Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-10-27
PROFESSIONAL CLUB PROGRAM.
And a History Of the Organization
and Its Growth,

And a History Of the Organization
and lts Growth.
The program for the Brattleboro
Professional club for the winter. be-
ginning on the evening OF Nov. q, has
been prepared by committee OF the
club with an idea OF Offering TO the
membership and Its friends interesting
topics on current subjects. says the
local correspondent of the Springfield
Republican. The Professional club
was organized 20 years ago on the call
OF Rev. Dr. George b. Cow, Rev. DR..
George A, Martin and Rev. ]. b.
Greene. then local clergymen officiat-
Ing In the Baptist, Congregational and
Unitarian churches. respectively. The
irst meetings were In Wells hall. later
In the restaurant OF L. L. Cooper, since
when they have generally been held
In the Brooks house parlors. From a
modest beginning the club has grown
In usefulness and interest and has in
cluded In its membership about all Of
The professional men Of the town, who
nave assisted In its development and
contributed to its support. Generally
the club meetings have been accom-
panied by good supper. a paner by
some one OF its several members fol-
lowing, with five minute discussions
pertaining TO the subject. The men,
bership of the club consists of those of
liberal professions. and In cases where
the line is not clear. by vote ON indi-
vidual application. The meetings have
brought out some very able papers
full of research and thought. The club
is even credited with having stimulat-
ed public sentiment and assisted in the
unfolding of many useful scheme. A
paper by Rev. DR.. Cow on Free Public
Libraries. for instance, was immediate-
ly followed by the establishing of the
Brooks Free library here, its donor. the
late George ]. Brooks, accepting Mr..
Cows suggestions as reasonable con-
illusions why he should build and pre-
sent the town the Brooks Free library
building, Again, a paper by Judge j.
NJ. Tyler on Road Building was fol-
lowed by successful move in town
to install macadam roads.
Clubs have been organized in other
places as a result of the Professional
club here. One is at Lincoln, Neb., in
which William j. Bryan is a leading
member The Nebraska club was es-
tablished by Herbert j. Davenport. the
younger son of the late Charles n.
Davenport. late of Brattleboro and now
assistant professor of political econ
omy in the University of Chicago but
then principal of the high school at
Lincoln. Mr.. Davenport. imbued with
the influence of the Brattleboro club.
took the idea to Lincoln. where a club
was subsequently organized. one es-
pecially good paper full of Vermont
inventions and given several years ago
by the late Gov. Levi X. Fuller was
widely read and commented on. In it
facts were first conclusively estab
fGhA 40 thE GrGt i1Ntv Of
modern steamboat was Samuel E. Mo-
rev, the timbers of whose little craft
lie at the bottom of Lake Morey, near
Fairlee, to-day, Gov. Fullers paper
also clearly showed that the inventor
of the telegraph and electric railroad
system was Thomas Davenport, the
Brandon blacksmith, whose inventions
date way back more than 20 years ago
Gov. Fuller's paper also gave the his
tory of the old Brattleboro postage
stamp. engraved for the late DR.. Palm
er by Thomas Chubbuck. former
resident of Springfield and an inter-
esting story of the late John Cores
attempt here to introduce horseless
carriage, believed to be the first steam
carriage shown in this country. He
also brought out the fact that the first
successful suction pumps We're made
here by the late Mr.. Crane, and that
the four-foot iointed rule had its
origin in Brattleboro, as did many OF
the important inventions of the sewing
machine The first lawn mower, ac-
cording to Gov. Fuller's paper. was
made here
The presidents of the club have been
men prominently identified with local
affairs, including Rev. G. B. Cow. DR..
Joseph Draper. C. N. Davenport Dr.
H. D. Holton, Rev. Lewis Grout Dr.
o. R. Post. j. M. Tyler. DR.. J. w.
Gregg. o. l.. French. Rev. F. j. Parry,
Rev. C. o. Day, Rev F. l.. Phalen,
Rev. j. H. Babbitt. c. II. Davenport.
George A. Hines, DR. s. r. LaWton,
Gov. L. X. Fuller. Rev. F. E. Marble,
Rev. E. @. S. Osgood, Prof H. X.
Whitaker and Rev. L. NJ. keneston.
The program for the winter includes
Rev. F. L. Masseck's address on the
opening night, on Our Prison Problem.
the discussion of which will be led by
Rev. ]. A. Mitchell. This will be fol-
lowed by the December meeting, on
The Social Evil. with a paper by Dr.
w. H, Lane, with a discussion on the
subject by DR.. G. B. Hunter. In jan
nary The Needed System of Reforms
in Life Insurance will be treated by
Frank f. Barber. DR.. Fremont Ham
ilton leading the discussion. John Il.
Gale will have a paper in February Oh
Shintoism. discussed by Rev. A. H.
webb, while Dr. George r. Anderson
will give a paper in March on Appen-
iicitis. Dr. Henry Tucker leading the
discussion In April. Railroad Rate
Regulation viii be the subject OF Kew.
Fl. A. Goodhue's paper. when Edltor
REYNOLDS of The New England Farmer
will lead the discussion. DR.. F. q. Pet
tee will speak on Educational Den
-istry in May DR.. G. F. Barber qls
,ussing the subject, while the ids.
meeting of the season in June will be |!
devoted to a paper by E. Burr smith
IN Education for Service. with a DIS