Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-30


sistent in their daily lives and hab-
its. The city, of course, is filed
with historic suggestions, and one (
naturally goes directly to Memorial
Hall, than which no place probably
exists more suggestive of Revolu-
tionary times. The furniture, por-
traits, original documents, relics,
and above all the cracked Liberty |
Bell, all awaken a most profound |
contemplation of the Fathers, and |
seem to truly represent the crude
ness of those times. The building
itself is quite old-fashioned, and in
strange contrast with the modern
Public building which is being
erected near by, and which covers
about five acres of land, and seems
almost to unite the heavens with
the earth, being five or SIX hundred
feet in height, and built of the fin
est granite ever saw. 1t suggested
to me that there might be some
question about the justice exercised
by the government in apprOpriating
public funds; because | remember
that $4,000 to build a Custom
House at Island Pond was regarded
as an unnecessary expenditure,
while they are putting great num-
Der of $4,000 dollar Custom Houses
in this building up in the air so as
never to be used by or benefit any
one. | wish | was as wise as Con
gresham so | could see the justice
and fairness Of building some Of
these enormous and extravagant
buildings, spending in them need
less thousands and millions of dol
lars, and still the treasury be made
quate to furnish TO q less influential
locality that which it actually
needs. Of course it is right or Con-
gressmen would not do it, but one
cannot avoid having considerable
curiosity TO know what the reasons
are which make it so. The plan of
the city, the regularity of its streets
and nearly everything pertaining to
it, found so in accordance with de
scriptions that | had always heard
given of it that very little about tho
city, except its Revolutionary me
MORALS, and its mammoth white
building, on one of the Babel-likC
) towers of which swings huge con
) struction engine, is new or remark
able; so we began to hunt for some
= thing novel. Striking out to SEE
I Benjamin Franklin Butler, who wa
trying case in the United State
d Court, we found court adiourncC
: and General Butler off to Washing
ton. From thence we started 70
: the celebrated Walt Whitman t,
hear his lecture. Picking up pape
the next morning, we found the fol
Il lowing description of the Scene
> "When the last note of La Palo
c ma had died on the spring al
that blew from sunny and buStlin!
o Chestnut Street into the cool an,
Il dusky hush of the Opera House yes
terday afternoon there rose an Apr
" storm of hand plaudits through tn
house. A venerable figure who's
u colossal head wore heavy crow
, of snow-white hair and beard
y stalked, leaning on cane, from tn
left upper entrance and passed be
,, hind the footlights to the easy chat
y which was set beside study table
= and lamp in the centre of tn
Is stage" From this we conclude
{ that we had not fully appreciate
= the occasion. We noticed that 'L
y Paloma" had died on the air, an
Is that the wind blew from somewher
u near Chestnut Street, and into
y still house, and that they respect
y fully applauded the lecturer. II
ii presented venerable old flour,
y with very wide turned down cola
~ loosely and carelessly dressed
n common brown pants and vest an
y broadcloth coat, and nothing in til
y world about him, except his literar
reputation, that could possibly di
~ tinguish him from any good lookin
II and intelligent, very feeble and yer
" old man. With great difficulty h
reached the chair in the centre c
II the stage, and after a moment c
Is embarrassment on the part of til
y audience-which seemed to be +,
d lieved by the conclusion of his e!
Is haustive effort to walk-he testil