The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-09-13

their backs, occupying many days IN
making the Journeys to the different
Blaces Of meeting This was not With
ont compensation ia one respect, now
ever; it gave the members Of the legls-
latiye bodies an opportunity they do
not now have, with modern means OF
transportation, OF getting the views OF
the people at first hand and learning
bv direct conversation what was de-
sired and what was not by the sovereign
body of the state Yet this advantage
was hardly sufficient to pay for the
toll Of YEARLY touring to the meeting
place OF the legislature, first TO the
northern part of the state, then to the
southern, again on the westerly side OF
the mountains, and then back to the
easterly. So with general pleasure it
was recognized after lS0S that all roads
led to Montpelier.
The first State House Of Vermont in
Montpelier looked not unlike an old
fashioned Quaker meeting house. 1t
was Of wood, three stories in height,
and made ten-sided in shape by cutting
the corners OF the end fronting on the
street so as to admit of winding stairs
to the gallery and council chamber, and
by cutting in the centre of the front
for covered way into the building.
A bell tower smmounted the centre,
and from the sides of this tower the
roof ran down in each direction TO the
caves to meet each corner angle. The
building was located a few rods SOUTH
east OF where the present capitol stands.
he . 4lta
State House, there being no Senate at
that time, was in the southeast corner
Of the third story. The room was
small, and in it was long table, set
of from portion Of the room by a
counter which kept visitors from intrud-
ing. The governor presided at the head
of the table, and the lieutenant COVER
nor sat and voted with the twelve coun-
cillors.
Whitfield House Away.
The hall Of the House Of Represen-
tatives was on THE first floor in the
north end Of the building, and occupied
two stories, the ceiling being support
ed on each side Of the area in the centre
by a row Of square pillars, with mould
ed bases reaching above the backs Of
the seats and with capitals deliberately
ornamented. The great room was warm
ed by a large two-story stove in the CEN
tire. The representatives seats we're Of
plank, straight backed, and each back
had attached to it a plank wide enough
to admit Of writing notes OF amend
ments; that il, the plank answered the
purpose until the jack knives Of the
backwoods representatives got IN their
artistic, but deadly, work, and even
tually actually Whitfield the old house
ont Of existence, because it was the
ugly holes in the benches and desks that
first impressed the legislators with the
necessity Of a new meeting place.
Twenty years to day from
the passage Of the act making Mont
peiier the permanent capital of the
state, the legislature on Nov. s, 1882,
made provision for erecting 4 new state
house at Montpelier, providing the peo-
pie of that place should agree to pay
into the treasury Of the state the sum
Of $4,000, one-half in one year and
the balance in two years from the pass
age Of the act, giving proper security
for the performance of the contract.
furnished the bond required
and went even further BY purchasing
land for the state house at a cost Of
$4,000, making total Of $4,000 paid
By the inhabitants Of the town.
The work was begun III the winter Of
1888 and completed in the autumn Of
1888 at total cost Of Sf32,O7I23. The
exterior walls were Of granite, lined
with brick, and the partitions Of the
basement or first story were also Of
brick, but above they were Of wood.
The building was first occupied BY the
in October, 1886, ana con
tinued for over 20 years, when Jan.
9, 1857, FIRE started under the floor
Of the representatives. hall and worked
its way between partitions to the root