of the Scotch had left their wives and families in the old
country until such time as they could afford to send for
them. The later Scotch invigrants were fine people. Today
their descendants are some of Barrels foremost citizens.
As I remember it, those first Scotch attended the Congre-
gational church. As soon as they could they organized the
Presbyterian church. I don't remember any children of these
immigrants being at school with me. They must have started
a few years later.
7.
"No, I wouldn't begin to compare those early scotch
with the Italian and Spanish. I've always felt that the
Italian and Spanish were a more refined people. Even to-
day I'd say that of these foreign groups they are the most
eager to educate their children.
"Their children rate high in school work. Whenever
possible after high school they complete their education
in colleges or professional schools. There's a Spanish
family here that has worked for me several years. Three
boys and the father. The oldest boy did odd work forme
around the house and in the garden during his four years
of high school. Men he got a job as drafteman„ the second
boy came to me. Eventually he found a good job as truckman,
and the third brother started to work for me. This summer
he had an opportunity to stay on a farm so he sent his
father to me. He's a fine old man. A treasure. The best
gardener I over had." Uiss Wheaton touched a finger to a
healthy, flame -colored sweet -pea. "Welly you can see what
he does to my flowers. He speaks little English. One day
II asked one of the boys if they read and wrote Spanish.
Ire said no, the only Spanish they spoke was a dialect. I
don't intend to lose contact with that family,. Thereto
still a fourth brother who will soon be able to work for
me, I'm lorking forward to having him.
"The French? Most of thorn are Canucks. Ignorant,
and they don't cure if they are. As for the Irish, sell,"
Yiss Wheaton's lips curved into a smile "well, we have
a.
to accept them as a necessary evil."
"I remember little of the strike of 12l," gigs neaten
continued. "I often sit by the window* and I did those
days, but I remember no parade and no militia. There was
a feeling of oppression in the air* and I felt that plans
were being laid in secret. Plans that we outside the granite
industry knew nothing of. I saw clusters of men, groups
of them hurrying along the street on their way to various
halls where they held meetings. Their voices wero loud
and Larsh, raised in anger. They waved their arms and
shook their fists. It was all very disturbing. My mother
was alive then. Just she, and the housekeeper and myself
in the house. The strike made no disorder or confusion
in our even tenor of living. 7:ot during the day. At night
we heard the tramp -tramp of foot on the pavement outside
the house. There was much shouting. Cars kept roaring
by, going I don't know Core. In spite of locked doors and
windows, I found it all very disconcerting. I had no in-
clination to sleep.
"Living quietly here as I do, I know little of labor
troubles and less of the grate industry. I do know that
the last granite strike caused a great deal of temporary
poverty and need. One Barre charitable organization that
I am acquainted with reported thirty new families added to
their lists for temporary assistance. Yoat of the aid was
in the form of food; a few families accepted clothing that
had been contributed by varicws ladies of the organization.
v.
I was not active in this organization but I was told that
there were irry few Spanish and Italian families who accepted
help. The few that did receive aid did so with profuse
thanks, and an unmistakable feeling of shame.
"I remember vaguely of workers being injured during
tILe strike, and of riots, but I have forgotten the details.
It seems to me that if strikes in attaining their end must
cause such need and injury, then certainly they are no
solution to labor conditions* Perhaps the granite workers
were justified in asking for more pay and leas hours. It's
hard work, and injurious to health. I know that many of
these workers have good sized families. I'm not well ac-
quainted with 'them, I don't have to be to know that death
from stonecutters' tuberculosis has struck members of several
of these families. For about fifty yearn I have read the
same pitiful stories repeated in the obituaries in the
Barre Bally. Times.
Lr. A---, aged 50, died today after an illness of sev-
eral nonths. since coming to this country he has been em-
ployed as stonecutter in the local sheds. he was a member
of the C,ranite Cutters' Union. Surviving him are his wife,
three eons and a daughter."
riss heatori patted the fold of her moire skirt thought-
fully, "Oranite has put Barre in an enviable position in
the State. Seventy-five percent of our people own their
own homes. Being on Barre's ::ain Street my home would make
a fine location for a business block. I have been offered
10.
close to $100,000 for it. But I won't sell. Never. It's
my ame.
Relief percentage is low. City laborers receive higher
wages than in any otlrer Vermont town. Barre's a progressive
town. I suppose there must be heartache wherever there is
industry on a large scale. Someone pays for its progress