The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-15


the horrible crime which the circumstances
related bring to light
LETTERS uncalled for at the Montpelier,
Vt, post-office, October II, 1884: Ladies'
Miss Mary E. Downing, Miss Mary r.
French, Mrs. Henry Fisher, Mis- Robert
Fennick, Mrs. Ellen Holdsworth Mr.. and
Mrs Geo. Miles, Miss Luela Moore, Mrs
M. S. Rourke, Miss Josie Smith. Gentle
men-C. w. Andrews, j G. Burke, John II.
Bean, s. l.. Burpee, James Clark, Frank
Davis, Florence Gennett, w. Ii. Guyett, NJ.
Johnson, Edwin johnson, David Martin,
Louis Provost, Otis G. w. Richardson.
Parties applying for any of the above must
say advertised and give the date
GEORGE W. WING, Postmaster.
THE new rink is fast approaching compile
ton and will be open to the public in few
days. An extra force of workmen is en-
ployed, and painters follow closely upon the
carpenters in finishing up the great hall.
The sheathing and wainscoting will all be
in place in a day or two, and the work of
laying the floor will then be substantially
all that remains to prepare the building for
public use. Special care will be taken in
this direction. The young folks are anx-
iously awaiting the completion OF the build
ing and much interest in the enterprise has
been awakened among the older people
The opening of the rink promises to be a
grand success.
THE advertising columns of to-day's
WATCHMAN contain an official notice,
signed by Post-office Inspector Lamson of
Augusta, Maine. 1t states that sealed pro-
poeals for furnishing the post-Otiice depart
ment with suitable premises to be occupied
as a post-offce at Montpelier for term of
four years will be received at Montpelier
until noon of October %. The specifications
which follow indicate purpose on the part
of the department to provide accommoda-
tions for the officials here far superior in
point Of safety and convenience, to those
which they now have. We trust that such
proposals will be made as shall furnish in
ducement for speedy change and one
which shall be of great benefit to Postmaster
Wing and his assistants, and to the entire
public.
NATHANIEL PRENTIss BROOKS, whose death
occurred in this village on Thursday the
9Th instant, was born in Langdon, N. H.,
May II, 1913, being the eldest of three sons
OF John and Permelia Reed Brooks. After
leaving school, at sixteen or seventeen years
of age, he served several years as mer-
chants clerk in his native town and in the
adjoining town of Acworth. About 1895 he
came to East Randolph, VT, and entered
the employ of his uncle, the late John Gid
den, an old merchant Of that place, with
whom he not long after formed partner
ship, and which business he continued, as
partner and successor, for nearly twenty
years. About 1854 he removed to Mont
pelier, where for all the intervening years
he has been one of our leading tradesmen
first in partnership with Mr.. George w.
Scott, later with his brother-in-law, Mr.. Fl.
II. Deming, and for the last seven or eight
years with his son and successor, Mr.. John
V. Brooks. To a thorough knowledge of his
business in Mr.. Brooks were added the es-
sential qualities of industry and the highest
integrity; and these, almost AZ a matter of
course, brought him substantial pecuniary
reward. In 1S41 Mr.. Brooks married Miss
Of or, iaH G,ya
years thereafter, leaving a daughter, Miss
Mary o., who has been a ministering spirit
indeed to her father, especially during the
last years of his physical helplessness and
dependence. In 1S48 Mr.. Brooks formed a
second marriage with Miss Mary Il. Vail of
Montpelier, who died in 1867, leaving two
children, John ", and Carrie, wife of Pro-
fessor H. N. Morse of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity of Baltimore. While a resident of
Randolph, Mr.. Brooks made profession of
religion, and since his removal to Montpe-
lier has been an active member of Bethany
church, and for many years one of its Off
GERS, having been its senior deacon since the
the death of the late Deacon Storrs. In
July, 1882, Mr.. Brooks was stricken with
paralysis, since which time his earthly house
has been gradually dissolving; but his end
was marked by great peace and an unfailing
trust-a fitting crown for blameless life.
THE store of Barrows & Peck was, Thurs
day night the scene of one of the most
successful robberies which have been COM
mitted in Montpelier for number of years.
The store was closed that evening at nine
o'clock, the usual hour. William Blanch-
ard, one of the employees of the establish
ment was the first to enter the store Friday
morning. He noticed the confusion which
the robbers had caused, and fastened to
notify George A. Peck, the junior member
of the firm. The robbers entered the store
through the cellar, the windows of which
a I1xf& ~, ,l
lar stairs was pried open and an easy en-
trance to the main store thereby effected
| The work was Systematically performed
| Having opened the rear door they placed a
row of chairs in front of the main entrance
| over which any person entering the store
must have stumbled, thereby creating con.
siderable disturbance. They then proceeded
| to drill hole through tho outer plate of the
| safe door just little below the knob. A
| charge of powder was inserted and the door
was blown open. The bolts and door plates
were badly bent and broken and the wood
work of the interior smashed to splinters
| An iron bar belonging in the store was found
near the safe and the wooden door of the in.
| terror of the safe bore marks indicating its
use. The books of the firm were thrown
| about promiscuOusly upon the floor near the
| safe and were unharmed. 1t is not known
at what hour the robbery was committed
and there is no clue as to the perpetrators
| The work was evidently that of experienced
| hands. The till was found Tuesday morning
| in the Montpelier and Wells River railroad
woodshed near Sabins crossing. The casf
| contents had been removed, but the valuable
| papers--notes, liens, etc. intact
| Near the till were found a monkey-wrench
| and chisel, the former bearing the nam,
| of John Mooney. Mr.. Mooney states tha
his shop was entered Thursday night, bu
| that he had missed nothing The robbers
secured about one hundred and fifty dollars
A LARGE crowd assembled in the rear O
| French's and Union blocks last Thursday
| to witness a test of hose in connection will
the newly-hnished system of water works
A four-inch pipe extends from the MaiI
the rear of A. A. Mead's jewelry store. Tt
| this hydrant were first attached two lines
| of linen hose and the water was let on. TIL,
result of the experiment excited much ad
| miration from the spectators With the gat,
| of the main pipe on the Berlin side of TIL,
| river open but three-fourths of an inch, TIVE
| streams were thrown perpendicularly int,
| the air more than a hundred feet, or hori
zontally to far greater distance. After th
| all the hose was subjected to numerous differ
| ent tests, and several lengths could not sus
tain the pressure placed upon them. S.
great was the force with which the water is
sued from the hose that the stream near tn
nozzle was almost as hard as q piece o
wood. laughable incident occurred il
connection with the exercises. Three mel
were in charge of the nozzle of one line o
hose. This it required their utmost strengt
to hold. Suddenly it freed itself from thei
grasp and instantly the pipe began writhin
to and fro like monstrous serpent. 1t
first motion threw a stream against the fee
of Paul Rivers and instantly he was sprawl