Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-05-13
THE STATE.
ITEMS GATHERED HERE AND THERE
FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Montpelier devoted Monday afternoon
and evening to a monster celebration of
Dewey's victory. Never in the history
of the capital of Vermont were the
decorations so elaborate and general.
Fully 10000 strangers were in the city,
and every railway and means of convey
ance taxed to its utmost to accommodate
the people wishing to take part in the
celebration. a mass meeting was held
in the afternoon at armory hall, which
was attended by 2000 people. Mayor
Senter presided and brief addresses were
made. In the evening there was a
monster parade, made up of bicycle
riders, cavalry, bands, the various or
CARNATIONS of the city, floats represent
ing the different industries and 1900
torches. The committee had provided
$1,000 worth of fireworks, which were
burned along the route of the procession.
Charles Dewey, brother of the admiral
cabled him that evening telling him what
his native city is doing in his honor.
A letter received dated April Is states
that the Bellows Falls gold diggers,
Messrs. Thompson, Roland and King, are
at Lake Bennett They first went to
Skaguay and from there over the White
Pass to the lake region beyond. At
Skaguay they own an interest in a
wharf and at Lake Bennett are building
flat-bottomed boat on which they eX-
pected to float 2500 or 1000 tons of
freight down to the Yukon river and to
Dawson City. They expect to start
during the latter part of May and a
large percentage of the freight will be
owned by other parties, on which the
boat owners expect to realie 20 to 30
cents per pound for freight. The Bel
lows Falls contingent have full years
supply of provisions and report that they
are well and enjoying their experience.
George w. Jackman of Bridgeport,
Conn, and Hon. NJ. L. Hewitt of Mon
tana, have been In IStockbridge for the
past week looking over the quartz and
placer mining. Mr.. Hewitt is considered
in Montana as one of the best experts in
the State. He is highly pleased with the
Vermont properties, and believes that
the Stockbridge gold fields will compare
very favorably with some of the best
paying mines in Montana. Money and
energy is all that is necessary, and the
day is not far distant when the Vermont
gold mines will be noted for their large
productions. While Messrs. Jackman
and Hewitt were at the mines gold was
taken out in good quantities and they re-
port seeing hundreds of tons of ore in
sight
A most interesting and valuable his
torical article was prepared and read by
Judge Taft before the Antiquarian sOci-
ETY. last week, relating to the very earli-
est settlement of what is now Burling-
ton. The first white man who ever
permanently located here was Felix
Powell, who came from Manchester, this
state, in l774 and settled on Appletree
Point. He sold out about three years
later and returned to that town. The
first census was taken in l70l, when
there were three colored men there.
The first merchant in Burlington was
John Grant, who operated store in
1888 near the present foot of College
street.
Secretary of State Brownel receiv-
ed at his Burlington office a letter
from the adjutant-general of the state
of Maine requesting that the secre-
tary send to his Office copies of such laws
as were passed at the special session of
the legislature, as far as they relate to
military laws, or as they touch upon any
branch of military legislation which may
be enacted during the present crisis.
This is an honor indeed, for Maine is to
have special session of the legislature
| for war purposes, and compliments Yer
mont by asking her method of pro-
cedure
Calvin Morse of West Fairlee Center
has caught and killed 10 hedgehogs in
ground. S. G. Melendy of the same
place has been troubled of late by foxes
taking his hens. He set "A trap on top of
hollow stump and dropped dead hen
into the hollow as a bait. The fox
smelled the game and jumped from the
ground into the trap, where Mr. Melendy
found it. Soon after he found the fox
den from which he took four live cubs.
Lieut.. E. j. Straton of Company X,
Vermont National Guard, returned from
Camp Olympia Tuesday afternoon with
"a men who were thrown out in the tx
aminations. He was the only commits
stoned officer that passed. He comes
back to enlist 20 men to fill the COM
pany, and has already opened recruit
ing office. He has no doubt but that he
will secure that number of men within a
few days. Reports this evening are to
the effect that Capt. Burnham will be
passed, as the company desire him to go
with 1t.
Frank A. Walker of Ludlow has been
appointed by the governor as Judge of
probate for the district of Windsor to fill
the vacancy caused by the resignation of
Hugh Henry. Mr.. Walker is son of
the late William A. Walker and was
born in Londonderry, March 7, 1860,
and was educated in the Black River
Academy and at Middlebury college.