St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-11-06
Two Wears After.
Will Carleton on Montpelier and Ad
miraI Dewey.

Will Cartoons magazine, the poet
writes of his visits to Montpelier and
incidentally makes some trite comments
on the case oil Native State VS.. Admiral
Dewey. The letter was written at Mont
pelier during Mr.. Cartoons recent lee
ture tour.
Again in this handsome little toy CAPT
| tal-which always somehow reminds me
of a village playing Washington, D. c
1t is when couchant, one OF the most
delicious of bailwicks, and the quintes-
sence of Yankee thrift and repose com
bined. l want to see it sometime when
it is rampant, with farmers, country
lawyers and village storekeepers all
gathered from the neighboring hills and
passing and proposing all sorts of bills
and legislating for the common veal and
woe.
First time l ever saw New England
some years ago-I dropped out OF
sleeping-car that had been coming all
night from the west-into Montl elier. |
was just off the gigantic prairie-checker-
boards of Illinois and lowa-where l
had been wandering up and down for
many weeks-trying to make the lecture
field blossom, financially, as the rose;
and the beautiful hills were like sweet
dreams OF a morning slumber, after the
halt wakefulness of the wide, monotou-
Gus prairles,
The change was almost disastrously
restful it seemed TO me as if l leaned my
soul up against the mountains, and
could not get it away. l wanted to live
in Montpelier the remainder of my life.
Even folks on the streets had a triendli-
ness of manner toward the stranger in
| their midst, that was wholesomey fas-
cnating. An old man had found some
thing in paper that amused him be.
| You'd repression, and held me up to ge
me to laugh with him about it. A
schooboy told where the best book
store was, went with me all the way and
Experimentation concerning his stud
! les as we walked along. Even one
of the hotel clerks smiled.
The book store was full of Vermont:
John G. SAKE had his own shelf, Charles
G. Eastman's poems were in evidence,
and Judge Thompson smiled out OF
Locke Amsden," and The Green
Mountain Boys" The book seller was
book reader, and had the literature of
the whole state at his tongue end. Toe
capitol looked like beautiful playhouse
amid the leViathan architecture Of the
hills, and teemed with pictures of Yer
monters, and the things they had done
| and possessed.
When two years ago, went to Mont
peler again, the little city was rejoicing
that one of its mount aineer boys had
made himself hero OF the ocean. Dewey
had come home, and was being more
than lionzed-elepha observation-disclosures
There was nothing he could not have had
that day, as he stood on the reviewing
stand, and carefully lifted his god-laced
admirals hat to various sections OF the
long procession as it passed slowly by.
Politicians we're hanging around by the
score, slyly beseechipg him to become a
presidential possibility. His very birth
house was being sold pjecemeal by a
thrifty Yankee, at fifteen cents per shaw
ing. The only place where he ever was
thrashed-the schoohouse--was visited
by thousands. The governor of the COM
monweaIth, whom fate had had no diff.
Guilty heretofore in concealing by nam.
ing him Smith, ostentatiously pinned a
medal or something among his other
decorations. A gee-club sang its best
coon song. A bonfire of unprecedented
stature, made by adult boys, blazed at
night on the nearest adjacent hill. Pyro-
technics good enough for Christmas eve
at St. Peters concluded the ceremonies
and Dewey was allowed to go on-in his
own hired private car-having first given
a promise to return in month or two.
But he has never come-and it is not
known when he will. Since the most
disastrous putting ofproperty, out-ot
hands on record, he has Stunned his ma
tive town as if it contained pestilence,
instead OF the best air that can be made
Even when death beckoned him to come
and help mould the new.made tomb OF a
brother-he still stayed away. His
sometime neighbors asked him to join
them in the exercises of "Old Home
Week, and Captain Clark of the Oregon
also Montpeleran, tried to get him
here; but even if he would have come OF
his own accord, the project was vetoed
in his own household.
This stoo bad for the people of Dewey S
hiNANN tO"l ilC SLlll plOlu VI Ills SI duU
success at Manila, although the glamor
has vanished from him as if he had beer
rubbed against ledge OF granite and
then sandpapered. 1t is only that the
people have found out that they raised e
very brave and clever man here-and not
little god.
At Mortified Seminary, a few mile.
south OF his own school, saw him two
years ago lay the corner stone of Dewey
Hall'-which it was expected nigh
spring up as if by magic with the money
that would pour in Only the founda
tons have been constructed, up to thi.
time, and the cornerstone has beer
moved to another part OF the site. Ever
there, they told me yesterday that Dewey
stock was way below par" The only
trophy seems to be cannon-not from
Manila, but Santiago; one of the guns o
the demolished Vizcaya. But the AID
miral's brave deeds will be remembered
long after his silly ones are forgotten
He will some day be known, only as tn
hero of Manila, and have the statue b
coveted i'll the portico OF the state house
| beside that Of Ethan Allen. Nobod,
=. thinks any less now of Wellington be
cause mobs stoned his house while h
, was still in it.