Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-09-30
Vermont Historical Gazetteer.


The last five. numbers (vii. viii tx K. xi-)
of this important work, bound in one snug
volume, have come to hand. We are glad
70 know that the compiler has not grown
weary in the prosecution of this exceedingly
difficult and arduous enterprise. Our read
ers are doubtless aware that some two or
three years previous to the war. Miss A. NJ.
Hemenway, editor of The Poets and Poetry
of Vermont, entered upon the undertaking
Of compiling and publishing in numbers, the
history Of Vermont, by counties and town
ships. Two or three counties had been dis
posed of previous to the outbreak of the re-
bellion The agitations Of the stormy pc
riod that followed interrupted the progress
of the work. With the advent of peace the
enterprise was resumed, and has now been
successfully carried forward far Frank
lin County, making in all two bulky volumes
Of some FIVE hundred pages each. 1t will be
seen at a glance, from the very nature of this
work that it Is one in which every son and
daughter Of Vermont, ought to be deeply in
terestel 1t gives an extended history of
every county and town, with biographical
sketches Of all the prominent men of each,
history of the churches of each town, also a
description Of the natural characteristics and
geological features of each town, together
with literary specimens from the writer's of
each town 1t will occur at once to all, we
are sure, that the publication Of this work
furnishes most valuable and much needed
repository, for the preservation from the
swiftly c1rroding tooth of time, the rapidly
perishing records and annals of our earlier
history The editress, it seems to us, has
thus far been singularly fortunate in enlist
ing many Of the best pens Of the State, in
behalf of her enterprise Such names as
Benedict. Buckham, y. g. Clark, Hough-
ton, Smalley, d. p Thompson, Hon. Hilard
Hall, and Gov Fairbanks, are sufficient
guarantee, most assuredly, that the work
is to be deserving Of the patronage, conf
dence and support, of the most exacting and
fastidious. Meanwhile. on perusing these |
pages. we have been particularly struck with
the literary excellence of many papers, pro- |
duced by parties not known properly lite
rary men. Where can we look for more ad- |
mirable specimens Of historical and bio |
graphical composition, than are found in the !
articles prepared for this work by David |
Read, j. y. Pomeroy, g. B. Sawyer and II.
A Cutting. Mr. l. II. Canfield's sketch of |
Champlains Navigation, is especially deserv /
ing Of high commendation. How are we to /
account for it that men who have given so |
little attention and time to literary labor,
can write like this2 That such men, mean
time, have not been unwilling to disengage /
themselves sufficiently from their manifold
and all-engrossng business cares, to prepar
such elaborate essays as these, certainl
argues well for the final success of this work.
One excellent feature Of the work before
us Is the decidedly superior quality of its
illustrations For the frontispieee of this
second volume we have view of our old Al
ma Mater,-U. V. NJ. "a very pleasing me-
mortal Of days lang syne." And then, in
the very highest style of art, we have steel
portraits Of such men as Ira Allen, John NJ.
Darling, Gov. Mattocks, Gov. Hall, Gov.
Fairbanks, Gov. Van Ness, etc.
The military chapter is another interesting
and very valuable feature. Last, and by no
means the least entertaining feature of the
work i the literary specimens from the pens
Of Ncrmonters interspersed here and there to
give the needed spice and variety.
Well, while we have been slowly, thought
fully turning these well-flled pages, and thus
most delightfully."- renewing our acquaintance
with WORTHLESS with whom, and localities with I
which, we were familiar in the days of our
youth, we have lived over again that sunny
period concerning the glories of which Byron
has sung,
d" %, tell me no more of a name great in story,
The drys of our go4tb the days Of glory.
The myrtle and IVY of sweet one-and-twenty
Are worth aIl your laurel-, be they plenty"
And 50 u every Vcrmonter these volumes
will be a pleasant. grateful reminder of old
times. old neishbors and the OLD home, The
whole work, consisting when complete of
some four volumes, may be thought by some,
to be voluminous and expensive, but those
who love Vermont and her history will not
regret purchasing this interesting work
Copies Of it, any information in regard to
it, may be had by addressing its author,
Miss y. NJ HEMENwAY. Burlington, Vt
DIR. Livingstone.