The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-12-11
IrromN our Reguular correspopaent.l

LEyocsU ANuP"TS ~ AAoo"s ~""ESe-S
From our Regular Correspopdent.] ~.
MIDpLEBuRy, Dec 8.
The other'coy, upon the invitation Of Henry
4, Sheldon, our wcll-known Democratic anti
-quarian, paid visit to bis museum for the
purpose OF looking oyer his collection of auto.
graphs. Mr. Sheldon commenced to lay the
foundation Of this collection away back In
1910 and has continued to make desirable addi-
tons TO 1t ever since. In all there are about a
thousand autographs. Every governor OF Ver-
mont, three of whom-Eaton, Slade ana Stew
art-wcre Middlebury men, is represented IN
the collection, and the autographs OF all but
one az them are written on commissions. The
collection also contains the autographs OF
Queen Victoria and all the presidents OF the
United States. Queen Victoria's signature was
written In the first year OF her reign. Some OF
th autographs Of the presidents are written on
commissions, some on private letters ana one
or two are detached. Besides the Middlebury
governors, there are also the signatures OF
other lannon's Middlebury men, such as Daniei
Chpman HOratio Seymour ana samuel
Phelps, and of all the Middlebury lawyers
from Samuel Miller, the first down to the pres
ent time. Gen Israel humans mailie was
the selectmen of the town OF POmfret, Conn,
in I772. Among the miscellaneous assortment
of autographs are those OF Gen ID Cesnola,
Louis Kossuth Lieutenant Greedy, I Bar
mum and Stratton, the dwarf, better known as
Tom Thumb, Jefferson Davis, Horace Greeley,
Cen Hancock, Gen Mcclellan, John Sake, G
PR james, the novelist, John G Fremont and
Jessie Benton Fremont. Caleb Cushin-, Amos
Kendall. Charles Dickens, Jenny Lind, Gulteau
the remover, Sir Edward Thornton, Cardinal
John Henry Newman, Count de Lesseos, Ste
phen Douglas, AIessandro Gavazzi, tue ltal.
ian agitator, Henry Ward Beecher, Harriet
Beechcr Stowe. Sarah Hale, Brigham Young,
Samuel f b Morse, Salmon Chase, Charles
Sumner. Wendell Phillips, the late Gen b +
Butler, Charles Francis Adams, Jr Stephen
Tying, Sr, Lewis Tappan, Joshua Il Glddings,
Gen Sherman, Tom Corwn, Lloyd Garrison,
Whittier, Longfcllow, Edward Everett, Henry
Clay, Webster, Rufus Choate, winthrop,
Siias Wright, Vice-President r M Johnson,
Fernando Wood, Richard HI Bayard, Josiah
Quincy, John Bell, Francis Wayland, Ethan
Allen and a large number OF the members or
the congresses from 1910 to 1874. Probably
the two blindest signatures among them all are
those of Horace Greeley and Louis Kossuth.
AS q whole the collection is very valuable
and interesting one, and anyone who cares
about such things could spend an exceedingly
pleasant halliday in looking Them over. Many
of the documents to which the signatures are
attached contain udtleT tuht lloil
the standpoint OF the historian.
The gentlemen who composed the meeting of
sheep breeders here on the 29th of November,
reassembed at the Addison house Saturday
afternoon to take further action in regard to the
postponed exhibit of Vermont sheep and woods
at the coming Worlds fair at New Orleans.
The committee of three appointed at the for
mer meeting, Messrs Bissel, Prime and But
tolph made their report and it was manifest
that they had succeeded during the week in
stirring up interest in the project among sheep
breeders who were not IN attendance upon the |
first meeting. 1t was decided that except in |
one rather improbable contingency all exhibit |
of our sheep should go to New Orleans, and |
committee of five was appointed to make the |
selections of sheep and look after other neces-
sary preliminary arrangements. That COM
mttee is composed as follows: DR. d w Prime,
of Brandon; John L Buttolph, of Middlebury; |
Edward Z Stickney, OF Shoreham; julius J
Crane, OF Bridport, and Frank d Barton, of
Waltham. But should the sheep exhibit fall
through from any cause at the last moment,
which is possible but not probable, the wool
exhibit will not. The samples of wool to be
sent to New Orleans are now being arranged at
the rooms of Albert Chapman, secretary Of the
Vermont association. A case of eight full
aeeces and between eighty and hundred spec
These selections have been impartially made
rom the finest feeces in the state and the ex-
libIts as whole will be the best in quality ever
made anywhere by the wool growers OF a sim
yle statess 7ssrser-F -
JJRR Randall of Rutland has been here for
bout week making surveys for basis from
which to estimate the cost OF a system of water
forks for Mddlebury village. The estimates
vil be laid before the people at the next village
Meeting in January, and the whole matter viii
hen be laid upon the table or ANONYMOUSLY | {
oted down. Yet it is unquestionable that the
Il,.n tuItn In ri. fpn I'm D..
wo dry summers last past have clearly dem
nstrated that we need the water works if only
Or the supply OF water. But perhaps we Deed {
hem more in connection with a sewerage sys-
I'm, as sanitary arrangement. During the !
asst three seasons there have been large $
1mber of typhoid fever cases here, many of i
hich resulted fatally. 1t is, l believe, the t
opinion Of our physicians that these +
yphold fever cases were all or nearly all di- u
,ctly traceable to our bad drainage, Or rather d
ur entire lack of drainage. So it is certain +,
lat our short sighted policy has been the cause "
several needless deaths, and yet it is just o
1out as certain that the freemen OF Middle v
Try, figuring the whole thing as a matter Of Y
1lars and cents, will refuse to SO vote as to n
move Or modify the danger. The trustees II
IN have surveys and estimates made but they al
mot get tle voters of the village to adopt the ii
alter works plans. Indeed SO great is the II
oject condemned by some of our citizens that ol
ey are are much enraged at the idea that v,
II trustees should waste 800 or 5000 of the ii
copies money in getting estimates made. ty
Prof C Leslie of Chicago and his company Sc
Gently gave fine free concert in the Congreg- Xxi
onal church here, and after the concert or he
nized large singing class, numbering about ar
G hundred pupils The class had three les av
rs per day for five days, and ended up with tri
concert at the Congregational church Thurs. pr
y evening. The concert was well patronized I'M
spite of the attractions of Taylor the Illusion la
at the Opera house, and the audience was tn
,hly pleased with the entertainment. The da
Drus consisted of ninety voices. Prof Leslie's Ne
thod and manner were very much liked by on
music lovers and it is probable that he will idt
urn here and organize another class. ne,
The wrestling match between II Dustin of ~ ~
thel and Joseph l. Matthews OF Ripton was vi vi
ID struggle, The actual time consumed in in W.
ting the three rounds being thirty five min VI
s. Dustin got the first and third fails, and ou
match. Owing to the fact that there were ~
eral other entertainments going on in town .o ~,
he same time the audience was very small oui
re not being more than twenty spectators in va d
hall, aud a large share of these were dead ~
DIS. any
'wo more cellar and elbow contests have So
n arranged to takey lace TO morrow night at can
Cues nan A IL Dustin OF Bethel and Ben Mr.
ney of Brandon will have bout, and shub- If Il
daselton of Rpton will be pitted against w inc
Nc Many of Rutland. The stakes are $50 a q ),
:, and the money has been posted. cha
a the case of the Middlebury Baptist church OF
I Kidder, Joel g Baker of Rutland, the mel
,ial master in chancery, who has been TAX frol
testimony for some time past, has filed re- the
adverse to the claims of Kidder to the Ho
p of land between the church building and cou
der's shop, on which land Kidd.r had car WI
e shed erected last summer. Considerable pea
~. h.a