The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-11-26

Not about the Boston Fire.

DEAR REGISTER L never liked you
better than when you called on me last
night. If l could drop this letter upon
you this morning l would like to help
you to " do justice " to one of the great
events of the century. AS it is 1 will
add but single straw to show the first
impressions four miles out. Our minis
ter, who weighs about 130 saw it burn
as long as he could stand it, and then
walked into Boston. At three he got
possession of wheelbarrow and wheeled
books till six, bought Sunday paper,
come home, washed himself, ate break
fast, and went to bed. At 1890 he left
his notes, took his paper, and met his au-
dience Of half.dozen men and score or
two Of women. His text was column
or two of the paper with running COM
ments of what he had seen and otherwise
learned. The sermon was about five min
utes long and very impressive. In the
next pew to me was man who had been
burned out very early that morning, and
had nothing else to occupy him. At the
only other church exercise. .Sabbath.school
anniversary, this same man took his post
with his violin.
We have had a close election too,-
ridiculously close. l had scratched the
name of Banks (once one of Massachu.
setts best men,-of all who have not the
fear Of God as mainspring) off the Re.
publican ticket two years ago, and four
years ago, and was not pleased to hear
that Democrats, Crispins, and the worst
of his old supporters, with few good
men whose belief in him was chronic
!. were together likely to re- elect him. In
fact, he carried just one town-the small.
est or nearly so-in his district. AS o
close election is a serious evil, the brag.
CARTS who put US to all this trouble de-
serve to be trounced. The ruin of Banks
it is feared, is that Of Yates and many
!, other great men.-an endemic in Wash
ington and fearful epidemic sat the
front " during the rebellion.
One lesson of our fire must not omit
When the New York roughs come dowr
upon us, the police closed the 1um.shop'
really closed them, back doors and all
The consequence was that those bibulou
individuals went back to New York. Th,
city suddenly passed from the most drunk
en- condition in which it had ever beer
seen to the most sober, with correspond
ing decrease OF crime
And, by the way, the State Constabu
larry force did a noble service in our da,
of confusion. The suburban villains VIII
went in to steal found ould acquaintance
, and new reasons for not loving them
Nearly the whole force was concentrate,
in Boston, as fast as they could come
Their one duty is rogue catching and a
, that they are more expert than local po
lice, who have nultifarious callings t
: fulfill. There will probably never be an
other effort to rid the State of their pres
ence it is we'll understood that we can
not do without them, even il they d
worry our helpless flock of liquor-dcaler
|, little too much.
,, The advent Of Prof Tyndall has ere
ated great excitement in Boston. Th
. Lowell Institute sells no tickets but. i
this case, they were delivered to an in
mense string of applicants, all of whor
, were in line before the time for givin
out the first Some of these fortunai
ones we're tempted for five or ten dollar
y ! to part with their prizes. All these ST
q elementary lectures were attended by sue
scientists as Gray, Agassiz, Horsford, ,et'
y His experiments were such as othel
= could exhibit to one eye only. BY NEAR
J of the electric-light magic-lantern, h
:, threw the most splendid results of pola
= ization and refraction upon the walls. I'll
= previous fame of the lecturer had muc
Il to do with the pressure for seats. Tt
= Appletons had published from time
: time 4" Heat as a mode Of motion
+" Sound" Light and Electricity" "R'
. diation," " Fragments of Science" an
y y /" Hours Of Exercise on the Alps" an
- !, have in press a." Forms of Water" The.
y 's books contain much that is new to II
y wcll.educated and almost incredib
!, to ordinary scholars, not little I
y which consists of his own contribution
- - to the sum Of human knowledge. Ii
:, style of lecturing is nervous, not withol
embarrassment at times, and he reminde
y !" one strikingly of the veteran botanis
: : Torrey, as he appeared at about the san
!, !, age. Torrey was born in l79S, lynda
~ ~ about 1920. But large part Of IL
. !. Americans force was spent on Botan,
y and Of this the world takes no account
y - Yours truly, I.F.H.
"a