The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-01-16

The annual encampment Of the Grand
Army Of the Rcpublic met in Burlington,
on Friday January 10Th.
The following are the Ulcers elected
for the ensuing year:
Grand Commandcr-W q Neazey,
Rutland.
Senior Vice Commander Romeo II.
Start, Burlington
Junior Vice Comandcr-il + Taylor,
Brattleboro.
Medical Dircctor-Wm = Russell,
Middlebury.
Chaplain ley Harvey Webster,
Essex.
Council Of Admnistration-Geo Ii
Kittridge, st. Adams Richard Smith,
Tunbridge; II + Benson, Springfield ;
Hiram Cook, Huntington John + Pratt,
Bennington
The Encampmcnt elected to National
Encampment
Gen VIM W Henry, Of Burlington
Representative.
Gen w Y w Ripley, Of Rutland, Dele
gate at large.
ltcrnates-Comrad Theo $ Peck,
Burlington Comradc 6 e Benedict,
Burlington.
The proceedings Of the body we're
ordered to be printed
An interesting discovery has been made
in the South Of France. A distinguished
geologist has found in the Pyrenccs, only
a slight distance below the soil, the re-
mains of prehistoric cities. The discov-
cries are very numerous, and will help in
pushing the domain Of history still farther
back in the past than it has ever gone be-
fore Previous to 1854, we had no idea
of lacustrinc haoitations, but in that year
the winter was particularly cold and
crisp in Switzerland, and the level of the
waters was lowered in all the lakes. The
Inhabitants Of Meilcn had profted by the
low water to raise little dixie on the
borders Of Lake Zurich. Driving down
some piles, they encountered obstacles,
and found that piles and enormous thick
oak planks had already been driven down.
Between the pieces Of wood they discov.
cred stone and bone instruments, clumsy
pottery, etc. These utensils bore such a
resemblance to those in use by the print
tive people that it was at once concluded
that the Mcilcn discoveries were of the
greatest antiquity. The "6rst men" of
the country were supposed to have built
their habitations above the water, and if
the hypothesis were Just, the same YES
tiges of another age would be found at
the bottom Of the principal lakes These
conjcctures were soon confirmed The
fishers remembered that on former occa-
sions their nets had been caught upon
piles driven in the lake bottoms; and pot
terry had also been found, but had been
ascribed to late date. At last every
one went TO hunting in the lakes, and out
of tho depths Of the lelvetian lakes they
drew up to the light Of modern day a
civilization heretofore unknown.
In Switzerland, more than two hum
bred stations" as the discoveries called
them, or relics of primitive villages were
found. But they did not all belong to
the same epoch some were classified as
having been built in the stone age, Others
in the bronze age, and still others in the
iron age.
The discoveries in the Pyrenees dis
close habltations of 1.-The same general
character as those under the Swiss lakes.
In all the western part Of the Pyreneean
chain these habitations are numerous, and
belong to the stone age. The Archeo.
logical Society of that district is making
efforts, at great expense, to develop these
discoveries into a species of history of
the people who inhabited the houses