The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-13

The Brattleboro stamp was one oil the so-called
provisional issues" made about the same
time in Baltimore, Brattleboro, New Haven,
New York and St. Louis, and was small buff
LABEL somewhat smaller than the present two
cent stamp bearing on 1t the words Brattle
boro, VT, p. o. CENTS" and the initials Of
the postmaster, F. N. Palmer. This Brattle-
boro stamp, of which but few were issued, is
among the rarest of stamps, and very few col
lectors have anything but photograph Of it.
THE recent winding up Of the affairs of two
mutual insurance companies in this state gives
force to the following facts: The profits of fire
insurance were small last year, the exhibit
made by Superintendent Mccall OF the New
York insurance department showing that one
hundred and fifty companies doing business in
that state received 75549, 534 in premiums,
paid $44, ,827 800 for losses and about $25, S21,-
644 for expenses and had less than S5, 600, 900,
or about six and one-half per cent, left as a
margin. One large conhagration might have
wiped that out. The losses of over 800, ,000,-
600 in this country and Canada last year were
considerably above the average, but nearly all
the figures of fire insurance nowadays indicate
that the business is not startlingly profitable
one. For all this, imperfect architecture and
the habitual carelessness Of the American peo-
pie are greatly to be blamed. The risks on
churches are now considered the most hazard
Gus, about eight hundred having been de-
stroyed in the past nine years, an average of
two week. During the year, including the
last half of 1882 and the first of 1883, one
hundred and nineteen churches, worth nearly
100000, were burned, costing the insurance
companies $4,000.
If reports are true, there is likely to be
competition in the telephone business which
will work great advantage to the subscribers
of the various exchanges in this state. The
Bellows Falls Times says: " Parties who had
charge OF the establishment of the telephone
lines and exchanges in this vicinity, two years
ago, are about to begin the duplicating of the
whole system, in competition with the company
now owning and controlling them, using a new
style of instrument which has recently been
tested and worked perfectly between New York
and Chicago, ten hundred and fifty miles.
The company furnishing the new instruments
have a complete system of their own, fully
covered by patents, from the switch boards
down to the telephones, that is said to be far
superior to those now used by the Bell COM
pany, and best Of all, it is promised at greatly
reduced rate Work is to be begun upon it
very soon, and will be rapidly pushed forward
to completion. Heretofore the Bell Telephone
company has enjoyed monopoly Of all the
business, owing to its patents having priority,
but the present legal complications of the COM
pany leave them open to competition. A COM
pany is being formed to cover this state and a
part of New Hampshire under contract from
the new company" 1t is reported that the
rental will not exceed fifteen or twenty dollars
per year.
OSCAR MEYER, alias Won Blumenthal, was
arrested by Officers S. G. Macomber and Hi
ram Tobias at Albany, N. Y, last week Mon
day morning, charged with the murder of
Hermon Krauser, at Grand Isle, two weeks ago.
Meyer claims he is innocent, but the evidence
against him is strong. On his person were
found two letters-one written in German, to
his brother in Germany, and the other in
English, to Mr.. Hoag, purporting to come from
the murdered man. in which 1t was requested
that the latter's trunk be sent to Albany for
him. He was found at United States recruit
ing post, where he had enlisted on Saturday
A preliminary hearing in the case was held be-
fore Justice Mooney, at the St. Albans jail
Office, Wednesday morning, A. A. Hall appear.
ing for the state and M. Buck for the prisoner
The fellow gave his name as Oscar Meyer
(Which Is one of about six different names by
which he has announced himself) and said ht
was born in Bavaria, was twenty-four years
old and a school teacher by profession. The
story he tells Is about as follows; When hi
left Grand Isle, in company with Krauser they
went direct to st. Albans, and there met
friend of the latter, and all agreed to enlist
Krauser and his friend deciding to go to New
York, and he going to Plattsburg. Whel
questioned as to how he came into possession
Of his companions overcoat. he said tina
Krauser at first wanted to sell him the coat
but he did not want to buy it, and he ther
gave it to him to dispose Of He denied al
knowledge of any murder, and said that h
left Krauser at st. Albans, and supposed tina
he had gone to New York The hearing wa
continued on Thursday and Friday. Nothin
conclusive has yet appeared from the evidence
but everything points to Meyer as the perpe
traitor Of the crime, concerning the commissio
of which there is but little doubt. The citizen
Of Grand Isle and vicinity are doing everythin
, in their power to find the remains of the miss
| ing man, and thus establish an all-importar
point in the case. Circumstances however
give ground for the belief that the body lies q
the bottom of Lake Champlain.
THE sessions Of the missionary meeting o
the Vermont Central Baptist Association, hel
in the Baptist church at Montpelier, from th
7th to the 9th, were of unusual profit and wei
greatly enjoyed by those in attendance. Re'
j. A. Pierce of West Randolph gave a goo
keynote to the meeting in a sermon upon Ac,
IS, in which he spoke of the Holy Spirit
power as the agency of God in spreading til
gospel unto the uttermost parts Of the earth,
e A full house enjoyed the missionary conce
o exercise by the mission band of the Montpeli,
v; Baptist church, the speakers in costume. a
o sustaining their parts in creditable name
i 1t will be strange II this experience does nj
: awaken more interest in missions than man
y sermons. Dr. Mason's address, after the col
o cert, was grand presentation of the grei
o work done In the home field. A large numb
# of statistics we're given in setting forth h
o theme, In the womans meeting, on Frids
+ morning intereatinp faeta ware nresanted I