The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-16
MOntpelier's Needs.

The WATcHMAN has asked few citizens
OF Montpelier to give their views on What
Montpelier Most Needs" At the present
time the discussion will be found timely
and interesting. Rev. G. w. Gallaghers
response is given this week, as follows
Editor Of Watchman:-I thank you for your
kind invitation to write a short article on
" What Montpelier Most Needs" OF course
my ideas on this subject are no better than
the ideas of other citizens of Montpelier.
There is great difference between a need
and want. A need must be supplied:
want may be. Individually, we need only
few things, but sometimes we want
all things | have seen people who
wanted the whole earth-and heaven, too.
Individual needs depend on necessity
wants, on the position, capacity and abili-
ties of person. An ignorant man wants
no library, reviews, magazines or newspa-
pers; an intelligent man can not be too boun-
tifully supplied with these helpful agencies.
What Boston needs may not be needed
in Montpelier, and yet Montpelier may need
more than Boston. The question of what
person, town or city needs can not be de-
cided so easily as is generally thought.
Some self-satisfied people may think Mont.
pelier has no needs. | have met people
who thought that they did not need any
thing; but they were generally of that class
called fools, or stunted by ignorance, or
swelled beyond all proportions by concet.
can learn about Montpelier, even if he looks
through leather spectacles and stops his ears
with cotton. 1t is said that a spider can find
his way over the earth by means of one hair.
A person in Montpelier needs only a good
nose, and he will discover, if he uses it, that
there are great many problems unsolved
here. The most apparent need of Montpe-
lier is good sewer system. | notice that
our town sewers, the few that we have, are
without traps. The result is that the sewer
gas finds its way into the streets all over
the town. A recent writer in the WATCH
MAN, Mr.. Mahlon Taplin, offered to Montpe-
lier the " gospel of health" Until Mont
pelier adopts his plan diphtheria walks
abroad, malaria grows fat and sickness in
creases Montpelier needs good board of
health, with summary powers, who will
visit every residence high and low, and
compel every house to be connected with a
good sewer system. A town Of this size
must preserve itself. Old vaults, ancient
Cesspools, antique rottenness should be
abolished wheresoever found. We have a
fairly good water system, but it can be i'm
proved by attention to tilteriug, by building
reservoir, by preventing the building Of
cottages around Berlin lake, by forbidding
old and young boys from swimming in its
waters. We delight to associate with hui
man beings, but we do not enjoy the
thought of drinking an extract Of heels and
toes and other human organs in our daily
glass of water.
Montpelier needs to look well to her in
terests if she is ever to enjoy the blessing of
the muniticent legacy bequeathed by the
late benevolent Mrs. Fanny NJ kellogg, A
New York friend informs me that the heirs
may break the will
Montpelier needs TO enforce the pro-
hibtory law, or Sunday will become a day
of brawls and the week days a scene of dis
graceful drunkenness
A great need of Montpelier is suitable