The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-01-30
NOrfhIiald.


better This is gratifying news to his many
friends.
The ladies' of the Methodist church con-
template holding an art exhibit and sale
some time iu the early part Of February.
II you have an idea that it was cold here
two weeks ago, how would you like to be In
Alaska, at DawsOu City, for instance,
where, the mercury Registered sixty
eight below zero January 16 Worse than
this Is the news from Forty Mile station
where on the me day the mercury
registered seventy.eight below. Til Is the
coolest weather recorded since white men
inhabited that country.
This column is not supposed to be devot
ed to book reviews and it will have to be
good book that here receives any mention.
Such book is THE Heart Of the Ancient
Wood II you have not read it you have
missed one of the best books that Is now
before the reading public, Some one has
said of 1t, "Thi. book stands alone-it is
like no other. The talking beasts of the
wondrous Jungle Fables are fabulous.
The thinking wild animals that Ernest Sc
ton Thompson has knowu are character stud
les. But Mr.. Roberts knows the wood with
unmistaking and loving intimacg, and his
imagination walks with convincing Ger aim
ty. There is not false note in IT from cover
to cover aud II you read it once 20 will
twice. Charles g. ID. Roberts wrote the
book.
f. l.. Temple. landscape gardner of Bos-
ton, who has a summer home in Westmn-
lister, appeared before the Ladies' Reading
Circle in the afternoon and before the Con-
vocational Club on Monday evening and
gave very interesting and entertaining
talk on the best way to beautify village or
ones own grounds. He said in part: THE
taste for beautiful home ground is now 80
highly developed that good house in
good neighborhood, with implanted or
poorly planted grounds, is apt to create
suspicion that the owner has not enough Of
the love OF Nature Any house lot that has
an open snace for grass and shrubbery of
fifteen or twenty feet, from the house to the
fences can be greatly improved in appear
anCe by judiciOus arrangement of q little
shrubbery and at trifiing expense. We
are now trying to bring our private grounds
aud our public parks into the most beauti-
full and restful condition possible to the
skill Of the present day. The amount OF
progress made in this direction in the past
dozen years, ii measured by tangible re-
suits, must be admitted by all to be remark
able and the education OF our young peo-
pie to see the beauties of Nature will show
itself during the next few years in q still
more rapid multiplication of we'll arranged
grounds, both public and private. The
actual cost OF creating beautiful grounds,
on side of any expense Of grading, is quite
small, and the cost OF keeping grounds in
order, when planted in the modern land
scape way, is very little greater than the
same space would cost we're it all plain
grass
1.-The work ought to be begun on the pub
lie grounds, for instance, the village park;
the grounds surrounding the graded school
building; the University grounds and the
parks in font of the several churches. By
beginning with these the petty jeslousies
incident to private ground planting are
avoided and the best interests of the public
are subserved. Then there comes the
chance for work on private grounds, and
this village offers many opportunities for
beautiful grounds. The village park for a
very small sum comparatively, could be
made into veritable flower garden, filled
with beautiful hardy Towering shrubs and
plants, which would be in blossom from
early spring until late autumn, aud which
would require no special care in the winter,
Careful arrangement OF flowers and shrubs
in this park would make it an object OF
beauty which woul' be seen by every per-
son passing through the town, and would add
not little to the good name and attractive
ness of an already attractive village. The
graded school grounds afford an excellent
opportunity for landscape gardening; the
lodges which now seem to mar the scenery
can easily be made part OF very fine plot
of ground, and the love of nature is I'M
consciously absorbed by children when
beautiful scenery surrounds. Some modest
clumps Of shrubs and plants placed with
good judgment in the church yards of the
village will help to add to the uniform
beauty OF the place"
Every one who heard Mr.. Temple realizes
every word he said about his art was worth
listening to and the interest aroused in this
subject must certainly bear fruit in the
coming year. OF course it will cost some-
thing to start these improvements, hut it is
money well invested when persons are at
tracted to the place because Of its neat and
tidy appearance. Real estate in Mortified
is worth almost fifty per cent more today
than II was ten years ago Houses that
would sell ten years ago for $780, possibly,
are hard to find for $500 today. And the
ratio holds good proportiopately in the
price of other houses. We have right to
be proud of the appearance OF our village
and we ought to take every chance to furth-
or beautify it.
Prof. @. G. Brill, Mrs. George II. Rich
mond Mrs. Eunice Pratt and several 9TH
ers ase still i'll and those reported last week
are on the road to recovery.
Tailored dress skirts at less than half
price at Homer Fits Barre.
The members OF the Conversational Club
propose to properly celebrate the one hun
dredth anniversary of Chief Justice Mar
shall's accession to the United States Su-
preme Bench next Monday evening. 1t
Will 10 lhultS ulRub WIFI Jub CluD huu Olu-
or invited guests will be presen and ap.
propriate exercises will be pres nted.
Those soldiers Of the First Vermont Vol
unteer Infantry OF the Spanish-American
war whose claims for expenses OF sickness
were allowed under the provisions Of ACT
number Of the acts of 1898. to the amount
of 800, are entitled to receive reimburse
ments from the State treasurer for such
| amount in excess of $780, as may be con
tinuous part OF the expense for the same
sickness covered by the original claim al
ready allowed.
f. l., Temple gave short talk at the
school house on Tuesday morning.
The next number of the lecture course
February 18. Those who remember the
concert given by the Stephenson Quartettt
| last year will not fail to be present thi
year, and anyone who knows good thing
| ought to be present TO hear this concert
Thus far the financial end OF the lecture
course has just about held its own and W Il
such support as has been given the commit
tee. Thus far they have no reason 10 fee
that their efforts are not appreciated bu
rather the opposite. Keep 1t up and we Cal
have still higher class OF entertainment
next year
The directors of the High school held
meeting Tuesday evening att III. Talbot