Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-11-02
Che Nous Q3lcnuer.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

| NOTES AND COMMENTS.
| TIE llGuEsT MOUNTAIN IN NORTH AMERICA
Till recently, Popocatapetl, the celebrated vol
clnc peak Of Mexico, which rises to en- eleva-
ton of l7,700 feet has been supposed to be the
! highest mountain in all North America Mount
iiood of Oregon, not far from Portland, how
ever, has been found to eclipse it by nearly 600
feet In August last, Capt Barlow, Capt
fravallot, Maj. WallAr, Judge 0lney and 9TH
crs, with an Indian guide, assembled that noun
tain--two only, beside the Indian, succeeding
in reaching its tremendous summit. And from
the best estimate they were able to make, they
agreed in placing its height at 1861 feet
Several small smoking cratars were fo4nd on the
top; and such was the unequalled purity of the
fornia, 500 miles distant were clearly discern
able from its summit.
TIE Evil OF USING INITIALS IN NAaEs-Per-
haps there is not lawyer, judge, or govern
ment officer, in the country; but has, at some
time or other, experienced the evils of the prev
alent practice of using initials for christian
names. on account Of the uncertainty attending
it in all legal and public proceedings, and the
confusion and bother to which it often leads in
all the transactions Of life. The first christian
name, at least, should always be written out in
full. Chief Justice Redfeld once told us, that,
before going on to the bench, he used to sign his
name l. f. Redfeld; bnt, having seen so many
evils growing out Of such practices, he resolved
that has example, at least, should 60 towards
breaking up the custom; and he had accordingly
ever since written his name Isaac F. Radfeld.
A large proportion of the Justices of the Peace
elected this year, we find, have been returned to
the Office of Secretary Of State with the initials
of their christian names only affixed Now,
suppose one of these to be elected and commits
stoned as j. Jmith, for instance, when, in the
same town, there were John, James and Josanh
Smith, and he should take the Acknowledgement
of an important deed, or marry a couple, and
twenty years hence, when the means of oral
proof had passed away, the title of the land
should be litgsted, OR the marriage attempted
to be invalidated, who does not see the conso-
qucnces of an uncertainty in the Identity of the
signing OF officiating magistrate! No Justice
should he commissioned in this way, and 10
town should be allowed to have the election If
their Justices confirmed and recorded, who have
neglected to write out their christian names
Some of the States have enacted statute law
requiring this; and We are happy to learn that
Senator Norman Williams has introduced n sim.
liar act into our Legislature, this session. and
we sincerely hope it may be allowed to mass into
a law.
MONTPELIER CEMErERY.-Montpelier has, al
length, the prospect of Cemetery, Or publ,
burying ground, which shall accord with he,
position as the Capital of the State, and he,
picturesque locality The movement originated
with our late respected fellow-citizen, Calvin
Jay Keith, who bcqueathed 81 ,000 in aid o
that commendable object and the town. HAVING
voted an appropriation to carry out the obiec
OF the testa.or of the aboye-named sum. anf
appointed committee to select and purchase
site, that committee, after long examination
Of all our different localities, at length pitched
upon, and purchased, the "Silver Farm" 8,
called, which is the first farm below the village
from which it is separated by the point of reck,
running down to the river, little beyond tn
western termination of State Street and, hav
ing commenced operations in August, they hay