Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-08
ABOUT TOWN,

The high and grammar school boys have
no play ground. When they want to in
dulge in foot ball or base ball they must
needs 90 around begging for the use OF
somebody's field, or for the college campus,
where, of course, they disturb the classes
during recitation hours. ] hardly blame
the boys Tor getting impatient, sometimes,
when they are driven from this and that
place, and forced to go IN search OF tresh
fields and pastures new. Why should not
the city furnish them a play ground Is
there any other city in New England tina
does not provide the public schools Il
proper ground for outdoor games
*..*
Walking up Church street, the other
evening, | was forcibly impressed with
the metropolitan aspect which that street
has assumed of late. 3oth sides of the
street were crowded with pedestrians; the
Salvation army was making night hide
Gus with drum and tamborine the red
lights of the street cars came pouring
down the thoroughfare, attended with the
rumble of wheels and tinkle of bells,
while over all poured the strong white
light of the electric lamps. | could hard
ly forbear asking myself-"ls this indeed
humdrum old Burlington, that so short a
time ago CROPPED about under the feeble
light of the gas lamps, and looked upon
stree, cars, electric ligh,s and salvation
armies as metropolitan luXurles not to be
dreamed of in Vermont for generations 10
come 2' Verify. III the words of another,
de world do move
see that Mr.. w. II. II. Murray's whilom
literary organ, the GoldCu Rue of Bos-
ton is going to change hands again. 1t
will be transferred into an undenomina-
tonal and Independent religious jour
nal, something like the IndeDend-
Cnt and Christian Union i'll its make
no, and will be under the charge of Rev.
+. f.. Clark, pastor of Phillips church
South Boston. Mr. Murray has let it pref
ty severely alone since he severed his con
nectiOn with it, on leaving Boston.
-
1t is rather discouraging to see so many
of our best young men leaving Burlington
TO grow up" with the great West. Some
of them are already attaining fame and
fortune in their new homes, however,
which is sufficient evidence that they are
appreciated in the bowling wilder
ness and amid the rank barbar-
ism Of that section of our great land.
\ gentleman recently returned from the
West reports having met with quite Il
number of the old Burlington boys. every
one of whom is doing well, with a bright
future before him.
Listening to sermon by telephone is
not an uncommon occurrence, that feat
having been successfully attained no far
Their away from US than Middlebury. And
now correspondent in the Rochester
Union tells of Il new and unique use a
telescope was put to. The incident came
under his observation while travelling on
Lake Champlain
Did you ever hear of attending a funer-
al from a distance by Il telescope Then
! will tell you fact. 1t was during the
progress of the Adirondack survey and
some of the choicest Instruments had
been brought To Juniper Island, about
three miles Off from the Burlington
breakwater. The jewellers on the ISLAND
asked OF the director of the survey that
they miGht look through his most bower
full glass At certain hour the request
WAS grantee ANA The director adjusted the
glass 50 a. - cover a certain farm house
that Wa pointed out. The islanders wore
unusually long faces. The one who was
peerirg through the glass became deeply
aGltated the other islanders took their
handkcrchlete from their pockets The
observer called out: There, they are
getting through the services; now they
are bringing the body out; now they have
nouuCeldcnt the little group of friends set
up a new wall, and there was 40 pause TIL
the proCt ssiOu had disappeared behind a
hill. The telescope was then returned with
as much gravity as il had been borrowed
and used.
| wonder if the stars are inhabited
worlds don't propose to puzzle my
brain very much over Il question which Is
the study OF astronomers, and always has
been, but 1t occurs to me that if they are,
it must be their electric street lights
which make them so beautifully visible
to us. There will be some, | know,
inclined to scott at this sugses-
utilization Of electricity for illuminating
purposes, against the past eternity of the
stars existence. have thought of all
that and am not disconnected. Their in
habitants may be a higher order of NOR
tails than we, TO whom electricity was
given as blessing from the first. So far,
the question is no puzzle AT all. But what
does stick me is how the stars continue to
twinkle and shine after II O'Clock when
the celestial people have probably put out
their lights for the night. And If
they have railroads there, | wonder
how they get up from the depot at
midnight with the dark so thick you can
Guilt, and not a street light of any sort
burning And - | suppose it does rain
up there - if at the same time the rain
is falling in spouts, my wonder reaches
Amusement Very likely their reliance
like our, is placed on the hacks, but in
case there are no equipages Of that sort in
waiting, | can very easily Judge what
they have to do then --- for their predica-
ment cannot be SO very different from
what BurlIngton's often is. And unless
they are of "A vastly higher grade of beings
than common BurlingtOnians are, | can
also imagine what they say,
~
Probabl. the story of how Mrs. Webb
wife of Dr. W. :. Webb Of coax Ledge, -
and daughter of the late William H. Van