Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-03
NEWS OF VERMONT
IMPROVEMENTS IN STATE CABINET

IMPROVEMENTS IN STATE CABINET
Those who. in times past. have visited
tho State cabinet, at the State House will
appreciate the changes that the curator
Prof. G. II. Perkins, has made both In the
position of the cases themselves and in
the arrangement of the specimens con-
tanned therein. Several new oak cases
have been ordered to make possible the
proper exhibition of specimens that at
present cannot be shown to advantage.
With the new cases added, Prof. Perkins
Is able to promise a worthy showing to
any specimens that may be contributed
to the cabinet and no invites such con-
tributions. in the room containing the
minerals the cases have been SO placed
as to give the maximum Of light on the
specimens 10 increase the light the
wooden panels at the end of the cases
are being replaced by the clearest of
glass. Beautiful specimens of anne
thysts aid others OF the more precious
stones are thus brought into view in all
their beauty and brillancy. For the
benefit of the large number of students
from our public schools, That visit the
cabinet each year for purposes of study,
the curator has arranged a "Synoptical
case" Here one may see illustrated by
actual specimens, the biologic ladder.
From the amoeba, one of the very simp-
lest known forms of animal life up TO
mammals. in all physiological essentials
as highly developed as man, one may
trace the steady rise and evolution of
animal life. Under the old system of
management in the cabinet one was COM
PEELED to search through case after case
Of specimens to find the various steps OF
progression Illustrated The mobilizing
of typical specimans will be hailed with
delight by teachers who desire to supple
ment the work of the textbooks by
nj, ipC nd,
from a scientific point of view, some OF
the specimans are; few people realize
that we have in our cabinet specimen
that Is the only one of its KIND IN the
United States, and with the exception OF
the bones is the only one of its kind on
this continent. The specimen Is tho
skeleton of the fossil whale that occup-
les the long case to the right of the room
containing the minerals.
CELEBRATED 10TH BIRTHDAY.
The one hundredth birthday of Mrs.
Jane Keys of Coventry was celebrated
Friday, Nov. y. A reception was held at
the home of her son, Isaac Keys and a
large number of friends and neighbors
called to pay thir respects to this beauti-
full old lady. For several years the w. &.
L. l.. have observed this day by a visit
to Mrs. Keys and as the years drew near
the one hundredth anniversary plans
were made to observe the day in a snit-
able manner These plans were fully
carried out, and the occasion was most
enjoyable. Sixty people sat down to a
bountiful dinner Those present from a
way were Mrs. Keys two daughters,
Mrs Picket from Montreal and Mrs. Reid
of Chicago: Rev. Earnest NJ Taylor of
Knowlton, p, O., a college chum of late
Judge l.. II. Thompson and an early
friend of the Keys family; Mrs Ida H..
Read, president Of the State w. c. r. u;
Mr.. and Mrs. T. L. Webster of Barton
and Rev. and Mrs. Chase of Newport
Center Greetings were read from the
State w. c. 7. L. and the National
Mrs Keys is the oldest white ribhoner
in the state and there is only one other
as old in the nation. The presents to
Mrs Keys upon this occasion were the
best tokens that w. c. 7. L. women
could devise. Mrs. Jane Scarlet Keys
was born in marlborough. County Cavan,
ireland. Nov. 26 1903. She and her hus-
band came to Montreal in 1s52 with their
family of eight children, and later settled
in Coventry. Vermont. Seventeen years
ago her husband died since which time
she has reside with her youngest son. Mr..
Isaac Keys of Coventry. Though she Is
blind her health is good and her mental
faculties are in good preservation.
HAS SOME ANCIENT RELICS
Daniel II. Bean Of Willtamstown. has
some relics OF great value because of
their antiquity. They consist of large
pewter platter and two pewter plates,
in n fine state of preservation, which
were used in his family in the sixteenth
century. They have Away been in tho
family since that time, descending from
generation to generation these articles
were in the sixteenth century tho property
of Rachel Coleman. whose daughter be-
came the wife Of John Bean and were be
slowed upon the daughter as part of her
marriage portion. The letters X. {. are
on the platter. Mr.. Bean was a Scotch
emigrant and went to the island of Jersey
in the English channel about 1870 ana
later came to America, his wife dying on
the passage These possessions were lett
with her husband and the present owner
is the eleventh generation to inherit them
Mr. Bean also has a Roman coin bearing
the date Of $50 made by hand in the second
year of the reign of Plus Augustus
Emperor of Rome. These articles are
probably the most ancient or any known
to he in existence in the state outside oil
possibly a few possessions of the hlstorl-
cal society.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT CROSSING.
Granville c. Meader of Ryegate was
Montpelier & Wells River railroad at
the crossing west of Boltonville about
1880 yesterday afternoon and was in
jured to such an extent that he died
shortly afterwards. His son was with
him in the team and escaped unhurt
FIGHTING AGAINST TRADING STAMP
There were between So and 40 merchants
present at the meeting of the Rutland
Merchants association which was held
Tuesday evening in odd Fellows hall to
discuss the trading stamp question, or the
giving away of trading stamps with each
purchase The Sperry g. Hutchinson Trad
ing Stamp company of New York city
is endeavoring to introduce trading
stamps in the Rutland stores. and is pre-
pairing to open a store In the Valiquette
block on West street, A small number
of the local merchants have already sign
cd contracts with the company, agreeing
to use its stamps. II these merchants re-
fuse to withdraw, "A meeting OF the re-
manning portion of the merchants will be
held Friday evening. at which time some
decision will be made as to whether they
will go into other trading stamp compan-
les or form local association to be run
under their supervision. In consideration
of the above matter the following reso-
luton was adopted: We, the undersigned
merchants, do hereby agree not to go
into any trading stamp company or asso-
citation for one year from the date. the
agreement to become binding when signed
by all the merchants. The above resolu-
ton was signed by nearly all OF the MEM
bers present. A committee was appointed
to circulate the paper among the other
merchants.