Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-11-15


this community through the medium Of the
Brooks Library, for the benefit Of ali per
SONS who have occasion 10 consult IT, In
recent years Judge Phelps has carefully
considered the hest disposal TO be made If
this work Of himself and his ancestors lie
was unwilling that it should 20 beyond the
limits Of Windham county where his own
life has thus far been spent aud among
whose people his work has been done. as
was that Of father and great grandfather.
Before the death of Mr. Brooks, and while
the library building was in process Of cree.
ton, he consulted with him about accom-
modations for the collection, and Mr..
Brooks cordially welcomed the idea of Civ
ing it place in the new building. 1t is in
accordance with this well known wish Of
Mr. Brooks that his trustees have accepted
the trust now coniided TO them
The form Of conveyance adopted 10y
Judge Phelps is the following;
CONVEY ANCE.
In consideration Of the acceptance hy Bruugh-
tom u. Harris, lluyt II Wheeler, Joseph Draper.
Julius j Estey and Francis Goudhuc, trustees uf
the Brooks Library under the will Of devrgr y
Brooks for themselves aud their Successors I'm that
trust, Of the things either In writngur print which
are mentioned below
For the benefit Of the library, dohcrehy trans.
fer to said trustees upon the following terms the
hooks, manuscripts, pamphlets and documents
named in the catalogues accompanying delivery
If the artic"su said trustees 10y the undersigned:
Said collection shall be- kept In some room of the
Brooks Library huildiug other than the one where
the general library Is shelyed. secured 10y lock;
and that part named upon said catalogues AS once
belonging either To Charles Phelps of Marlboro. or
Charles Phelps ~ TuWnshend, and dated from
i1ut to isoO, shall be- kept IN case under lock.
80 paper or volume shall cease To- h. a part Of
this collection by any hrt ur sntrraucr NJ these
trustees. or their SUCCESSORS.
80 paper or volume shall be- consulted outside
q I.s.f
the actua presence Of one uf thes'' trustees or Of
No paper shall be- copied except upon permission
Of these trustees hy person approved by them
for that purpose
Permission to consult this collection shall not be-
granted to the public before the catalogues have
been printed, and copies thereof placed In the
general library and In the room with the rollec.
tiun.
The general rules and regulations uf the library.
not inconsistent with thc-s terms are to br opera
tive upon this collection
Any books or papers hereafter delivered by said
Phelps 10 these trustees ARE. To h.rntpr,l upuu the
proper catalogues aud held upon the same terms
and conditions as the papers already named there
on respectively JAMES II PHELPS
Bratteboro, Vt, oct 10. lSss
The primary object Of Judge Phelps was
To make the collection accessible to the gen
eral public, and it will be seen that the re-.
strictions imposed are only such as are nee
essary 10 assure the permanent preserva-
ton Of its various parts, for once lost or
destroyed, they could never he replaced
II must he source Of pride to every in
telhgent resident Of Brattleboro, aud Of
corresponding gratitude to Judge Phelps on
the part Of this community. that what will
hereafter be known as the Phelps Division
| Of the Brooks Library has found its per
manent home in our midst IL is incompar
able in its local characteristics because Of
very many Of its books aud documents no
duplicates exist, while in extent. variety
| and completeness for the time aud topics
covered it has no rival even among the Ii
braries Of the great cities
a Glance ut Its Character.
1t is not within the scope Of the present
article 10 mention in detail the rare hstur
zeal works. periodical publications aud lit
erary curios which are thus placed within
| the public reach, but IN general way it
may be said that IN this collection there are
| contained III bound volumes Of ncwspa
pers, which comprise local and state papers
/ from the earliest times Boston, Worcester
and Washington papers, special publications
| like Greeley's Log Cabin, Garrison 4,
! 'Liberator,' the "Emancipator, " Brown
| lows Wing. New York papers during the
war, London papers, aud many scattering
volumes to be- found nowhere else
Of law books there are lao volumes Of
| common law treati,e-, going back 10 the
earliest ever written, besides lUi volume,
! ui reports, most Of them early and rare
/ including some Of the year books aud "a
/ complete set Of Dnitcd States Supreme Court
reports with digest There are several
works on Roman law, including the "6or
| pms JWtS Ctriir' very rarel, the "lnsti
tutions Of Justinian, aud Private Law
] az Ia. e
Vermont legislative journals aud II the SEES
sion laws, of some II which even the state
owns no copy, and a complete set of all the
revisions aud compilations up to 1870 One
Of the most valuable, it Is also one of the
rarest features, is found in the "a volumes
OF bound pamphlets speeches, college AL
dresses, etc. In the list called by Judge
Phelps the Paper file" are very large
number Of manuscripts which are Of price
less value from AN historical and antiquari
an standpoint.
In the list If historical works. duplicates
Of which the student may not often hope
to find. there may he mentioned the Par
lamentary History Of England up TO l1G2
| IN ~ volumes. the Ancient Universal His
tory in % volumes, four volumes Of Peter
| Force : historical collection prior to l1iG.
which includes Captain John Smiths de
scription Of New England, George Wash
ngton's letters on Agriculture aud Rural
| Economy, and many Documents relating 10
the early history Of New England, Virginia
and South Carolina. OF especial value u
English students are dictionaries like those
Of johnson, Richardson, Bailey and Hall
we'll
The documents relating to our early Yer
mont history are very numerous and in
clude many rare papers like those Of Ethan
aud Ira Allen on the controversy between
New York and Vermont, etc. OF the doc
uments pertaining to our town and county
history the store is as generous as it is rare.
and it would require the search Of many d
leisure day to exhaust all its surprises To
20 further into detail would be 10 reprint
the catalogue in greater or less entirety.
The official catalogue has now been com
pleted and printed In accordance, there
fore, with the terms Of the conveyance the
phelps division will Ice open next week
To the use Of the public, and our purpose
in this sketch has been to 50 far acuuaint
our readers with its character that they
may choose to search for themselves aud
see what stores are there provided for their
information and entertainment
The phelps division occupies the north
basement room in the Brooks Library and
is placed in handsome and substantial cases
stands, etc, provided for it by Mr. Brooks,
trustees