Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-09-30

as restful as ever He can get all kinds
of rest there. In fact, there is not
much else to be found in the town, cX-
cept the legislature, and that is in
session for only brief period once in
two years.
Picture to yourself a town of n single
street and that street following with
faithfulneSs the windingS of little
river. The valley widenS in the center
of the town, and a second street
crosses the first. Back of the river
street a few blocks of dwellings are
terraCCd up the hillside.
That is all there is of Montpelier,
capital of the Green Mountain State. 1t
would seem that nature sought to re-
claim it, for lofty and ancient elms
shadow the houses, and giant syca-
mores rival in the notified silver of
their trunks the pattern of light and
dark thrown by their branching foliage
upon the highway under them.
The primeval forest has yielded here
a space with reluctance. The town,
you would say, IS in part n grove and
in part community. Overhead in the
tree thatch you hear at intervals voices
from the wild community of feathered
creatures that ignore the rooftrees ris-
ing about them.
Whatever may come, it is hard to
imagine that the serenity of the little
town should be disturbed. 1t seems not
only an observatory of the elements,
but passive spectator of human af-
fairs.
1t seems so because to its mountain
isolation is added the imperturbability
OF its local character. And yet it is only
seeming, for the storms of events
have ragged around it and swept
through it with a century's iteration
Hostile French and Indian parties
made the WinOoski valley a marching
trail in their forays upon the English
settlements.
From those mountains was dealt the
first great blow for freedom when the
clash of arms came in the Revolution,
and the statue of Ethan Allen stands
to this day in the porch of the capitol
Out of this same town almost every
one who could shoulder Il rifle marched
to the defense of the Union. and gen
GRAFTON afterward the voice of it's
greatest son was heard on the other
side of the world evoking from the
smoke of sinking fleet with the vast
incantation of cannon the genius of a
new empire.
All of these events it saw, and part
of them it was, but the village sleeps
on md
you would say it Is but n watchtOwer
on the hills, overlooking things that do
not concern it very much.
| suppose the native town of George
Dewey is really proud of him, but it is
that self contained and stubborn pride
that will not go much beyond the
avOWal that he had fulfilled the ira
ditions of his community. The memory
Of black eyed, bright faced boy is
dear to its streets but it must be said
that it is the fainteSt sort of memory
That is the pathetic shadow that
must cross the recollectiOns of any
man no longer young who has gone out
from his native town in youth and has
not come back again. To any one out
side the sweet faced, dark eyed young
er sister in Montpelier and the two
gray haired elder brothers Admiral
Dewey is now little more than IL name,
although majestic one.
But they are anxious to see him re
turn. In Il digniiicd way the people
of the town and state will welcome the
hero of Manila Bay quite heartily.
The governor and the legislature will
greet him with speeches and resolu-
tions, and they will set up his statue
opposite that Of Ethan Allen. Then
they will let him rest at his ease, this
great admiral whose work is done.