The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-07

street. The fire department rallied promptly
and soon squelched the blaze. A quantity
Of lumber, hay and farming tools in the
barn were partially consumed. The origin
Of the fire Is unknown, but attributed to
tramps or hoodlums. The loss was not
heavy.
THE eighth anniversary of the organiza-
tion of Brooks Relief Corps was celebrated
last Monday evening by pleasant gather
ing in Grand Army hall Music was fur
nished by a quartette of little girls, consist
ing Of Rennie Luke, Eunice Baker, Kate
Hutchinson and Matte Demeritt. Mrs.
Ira Snow and Mrs. Jones gave rectations,
and remarks were made by Mrs. jerome
Leland, president of the corps, Mrs. j. X.
Seaver, past department commander, Mrs.
Amanda Newcomb, T. l.. Cassavaint, COM
mander of Brooks Post, General Stephen
Thomas, w. w. Holden, II. G. Lull and
Thomas Dewey The members of Brooks
Post and of General Stephen Thomas Camp,
Sons of Veterans, were guests of the MEM
bers OF the corps.
THE fourteenth sem-annual convention
of the Washington County Christian En-
deavor Union will be held next Friday at
Mortified. An interesting programme has
been prepared, which includes an address
of welcome by Mrs. G. d. Edgerton, with a
response by the president, Rev II. Dewitt
Williams of Plainfed; also addresses may
be expected from Miss Matte =. Fox of
Rutland, the state junior superintendent,
the pastors in attendance, and Misses
Bertha Chamberlin, Irene w. Hubbard,
Lottie Carpenter, Lenora X. Stevens Edith
w. Averill, and others. In the evening,
Rev. p. Mcmillan of Woodstock will speak
on Personality in Service" followed by a
conservation service. The meetings will be
held in the Congregational church.
IT cannot be successfully maintained that
the Australian ballot system, in its ap-
plcation to March meeting here. is such a
success as justifes its continued existence,
The ballot was about the size of a circus
bill. In this respect, and in all other par
ticulars it conformed strictly to law, but
the men are few who could have voted that
ticket and felt sure that theirvotes were indi-
Gated in way to insure their counting in
every detail. The practical operation of
the system is to disfranchise many voters in
respect to parts Of the ticket, il not all. The
theory of the law will need to be embodied
in some more practicable shape before it is
an ideal scheme Of voting or of despatching
that important part of public business.
The entertainment given in Bethany
chapel last Friday evening under the aus
pices OF Bethany Christian Endeavor Society
was in every way worthy the generous pat
ronage it received. Galen b. Fish of West
assisted by the v. NJ S. Glee Club and Mrs.
w. A. Briggs, vocalist, Miss Eva Clark,
violinist, and w. A. Briggs and Miss Eva
Bancroft, accompanies Mr.. Fish's pro-
gramme was varied and interesting one,
and at the close of each selection he was
literally applauded. Those of comic ma
ture were rendered in very happy manner,
but his handling Of the negro dialect was so
imperfect and faulty as to make one wonder
| that he attempts such selections as Charlie
and the Possum," and Dusky Philosophy" :"
Barring too rapid delivery, The Chariot
Race" from Ben Hur, was effectively given.
THE meteorological summary for month
of February, as given by the Northtield sta
| ton, is as follows Mean barometer, 80 157
highest, 30.S57 on the 25th lowest, 80 449 on
the 10Th; mean temperature, 26'; highest,
40, on the 18th; lowest, 25o, on the 25t
greatest daily range 40o, on the 25th; low
est, %, on the oath; mean temperature for
1888, 15o; 1889, l2o, 1890, 22o 1891, 21o; 1892,
! 1872; 1893, 14o; mean temperature for seven
years, 1862; excess during month"; 1.29o ;
deficiency since January l, 44'; prevailing
direction of wind, south; total movement OF
wind, 6,63l miles; total precipitation, "a
inches; number of days on which .0l or
more of precipitation fell, g.; total precipta-
ton for this month for 1888 in inches, 2.73;
1889, 2.1S; 1890, 3 20; 1891 2.13 1882, 49,
1893. 2.47; average precipitation for seven
years, 230 deficiency during month, LOB;
deficiency since January l, 24 cloudless
days, 10 partly cloudy days, 8; cloudy
days Q.
FORTY young men met in the vestry OF
Trinity church last Sunday afternoon to
consider the feasibility of organizing a
Young Mems Christian Association in town
Rev. w. III. Jackson was elected chairman
of the meeting, and Bruce Mcdonald secre
tary. The matter was informally discussed
by Rev. II. A. Spencer, the newly elected
member of the state executive committee
the chairman, Rev. DR.. Seaver, Rev. C. S
Smith, f. E. Towner, and others. 1t wa:
thought advisable to appoint committee o
two from each evangelical church in town
who,.with the pastor as member ex-otfcio
should thoroughly canvass the town, TO set
il sufficient amount will be pledged, ant
il suitable rooms can be secured. The fol
lowing were appointed as members of this
committee f, Il. Towner and Dell Car
from the Baptist church; e. p. Young anC
Harry Cotton from Bethany; F. e. Howe
and W. H. Cowell from the Episcopal; D
f. Clark and A. E. Niles from Trinity
church. The following resolution wa
adopted " Resolved that it is the sense o
J this meeting, that If it be wise, we desir'
Young Mems Christian Association il
Montpelier The meeting adjourned sub
ject TO call from the committee.
} THE career of Mrs, Elizabeth B. Custer
who lectures in Montpelier under the aus
pices of the ladies of Bethany church SOM
evening the last of March, has been in
} tensely interesting. The death Of the in
trepid and lamented Custer at the battle o
! the Little Big Horn, June %, 1876, left hel
| practically without means of support. Nor
, knowledge of her worth, a large tapestr.
and lace house in New York gave her a pc
sition as designer. Her rare skill in thi
, work soon made her services very valuable
and she was sent abroad as a representa-
, tive of the firm. About this time a specia
( act of congress gave her pension of 50
, per month. AS correspondent of some q
the leading daily papers of Chicago AM
, New York, her literary talent had attracted
attention; but in 1885, when Boots an
7 Saddles" was issued by Harper and Brother
J Mrs. Custer at once became famous as al
, author This book dedicated as it was, st
my husband the echo of whose voice ha
, been my inspiration" while every page O
, it extolled the manly virtues, the soldierl
, qualities and the bright happy side of Gen
, eral Custer, at the same time covered
: phase Of life on the frontier Of which tn
world in general knew little, and the at
4 tractive style of the author won for it tire
, mendous sale. "Tenting on the Plains
and Following the Guidon," later work
, of Mrs. Custer, have also been widely por
, ular, and the gifted author is now able I
/, dictate her own terms to her publishers
, For the past few years she has been il
great demand as a lecturer, and the Bethan
ladies are to be congratulated on securing