The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-08-07

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last fall, on the invitation OF Hon. II, w.
Fisk, the newly elected president, the league
voted to meet at the pleasant island home
of Mr.. Fisk, on Isle La Motto, some time in
the months of July or August, for mid
summer meeting. This occurred last Thurs
day, and the company, numbering about
800, included larger number OF the officials
and prominent citizens OF Vermont than has
been seen together for many day. Among
them were Governor Woodbury., Lieutenant
Governor Mansur, Senator Proctor, Con.
gressmen Grout and Powers, ex-senator
Edmunds, Ex-Governor Barstow, ex-Gov-
ernor Stewart, Ex-Governor Page, President
Buckham, Mayor Van Patten, Colonel f. d.
Proctor, General j. ]. Estey, Captain III. e
Tntherly, Colonel II. W. Allen, Colonel II.
w. Wall, Colonel Il. j. Coffey, General T.
S. Peck, Judge r. s. Taft and Hon. Olin
Merrill. Other prominent Vermonters pres
emit were Rowland e. Robinson Of Ferris
burgh; A. s. Clay, DR.. F. @. Kinney and A.
A. Smith Of Greensboro; g. @. Peck Of
Hinesburgh; r. W. Hubbard and f. N.
Keller OF Hyde Park; Hon. B. #. Lincoln
Of Lyndon; DR.. G. w Staples OF Lynd IN
Vile; G. H. Lane and President Ezra Brain
erd OF Middlebury; Thomas Marvin, Lester
II. Greene, A. d. Farwell and L; B. Brooks
OF Montpelier; Hon. Horace W. Bailey Of
Newbury; Colonel e. X. Morse Of Proctor;
Hon. Frank d. White, f. II. Burnhsm,
Fred A. Field, Captain S. f. Burnham and
Egbert G. futile OF Rutland; Edward A.
Sowles, #. G. Smith and W. ID. Chandler OF
St. Adams; w. W. Sprague, L. K. Hazen
and Philip H. Stone Of st. Johnsbury; d.
G. Furman, E. 7. Bradley, w. a. Blake, I'd,
Captain f. j. Hswley and H. Baxter OF
Swanton; Hon. G. ]. Bell Of Walden; G. G.
Warren and DR.. W. III. Giddings of Water
bury; e. Baldwin, Nelson Bailey and II. T.
Baldwin Of Wells River; DR.. r. T. johnson
of West Concord President K. G. Smith,
General Auditor NJ. M. Reynolds and Gen
eral Superintendent f. W. Baldwin of the
Central Vermont railroad; T. M. Deal, SUI
perintendent OF the Missisquoi Valley divis-
han, F. e. Chamberlin, F. W. Smith. j. G.
Leslie, W. B. Fonda and W. T. Smith, with
Colonel L. f. Abbott and H. 8. Bingham of
Bennington, and K. d. Bennett, superin-
tendent Of the Bennington railroad.
The majority Of the party vent Ssd to the
chartered for the day, and the Ave hours on
the lake going and coming were thoroughly
enjoyed. DR.. W. Seward Webb's yacht,
The Elfrida," carried Governor Wood
bury and staff, Senator Proctor and others
the 81. G. L. ;" took President Smith and
party from St. Adams the +" Oliata," j. W.
McGeary and jolly company from Bur-
| lington, and the Lillian " carried a party
from South Hero.
The Reindeer left Burlington shortly
after noon and at three o'clock was moored
| to the landing at Isle La Motto. President
Fisk was at the dock to greet the party and
| escort them to his spacious lawn, where
| dinner was at once served in two large
tents connected. Shattuck's famous fish
| chowder was the first course, and the
| the very best, with service that was ex-
cellent The tables were 80 arranged that
all could hear the bright after-dinner
| speeches that were sure to come.
G. w. Wilds OF Middlebury had charge Of
the post-prandial exercises, aud it was a
| haNt1 hat nat ond
speakers as to who would say the brightest
| things and give the keenest thrusts. While
| the speeches were all Of an informal charac.
| ter and largely humorous in their nature,
| every one called upon was accustomed to
after-dinner speaking, and they surely had
| an appreciative and enthusiastic audience
| on this occasion.
Governor Woodbury. was first called upon.
| He said in part: However great man
may be he enjoys being called 80, and when
our chairman said that you would be ad-
dressed by eminent gentlemen L felt a
thrill of satisfaction. shall not attempt to
| tell fish stories, although ought to be able
| to do 80. My ancestor, John Woodbury. Of
Salem, was the first man to be elected to
| office in this country as constable OF the Bay
Colony, and I have never known anybody
since by the name of Woodbury. who would
| refuse an office But there are no candi-
dates for office at this table. You know
| the aristocrats sit at the head of the table,
and no aristocrat ever held an Office in YER
mont (applause). But seriously, good fish
ing and hunting are valued by our friends
| from the city. II we can preserve the fish
| and game in Vermont it will greatly en-
nance the material interests Of our state.
| Such gatherings as these will prove OF great
benefit to the league, and l trust that the
| interest such meeting will surely awake
| will continue until we have a state un-
equaled in attractions for sportsmen that
will attract people from all parts of the
world"
No speaker was greeted with heartier
round OF applause than was ex-senator Ed
and talking about it. and fun in having
fishing organizations, but beyond all that,
and beyond all the material advantage to a
state as favorably situated as Vermont is,
may be mentioned the educational part of
fishing and hunting as intelligent and re-
spectacle people do. 1t brings us into inter-
course with our mother Nature. There are
the water and rocks and trees and skies
everywhere, and no man has so fine an op-
portunity to study out what the whole Life
| of nature is as he who devotes some of his
time to following the woods and water.
am fond of fishing. like to make good
string and tell good story. But the real
pleasure of all these sports and rests is that
| they bring US into communion with what
tends to make men better"
| Senator Proctor was asked to tell the
| greatest nsh story on record. be begun by
saying that the large black bass strung
around the tent were but little minnows as
compared with those that he had caught in
Vermont brooks during his lifetime. He
referred to his appreciation Of the work the
league was doing-work Of an educational
nature-and he hoped this campaign of ed
| ucation would continue.
| Congressman Circuit was compared by the
POSTMASTER to George Washington, because
he could not tell lie. General Grout said
one thing that induced him to come was to
see how the members Of the league would
act when surrounded by water. He had
brought his rod along and proposed to learn
how to fish before he left the island.
| Congressman Powers said that since the
six-inch law went into effect he had been
driven out Of the fishing business. He had
not come as a fisherman, but to see and get
acquainted with the sturdy people Of Grand
Isle county, to whose excellence of char.
acter, their appreciation OF education and
their sterling worth, he paid a glowing
| tribute.
Ex Governor Stewart told a story OF an
experience he had, while fishing in the adj
jacent waters, that brought forth round of
applause. He also eulogized the simple