Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-06-06
Willlamstown Items.

G. Holloway Merrill continuing to fail, Doctor
Lee Merrill OF St Adams wis sent for last week,
and will remain here short time. II Ia feared
that the passage out OF Mr.. Merrrills stomach Is
closed up, and unless help comes soon be cannot
live many days longer. Charles Seaver has
gone 10 Peabody, Mass, TO work, where he has
fine chance. TO-, Dea. circuit Abbott and family
were at South Royalton, on Saturday, last, " OBJ
serving the twenty-ifth anniversary Of the mar
riage OF Mr.. and Mrs Martin s. Adams. Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Graves OF Waterbury have been in
town few days past, visiting friends Of Mrs.
Graves ZEE. Willamstown has a new grand
daughter, the care and keeping OF which Is com
mitied TO George and Mrs Mary Bass Clark at
recently taken up Its permanent abode in the
home OF our town clerk and treasurer Our
selectmen were out investigating the subject Of
new hearse last week. On turning to the fam
lily Bible, Norman Davis and wife are found to
have been married the same day OF the same year
as Mr.. and Mrs. Orcutt Abbott. We heard a
man offer Doctor Jason Briggs, on Saturday last,
$500 for his new house, that being $3.50 more
than the cost Of IL, but the doctor isn't anxious
to sell IT,. Interviews with our farmers who
have had foreign help that has left them, brings
out the fact the help was much liked, but offers
OF higher wages-in one case In factory-and
longing for company, In another, were the causes
OF the leaving. ii Children's Day" will be OBJ
served at the Methodist church next Sunday. 80.
Two energetic Williamstown boys {" may their
tribe increase ~ are solving the problem OF how
10 Work one own way through college, the one
at Burlington Vt the other at Hanover, n H.
A recent pleasant and instructive interview with
one u these students, only confirmed n long
cherished opinion that in these days no plucky
young man Of good principles need hesitate a
moment 10 start ont on collegiate course, for
want OF means This student told us that he had
the opportunity TO do two or three times the
work he had time for. II any Of our young men
are weighing the question whether 1t will pay to
make the effort for a college education, il may
help them TO decide tn quote the following, from
an address by Dexter A. Hawkins Of New York
city: "ln 1870, the commissioner OF education
at Washington sent out series OF carefully
drawn, comprehensive and searching questions,
to the great centers OF labor In all parts Of the
United States. These centers were so selected IA
to represent every kind OF labor, from the rudest
and simplest up TO the most skilled. The object
of the questions was to determine the relative
productiveness OF literate and illterate labor.
When the answers came back they were tabu-
lated reduced and generalized, so M to get at
the average results over the whole country.
This investigation-one OF the most interesting
ever made-brought clearly to light the follow
facts First that an average free common school
education, such az Is provided In all the states
where the free common school has become per
manent institution, adds fifty per cent TO the pro-
ductive power OF the laborer considered as a
mere machine OF production. Second, that the
average academcal education adds one hundred
per cent. Third, that the average collegiate OF
universal education adds from two to three hun
dred per cent to his average annual productive
capacity, to say nothing OF the vast increase 10
his manliness-to his Goodness"