Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-02

Dr. FRANK Burdlck OF NefmllnOn, DhkOth,
formerly of Guilford, who was on visit to
his friends after an absence Of fifteen years.
Dr. Burdick has an extensive practice in
southern Dakota of which he has been res
ident for eight years. He is also mayor of
his city, the duties of which he has discharg-
ed for nearly four years. Besides he finds
time to run n newspaper and incidently hold
various positions Of trust and responsibility.
As member of the Republican territorial
committee he is engaged just at present in
furthering the movement for bringing Dakota
into the Union as a state-which project the
Democrats strongly oppose-and on his re-
turn was to visit Washington for this purpose.
Mr.. O. X. Wood Of this place, Of long
experience with Van Amburg's menagerie,
attended the closing sale and breaking up Of
that organization at Armenia N. Y, last
week Afterward he visited several Of the
large shows which are in winter quarters in
the vicinity of New York, and on his way
home took in Barnums at Bridgeport. Mr.
Wood says that last season was an immense.
ly profitable one for Barnum, and that the
great Snowman is getting ready for the big
gest demonstration next season that he has
ever made. Mr.. Wood found that, through
one medium or another, the paragraph pub
lished in The PHOENIX not long ago telling
how Van Amburg's famous old lion "Mose"
TtNOknlNtu ulhA hlAtE hu lnitFNhl OF years.
had become known to all the menagerie and
circus men in the country.
AT the meeting of the professional club
ON Wednesday evening the paper was read
by o. l.. French of The PHOENIX, the topic
being THE Newspaper as Factor in Ameri-
can Education" The essayist touched upon
the origin Of the newspaper in tue nations Of
antiquity, and traced the development of the
newspaper idea in Germany aud England
after the discovery OF the art of printing.
The history of the newspaper in America was
sketched, and statistics quoted showing the
wonderful power and development TO which
the newspaper has attained in this country
Following this the newspaper as a moral and
educational force was treated upon. BY re-
quest Of Mr.. Shaw, principal of Glenwood
Classical Seminary, West Bratteboro, Mr..
French will read this paper before the semi
nary lyceum next Monday evening, the occs-
sion marking the close Of the autumn term.
90 The bailiTs' report of the financial con-
dition of the village makes very satisfactory
showing Deducting from the gross expen-
ditures of the year the sums paid on account
of sewer construction, we have S4S2S as the
running expenses for the year. In the esti-
mate Of expenditures for the coming year a
similar rate of expenditure is evidently con-
templated-the estimated sum for running
the corporation being 1890. In the recon-
mendation Of the per cent. Of taxation for
next year (35 per cent. the bailiffs, it is evil
dent, contemplate paying some portion of
the indebtedness of the village-a thing which
should certainly be done 1t should be noted
that, the village grand list being, in round
numbers, $24, 800, tax of 80 per cent. would
raise SS, 500; one of % per cent. would raise
50. 1000, and one of 30 per cent would raise
81, 200. Mr.. Herrick, village collector, it
will be seen, has settled his tax bill for 1850
in full. The report of the chief engineer
shows a generally satisfactory condition of
the fire department. We think there can be
no question that the administration Of the
esent board Of bailitfs is to be commended
as having been prudent and economical. In
view of the steadily increasing amount of
work aud responsibility which the bailifs are
called upon TO assume, year by year, We be-
lieye it will soon come to be a serious ques-
ton whether il will not be for the best inter
est of the village, and matter of true econo-
my, to pay our village officers a reasonable
compensation for work necessarily done by
them.
The Boston Commonwealth has the fol-
lowing notice of a new book by a lady who
was formerly a resident Of Brattleboro, and
is still remembered by many of our people
"The South Shore" by Mrs. c. r. Josseiyn, is an
attractive tale Of New England home-ife written
by New England mother, who in her youth, lived
and shared In the scenes and events she depicts,
whose localities. under slightly-disguised names,
are familiar TO every Boston boy and girl. The
tone OF the book is emphaticay healthy, strong
ami pure, and the matter Of the tale and It's cpl
sodes peculiarly suited to excite the sympathes
and generous feellngsof the young. Without any
religious preaching or profession, It IS admirably
adapted for unsectarian Sunday-school libraries,
ard 4sfaUa IS Il
spirit of noble purpose aud good will TO our neigh
Dor. II Will form a most wise aud welcome "Christ-
mas box"
THE MECHANICS GAS co.
This company grew out of the following
circumstance When Estey d Co. built on
Brge street in 1870. they paid the Brattleboro
Gas Co. $1,000 to lay them a main. On ac-
count Of the quality and insufficiency of gas
furnished, they felt obliged to put in works to
furnish their shops, and by so doing lost the
$1,000 in the main already laid. After obtain
ing charter from the legislature, their sys-
TEN of street mains was extended, and gas
furnished to such as desired e sat about one
half the price of coal gas This company has
been attentive to the wants Of its customers
and recently erected works for the mAnufae-
ture Of water gas under the Hanlon process,
the simplicity Of which is quite remarkable.
The retorts having been heated to high heat
a small stream Of water enters one. where it
is instantly converted into steam and flashed
through the retort and into another, meeting
a stream of crude oil just entering, which is
not only flashed into gas but passes several
times through long retorts, where it is con-
yerted into light fixed gas. 1t then passes
of through the washer and cleaner TO the
condenser, and, having become cool, enters
the gasometer. The daily consumption of
gas is from s, 900 to Il, 900 cubic feet, custom
ers generally using il in burners which con-
sumo only two feet an hour, or less than one
half the amount usually consumed of coal gas
to furnish the same amount of light. As an
instance of the cheapness of this gas, the
company say that for the month of October
the cost Of the light TO many families was
only 80 to 60 cents. At this rate it does not
seem to pay to burn kerosene, much less to
pay for broken lamp ehimneys
SUNDAY EVENINGS TEMPERANCE MEETING.
The town hall was well filled last Sunday
evening on the occasion of the second of the
series of discourses on temperance, now be-
ing given by the local clergy, at the request
of the members of the temperance organiza-
tions. Rev. Mr.. Green of the Unitarian
church was the speaker. He began by say
ing that the use of stimulants is universal,
there being no race known without stimu-
liant or narcotic of some kind.
It is strange fact, he said that those ma
tions which lead in civilization have the
largest proportion of inebriates The pro-
fessedly Christian nations are more given to
intemperance than the avowedly non Chris
tian. We cannot, of course, admit that Chris
tianity prompts to intemperanoe The ex-
PLANTATION of the strange fact, Mr.. Green said
will be found in the strain which the civil
cation of Christian nations makes upon the
nervous energies Of men. 1t is high-keyed
and multtudes find it impossible to keep up
in the race on their own natural strength
and hence seek to supplement that artificial
ly. And this habit has become in many cases
an hereditary trait Some men are born in
ebriates, and they are but following the law
of their members when they intoxicate them
selves. Others there are with whom it is on
ly a vice-a selfish indulgence, but one which
in the end becomes more than a vice a dis