The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-03-13
Be Alive, MOntpelIerl

Editor of Watchmdn:--Ilwas glad to see my
old friend and fellow.worker, "Pro Bono
Publico," emerging from his retir ement and
raising his voice for the public good of this
community. l am, perhaps, somewhat
more Representatives character than my
friend if he will allow me to say this, but
/ do not mean that l am wiser. He is
judicial as we'll philosophical. L am a sort
of mouthpiece Of the crowd; and this gives
me opportunity to remark in passing that the
crowd is with Pro Bono Publico" in his
ideas and counsels in this matter of the pub
lie library and the art gallery. He has
pitched the right tune, and the people are
singing up to the pitch. If any one is sing
ing out of tune, his voice doesn't count in
the great volume Of harmony. The stock
holders OF the Montpelier Public Library
are, however, but small section of the peo
pie. 1t will be for them to say whether or
not Mr.. Woods noble offer shall be ac-
cepted. They are a public spirited body of
men and women, and the proportion Of
those in favor of the great artists PROPOSE
ton ought to be as large in this select frag-
ment of the public as in the great public Of
which it forms part, and believe it is.
l am as near omnipresent as anything
mort Al can be. l am in all parts of YER
mont and the country, and when 1 go to
Burlington for example, and a man OF the
"Queen City " says to me, Don't you peo-
pie up in the " Hamlet" know good thing
when you see it?" 1 answer, 4" We gener-
ally do, but what are you driving at?"
Why, see by the papers that Tom Wood
has made you an offer of splendid lot Of
pictures, and some one has offered to put
up a building for picture gallery and for
the Y. NJ. G. A., If your library will join the
combination L judge, from what | read
and hear, that some one is kicking. Now, if
Mr.. Wood will make his offer to Buring-
gather it in, and we will be mighty unani-
nous and hearty about it, you bet Look at
tina handsome building up there, corner of
Church and College streets. That's our Y
M. G. A. building. The capital of the state
ought to have such society in such build
ing. You've got the society, aud the build
ing is offered you with an art gallery thrown
in. My advice is to take up the offer while
it is hot. If you letithat go by, you ought to
lose the state house" Well, that is what
got in Burlington. My friend was rather
unconventional in his remarks, but had to
admit the force of all he said.
Down in Boston the other day an old
Montpelierite said to me: "Tell Montpelier
people to get together and accept that offer
of pictures Why, do you know Boston
would go wild over the chance to add Mr..
Woods paintings to her art collections?
SHALL be ashamed of my native town If she
declines Mr.. Woods gift" Professor Bur
ge IS has told us what some of the art treas
ures are and limited at the attractiveness of
the remainder of the collection. IL appears
TO be Gel tain that these pictures Will become
the nucleus of a collection that will gain in
numbers, value and attractiveness from
year to year. My Burlington friend is
about right. Montpelier ought to lose the
state house il she lets slip this splendid OPP
portunity to add to the attractions of the
state capital, by which the state at large is
apt to be judged, know l am the "voice
of the people" in my endorsement of Pro
Bono Publico's " article and in the express
sion of the hope that the Montpelier Public
Library will accept Mr.. Woods offer as it
is made. VoX PoPULI