Some years ago I signed up to receive Burr Morse's newsletter - Burr is owner of the Morse Maple Sugar Works out on County Road in Montpelier. I enjoy Burr's sense of humor and folksy writing style, and I've enjoyed hearing him with the Big Band Vermont. One of his ancestors was an early comer to Cabot, and I like to think that gives me another appreciation of this self-described old-timer.

I particularly enjoyed the latest newsletter that came a few days ago. I just now took a few minutes to read it and thought some of you who don't get Burr's newsletter might enjoy it, too. Take a look: Burr's Newsletter

We went to West Danville and Danville yesterday to pick up mail and go to the bank. It was like spring, and lots of people were out and about. I met Jane Milne at the West Danville church where she and several others were busy washing dishes and cleaning - a sure sign of spring in the north country. At the store, Diane was making cookies, and did they ever smell good! We've been hearing a lot about the perch they've been catching here at Joe's being especially tasty, and noticed a sign at the store for them.

Back home, Woody, or cat, was stalking this red squirrel - from inside, of course. He's been outside for a little while on these nice days, but if he goes out in the morning, he seems to need to rest up all afternoon. Sort of the way I feel after hiking up Jamie and Marie's driveway. Today was colder than it has been when we went around noon, and there was a lot of icy spots where melting had taken place in the last couple of days and then last night froze solid - and glare. I'd been hearing on the scanner that highway crews were paying close attention to spots where water had run across the road and then froze leaving large sheets of ice for unsuspecting drivers to navigate.

We both had our creepers on, but when the ice is very hard and very smooth, even those don't always hold. I was careful, but in a way felt it was good that I was out there because I'd heard some physical therapist the other day telling about how beneficial it is for older folks to tackle rough going when they're walking in order to keep muscles trained so if they slip or trip, they are more likely to be able to recover their balance than as if those muscles have been allowed to atrophy. Not that this therapist was advising to put oneself in unnecessary danger, but rough going is a better balance builder than a smooth surface with no obstacles. I immediately liked that idea much better than trying to keep my muscles toned using the machines we keep downstairs - a step climber, stationary bike, treadmill, etc.

Now I need to get back to my historical document scanning. I'm hoping to put many of them on the Cabot Historical Society website, but first I need to get all of them scanned and organized. I found an interesting old sales catalog put out by the Union Buggy Company, Inc., of Pontiac, Michigan. It has no covers, but still it's in pretty good shape for being over 100 years old. I think it was probably published around 1905 or so. Shown here is page 96, the last one, and it shows "the correct names for the parts of a buggy." The preceding pages had not only every possible buggy or wagon design one might want, including surreys, "speeding carts," hearses and delivery wagons, but there there was a large selection of harnesses for the horses, rubber tires for the wheels, and spare parts such as spring cushions, extra seats, Adjustable dust hood to protect the folded top, and a storm cover for the front with a window to keep weather out. The width of the track for the wheels could be adjusted according to the width used on one's roads. Towns specified what width was acceptable for the traffic on their roads, much as they regulate the weight of vehicles today.

Prices were reasonable back then - some of the elaborate delivery wagons ran around $60, and the "Physician's Stanhope," was $125; but most of the regular wagons were in the $30-$40 range.

There was a carriage shop in Cabot years ago, the Cabot Carriage Company, run by Mr. Buccanan. They produced some beautifully decorated rigs as well as sturdy express wagons, but when the Rev. Fred Blodgett wrote of them in his "History of My Generation in Cabot," he spoke glowingly of "single seated sleighs with a wonderful curve in the dash board." Two of the painters who decorated the carriages and sleighs, Clark and Heath, are credited with painting the stage curtain that graces the stage at Willey Memorial Hall.