The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-02

General Secretary Merrill OF the Y. M. @.
A, who recently took that Office In the
local association, Is making cOmmendable
effort to increase the membership. The
price IL So per year With the consent OF
the directors he has arranged that admis-
sion may he had by paying 81 down, the
balance being allowed to remain until Feb.
ruary LIST. The association IL equipped in
first class shape. 1t has all the necessary
appliances for developing a young man
morally, mentally aud physically. Hr.
Merrill is fiue Christian gentleman, safe
leader for young men and boys He s q
competent instructor in the gymnasium,
His counsel on all matters can be relied
upon to be Of the safe, healthy sort. The
question is-do the citizens of Montpelier
care to maintain such an institution Is IL
worthy OF patronage? Will it help to de-
velop into better, stronger men the boys
who need thrown ound them every infiu-
ence that Ia calculated to guard them
| against vice. and lead them to possess Wig
orous, manly characters? II the Y. M. 9. A.
in ,his city possesses any influences along
| these lines let its general secretary, as its
chief representative have the support that
he and his institution merit.
THE capacity of the spacious executive
mansion was taxed to its utmost W eduesday
| when the second Wedne sday afternoon re-
ctp'ion WAS given by Governor and Mrs
| Smith. A large number Of the wives of the
mem bers of the Legislature and State officers
who are spending the week in town, en-
| braced this opportunity to visit the tenn
porary home of the chief executive and &c
| meet his charming and accomplished wife
| AS it's predecessors have been, The affair
was entirely informal in character, and
every one was quickly made to feel ut home
Mrs. Smith was assisted in receiving by
Madame Smith of St. Albans, mother Of
Governor Smith, Mrs. James Of Ogdens
| burg, N, Y Mrs, N. w. Fisk of Isle La
Motto and Miss Annette Upham OF Moutpe.
lier. Refreshments were served, aud The
| brilliantly lighted parlors were in pleasant
contrast to the storm and gloom Inside
These Wednesday afternoon receptions are
increasing in popularity, both among the
| ladies OF Montpelier and vicinity, aud those
from more distant parts of the State. they
are distinct and pleasant feature Of soca
| life At the Capital during the session of the
| Legislature that evoke the thanks of al
who attend toward their promoters, and
that will be sincerely missed when the seas
! on is over
1T il a source OF gratitica'on TO know
| that Health Officer DIR GoOdale reports the
city free from contagious disc aces and MOI
| an unusual amount of sickness of any sort
! There are some isolated cases of typhoid
| fever but no more tia1 usual for this time
| Of the year. On the whole, the officer re-
| ports the condition of affairs in this respect
"a being normal And bye the bye did
the average citizen ever stop to consider
what a poorly paid officer the health
officer is? He gets for his service, asi de
from making inspections of premises OF
| places OF nuisance, whatever the city coun
Gil may see fit to allow him. Supposiul
the council allows him fifty cents an houl
for his clerical work, which would be small
pay for ply scan, aud that during hours
work he has for any reason to mail 10(
notices to PARTIES asking them to comply
with a certain ordnance? Well, what
then? Well, sixty-tive per cent of these
men believe the officer to be responsible
for having sent the notice and they file into
his Office forthwith and demand an explain
alton, and OF course anyone AZ humane as
DR.. Goodale is, would not think of turning
a man from his Office without first elucid
ating. Allowing that he governs his temper
while the visitor makes duck tracks on his
Office floor, he will spend an average OF
ten minutes to a man, and that means a
days work or days pay gone for the
good of humanity. The next morning ht
hires man to sconr out his office, which il
more humanitarian evidence. It's not sc
wonderful after all that a health officer
should cry out at times, as he goes into al
sorts OF dens, dives aud diseases and probes
into the most putrid piles of pulpish filth
and rot: "Who shall deliver me from this
bondage Of (fnsncia) death?"