The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-28
The PrOwler.

VERMONT is grand old state, Montpelier
, a beautiful city, and the Providers home
pleasantly located therein. Yet, neither
the lingering autumn glories of the vista of
trees, down which he looks as he writes.
nor the memory of the inspiring anthem
sung by summers choir Of mount ain peaks,
can entirely Oblterate a slight feeling of
discomfort from his mind 1t il the discon-
tent Of one who looks forward fearfully TO
the usual long winter. To purchase the
pleasures OF a brief summer by the endur-
ance of never-ending winter seems Of
questionable advantage.
THAT the Green Mountain State should
experience serious difficulty in keeping its
mountains really green during sufficient
part OF the year for person TO get snap
shot at them with camera, or to run
around to the house to get his family to
| look at them, seems really unfortunate
One can, II obliged, settle into sem-dor-
mant condition and make up ones mind to
| the endurance of a six-months winter but
| when, after his lease has expired, Winter
persists in holding the stage, way along past
| May-hower time, forcing upon ones mind
every year the conviction that the Fourth
! OF July will have to be celebrated by "A
IL" ater-party and segh-ride, the monot-
ony OF the situation becomes painful.
THOSE, however, to whom the pleasures
vi Winter appear as keenly as they did to
| the man who had only one fault to find
| with Vermont weather, and that was that
for two months in the year you had to 90
around on wheels" will not sympathize
with the Prowler in his attitude of grieved
reproach. against Dame Nature, but will
vaguely hint at dyspe psia.
COME here, Charley want to show
you something" The rugged, gray bearded
man, rs he spoke, took his younger friend
by The arm and led him to one OF the cases
in the lobby Of the House where rest
the veteran battle-fiags which lent inspira.
ago. There" said the elder man, with a
touch of loving pride in his voice, "there is
the flag which followed through the war"
1t was a shattered remnant, torn by the
shot and shell which had spared this man,
see that the veteran felt as one might feel
standing before the grave of Lincoln.
THAT ive-dollar-a-minute" item of
Governor CIRCUITS message has reused the
press of the state to a demand for steady
work and few vacations on the part OF the
legislature. OF course it is realized that IL
takes time to get the actual business of the
session into compact form. While this is
being done-if IL is done with due dis
patch-Vermont waits patiently. Yet it
would certainly seem as II, after two-weeks'
introduction of "a bill to prevent fishing in
Tickleneck (?) pond" and a motion to ad-
journ, might occupy the House.
A VERY enjoyable little oratorical
"spurt" accompanied the nomination last
week, of Hon. Justin s. Morrill, to sue
coed himself as United States senator from
| Vermont The gentleman who made the
nominating speech detracted from the
effect of good production by reading it
| from manuscript. 1t is uni yersally true of
public performers, from ministers to
mountebanks,. that If speaker destroys
the illusion of direct extemporaneous com.
munication with his audience, ne mars ex-
ceedingly the effect of his speech. The APP
parently unstudied speeches of Messrs.
Palmer, Childs, Hoskins and Bates, in sec
ondng the nomination Of Mr.. Morrill, were
very happily turned. The seventeen demo-
cratic members of the House, while &C
knowledging Mr.. Morrll's pre- eminent
worth and ability, yet, with what one can
not help regarding az an exhibition of surli.
ness, preferred casting seventeen useless
votes TO honoring our UNIVERSAL y-res pected
senator with unanimous reelection
THE number of "annual meetings " and
"reuuions" occurring in Montpelier this
fall is remarkable. They seem to be
tracted by the legislative session as needles
are by magnet One dares not wander
through any public building row. He
| opens a door to the left. Young man,
clear out This is the annual meeting of the
Association for Furnishing Chewing Gum
and Rubber Boots TO the Cuban Patriots"
He crosses the hall and opens another door.
" Sir, you are interrupting the proceedings
OF the Vermont branch Of the Independent
Corn Dodgers" He PUSHES frantically out
of the building, hearing as he passes an
| open door, "Gentlemen of the Rubberne X
Chapter of American Dewdrops, you will
come to order"
Now this is hard on ones nerves. Be-
! sides, this extraordinary influx of visitors
congests the house-room of the city. The
Prowler ought to know; for his own once
peaceful home has been invaded by stran-
gers, and he is sleeping on the dining room
table with heartfelt gratitude for that privi-
lege. We now entertain callers in the
wood-shed, with occasional admission to
the kitchen for those whom we delight to
honor.
ECONOMY in both public and private affairs,
is unqualhedly praiseworthy; but, when it
assumes the appearance of parsmony,
nothing can be more repugnant to right
minded people. A bill recently introduced
in the House Is the product either of this
latter quality or OF poor judgment. A de-
sire to economZe in state expenses can find
a proper and legitimate channel, but when
1t seeks TO lower the compensation for what
should be expert work to point where an
expert cannot afford to do the work its
effect must be deleterious to state interests.
THE PRowLER walked from the Wells
River station toward State street the other
morning, Immediately behind a couple of
gentlemen, intelligent and refined in APP
pearance. Suddenly one of them exclaimed:
Well, WE'LL II there isn't Bryan and
Sewall flag! What can that be doing here?"
The Prowler was rude enough to remark:
THAT flag, sir, was raised at the wish of
nearly half a-dozen citizens of Montpelier"
In response to this gentleman number two
made the remark that he admired their
courage" Then, Just as the Prowler,
thinking he had freed that rare bird a gem