The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-26

staff Is concerned. His action will meet
the general and hearty approval Now, we
hope that he will use his influence in the
direction OF eliminating the unbusinesslike
features of our annual militia encampment
The muster ought to be a military affair
and not picnic"
Well, there isn't any present assurance
that there will ever again be. either a picnic
or a muster. The military legislation soon
to come will determine the future martial
course OF the State.
From Commissioners Titcomb's records 1
find that up to Wednesday SO deer have
been reported as having been killed in the
State thus far this month. The towns in
which the killing took place are Roxbury,
Canaan, Pittsford, Royalton, Lincoln, Lynn
don, Windham, Woodford, Norton, Chit
tendep, Hancock, Somerset, Searsburg,
Stratton, Rochester, Morgan, CRANKY, Ches'
ter, Huntington, Concord, Westmore; one
in each OF the above towns. In Woodford,
burne, in Mendon, 3; in Stockbridge, 2;
in Shrewsbury, 7; in Bridgewater, q West
more, 2.
The largest was killed in woodford, and
weighed 450 lbs One was found dead in
the woods in Plymouth, having been shot
by unknown hunters. One shot by an I'M
known party and sold by him was without
horns and illegal.
1t will be seen by the above that Wind
sor and not Essex county is by far the ban
ner deer county, the town OF Plymouth
leading off with nine.
The contest over the State superintend-
eAcy turned out to be an instance where
rolling Stone gathered some moss In spite
OF a vigorous Hit.
House bill No. 90 provides for the closing
OF the small feeding brooks to our trout
streams to thus establish natural breeding
preserves for keeping the main streams
stocked, and to that extent is in line with
Il nf thn Hah and
commissioners. The bill is very loosely
drafted however and it is doubtful II it
could ever be enforced. 1t is understood
that Commissioner Titcomb is working on
bill which he will request the joint COM
mttee on fish and game to consider as a
substitute for the above measure. 1t will
leave the question of closing streams sub
ject to popular vote in each community
where such legislation is needed or has
provisions accomplishing the same idea.
Public sentimentin each community must
be back of this class of legislation in order
to have it enforced,
Chaplain Fuller OF the House tells good
story of an incident in his early ministry
which bears on the value of brief prayers.
The chaplain says one Of his Pensioners
who was in the habit of petitioning the AL
mighty to the extent of from thirty minutes
to an hour has subsidized at an evening meet
ing after taxing the patience of his hearers
to the utmost, whereupon a party present
noted for his eccentricites bobbed up and
said: "Oh Lord we know that Thou dost
not hear much speaking" and dropped into
his seat. The point thus presented appears
to have found permanent Judgement in the
mind Of the chaplain, and his prayers are
models Of concise expression.
After the administration of the oath on
| Friday to Representative Flint OF Middle
sex misrepresentation Daniels, who had just
been unseated, went to Mr.. Flint and
gracefully escorted him to the seat just va
Gated. Then followed introductions to
nearby members and the leave taking by
Mr.. Daniels. Representative Flint recip-
rocated the courtesy at the afternoon ses-
sion by introducing joint resolution to
pay Mr.. Daniels his salary and mileage to
date. Thus we see the pleasant end of a
most unpleasant episode, and all's well
that ends well.
The publisher of the Hdrd,oick Gazette, a
paper issued in the town of that name,
is informed that this paper cannot properly
take umbrage" or pleasure or anything
else because of ANYTHING its management
may see fit to say. Hunting sand 1eas with
gun is both Improbable and ridiculous.
The esteemed Woodstock Standard, a
| paper in which chronic dyspepsia is 80
marked as to cause the horn buttons on the
| EDITORS coat to turn green with bile, is ex.
tremely dissatisfied with the legislative
conduct of this paper And yet, an occa-
| SlUudi CltlZtn QucbllOuS Iho ubCcbSlby VI b
archaeological laboratory! This microbe
should certainly be analysed; it may be
| contagious.
Apropos OF the visit OF the schools of st.
| Adams and Jacksonville here Friday, it
| is in line to again remark that more Of value
from an educational point of view can be
| learned from a days inspection of theLegis.
| lature in session than in a weeks routine
attendance at school, The system of gov
eminent as seen in practical operation at
Montpelier once in two years is lesson
which cannot always be given, and every
school which can reach the Capitol during
session should arrange to avail themselves
of the valuable opportunity.
Deer Expert w. e. Mack Of Woodstock
writes the Standard of that place as follows:
Some papers have printed articles claim
| ing that terrible slaughter was going on
among the deer. The writer's Of these srti-
Giles know absolutely nothing Of the subject
| they were writing about. The number of
deer killed thus far is small indeed COM
pared to the number still in the for
ests. The number Of bucks killed, up to
a certain limit, will only increase the num-
Der Of fawns which will be dropped next
spring. The Green Mountains make ideal
homes for deer. They are 80 thickly COW
cred with bushes and fallen trees that the
| number of deer cannot be perceptibly de-
creased by still-hunting. The deer are In
creasing rapidly and occupying more and
more territory.
Why then repeal the present law? To do
30 would be extremely unwise, since ma
jority Of the people living in the towns most
frequented by deer, are 30 opposed to It's re-
peal. The opposition of these people is
based upon the fact that the deer are be.
coming nuisance. Every year they dam
age more or less Of the farmers crops.
Many instances of this have been called to
my attention. l will only mention few
Warner Bates of Sherburne lost his entire
crop of cattle beets this year by deer. e. D.
Bridgewater had his beans destroyed,
Luther West OF Bridgewater had his oats
partially destroyed, and portion of the
barley field of Mr.. Messer of Plymouth was
entirely ruined. Now II the present law il
repealed and deer protected the farmers
will protect their crops. The result of this
will be the destruction OF more or less does
aud fawns.
The embryotic proposition for State
testimonial to the Vermont soldiers in the
Spanish war was reduced to concrete
fact yesterday by the bill OF Mr.. Richardson
of st. Albans which requires the governor
and adjutant and inspector general to
cause to be engraved a suitable testimonial
or medal for the survivors or their relatives
No expense is to be incurred under the
act, unless authorized by the governor
4.