The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-16

upon the postmasters of Vermont: Bradford Is
the only office entitled to an increase of 800.
Bethel is reduced to the fourth class. Bellows
Falls, Bennington, Burlington, Ludlow, Montpe-
lier, Northfield, Rutland, st. Albans, Water
bury and Windsor are decreased 800 each.
These changes are based upon the gross re-
ceipts OF the offices named during the past |
year. At first glance 1t would seem that busi-
ness has largely fallen off throughout Vermont,
but the general decrease in salaries is due prin-
cipaly to reduction in letter postage from three |
to two cents which went into effect October 1st |
last. But for this reduction the business OF |
these offices would have shown about the aver
age increase.
TERRIFIC cyclone passed over West hill, |
in Crsftsbury, on Saturday, July 8, with con-
siderable destruction to property. The action
of the storm upon the house OF Mrs. Lucy
Kilburn is a good illustration Of its force. The
house was one Of the strongest frames, with
eight-inch sills and plates and posts, large
braces, beams and overlays, made, when timber
was plenty, in thorough old-fashioned style. 1t
was supposed to be so strong that no Vermont
wind could demolish it. Mrs. Kilburn was at
tempting to close gable window as the cyclone
struck the building in full force, and in an in
slant she found herself eighty or ninety feet to
the north landed by plum tree. The ell part
was completely demolished, with braces,
shingles, boards, timbers and household furni-
tuIe scattered over space of eighty by two
hundred feet everything fat on the ground,
and much of 1t as fine as kindling wood The
gable end was found to her left, or west, having
passed completely over her head. 1t struck
the two barns and unroofed both Of them The
longest though containing large quantity Of
hay, was moved on its foundation. The front
side was completely taken off and laid in the
door-yard. The east end of the house was
moved seventeen feet.
THE Washington correspondent OF the SUM-
day Tribune gives pen pictures Of some Of the
leading senators, and speaks as follows OF
Senator Edmunds Since he was elected to
preside over the deliberations of the senate
Mr.. Edmunds has rarely been heard on the
floor OF the chamber. He is not a brilliant
speaker, nor does he make any attempt to be
one. He is thought, however, to be the abest
| lawyer in the body. Whenever he has any
thing to say he gets up and states 1t in quiet,
business-like way. There is no attempt at
rhetoric. Fine phrases are not his failing. He
seems Indifferent to the impression he may
produce. In the same even tone Of voice he
goes on calculating one point after another.
Before he has spoken five minutes, however,
you are convinced that here is a man who has
the happy faculty Of stating the entire question
under consideration, clearly, intelligiby aud
without the waste of single word, in half the
time that others require. His arguments are
| lucid and perspicuous He never talks above
an ordinary conversational tone, and his de-
livery is as cold and matter-of-fact in character
as his manner toward his colleagues. News
paper men he abhors. Indeed, if he had his
own way, he would close the galleries to them.
The proper way, in his opinion. for the public
to get knowledge Of the proceedings Of con-
gress is to read the Congressional Record. 1t is
a fact worthy of notice, however, that Mr..
Edmunds, according to the returns OF the dis
bursting clerk of the senate, is a regular sub
scriber to eight daily newspapers. He ap-
preciates their value, apparently, in some
respects"
THE annual encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic will be held at Minneapolis,
Mimi, July % and "a The route chosen by
those who will attend from this section is via
the Central Vermont and Grand Trunk to
Chicago and via the Albert Lea route from
Chicago to Minneapolis. 1t is proposed to leave
Vermont on the 18th, in time to connect al
Montreal with the through Chicago express
which leaves Montreal at eleven p. M. on the
18th, arriving at Chicago Sunday morning
leaving Chicago by special Grand Army train
on Monday morning, arriving at Minneapolis
on the evening Of the same day. The fare fol
the round trip is $32 so, which of course does
not include sleepng-cars or meals, Arrange
ments will be made 80 that all can be provided
with sleeping-car accommodations, either al
St. Albans or Montreal, and 60 through u
Chicago without change. The friends and
families Of the comrades are entitled to thu
same rates and privileges as the comrades
themselves, and the low rates and special &C
commodations ought to induce many of th'
veterans, citizens and their families to avai
themselves of this grand opportunity to visi
the great West. Tickets will be good for thirty
days from date. All who intend going should
notify the headquarters at Rutland at once, sc
that proper accommodations can be secured
and should be furnished with q certifcat,
signed by the adjutant Of their post, If a com
rade, countersgned by the assistant adjutant
general Of the department, and II member o.
the family or invited guest, a certificate lik
the above-except it should state what relation
they sustain to the department, whether as
guest or otherwise. By arrangement with thu
different roads beyond Chicago, persons goinl
over one route can return via either Of tn
others, and those going via the Albert Lei
route can return via the Chicago, Milwaukee
& St. Paul or North Western, and uice versa
> Any person desiring to avail himself Of thes
5 excursion rates can become a guest OF tn
Grand Army by applying at headquarters a
Rutland.
THE paragraph which we print in anothe
= place, personal TO Colonel Villas Of Wisconsin
awakens some "reminiscences of trio OF tai
ented young democrats who were active il
democratic politics in Vermont forty years age
! They were Levi B. Villas, father of Colone
Villas, Jefferson P. Kidder and Charles G. East
Y man. They were active and alert, and perhap
might have been regarded as the ringleader
: Of one wing Of the party, and as much man
: aged its affairs as II they had been more nu
s merous. They were schemers, and had a
0 eve To the main chance. Villas represente,