Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-29

State library, a thing do not do In the
purchase of genealogies and town MS
tories In States other than our own nut
have long been Of the opinion that
the society should own as complete
( collection as possible of books relating to
Vermont history or to her separate com
munlties ot public men.
About the usual number Of books has
been presented the society during the
year and n addition to these, three gifts
should deserve especial mention. We
have received through the good offices
| or Gen r. s. Peck the gift from the
daughter Of Major General Stannard, OF
the magnificent gold watch given her
father during the Civil War and after
ward constantly carried by him not only
! TO the close Of the war but until the end
of his long useful life. We have, too,
received by the will of the widow or
/ FrigaderGeneral Jedcdiah BaXtcr.
\ three-quartor length life size painting OF
her distinguished husband. Gen. Baxter
was a native of STAFFORD who became
Surgeon General Of the United states
army and died in Washington In 1890
after long and distinguished career
The painting Is n magnificent specimen
Of portraiture and we can feel ourselves
truly fortunate in its possession. Nor
would by any means forget the war
rantv deed presented us by Paley W.
Green. William n Theriault and other
leading Catholics Of Vermont Of the land
and monument I'm Stockbri6ge purchased
and erected to the memory of Orestcs
Augustus Rrownson. q native of that
town who as YOU know became one OF
the foremost Catholic laymcu and au-
thors not only Of this country but OF the
whole world
Since our last meeting our worthy
friend the Hon. Horace W. Bailey of
Ncwbury and Rutland has gonc from
our midst and this society has lost an
earnest loyal, Gnd an active member.
Tho love Of his ancestors of his native
town, Of his state and of all that per
tanned to the history of his state was
inherent and overwhelming in his make
up, and he was an intense collector of
vermont hooks and pamphlets. Wis col
lection was stored at Newbury and II
had long been his cherished intention,
stated many tmes to me and to other
men. that at tho end Of his active life
youth and there live among his books
and his neghbors. It had as well been
his intention to make will dsnos,ng Of
his effects, including his large library,
and tho latter was to he given to the
Newhury library and to the Vermont
Historical society, our organization to
receive his entire collection published in
or relating to Vermont Like too many
other mon. hc had put off attending to
IN" matter from year to year but 1t was
his intention 70 have tho will drawn up
last Christmas when he was home for
the holidays The disease which had
long harassod him grew rapidly more
severe. He could not 20 to Newburv for
christmas and on January 6. 1914, he
died intostatc. HIS heirs. whom I be-
ieVed include only a brother and sister,
J am not acquainted with, hut all those
VINO do know them speak in the highest
terms of their broad minded and liberal
characters. We hold no legal right to
this mans collection of Vermont books
and imprints nor can We or would we
insist upon our moral right. hut I have
hoped and shall long continue to hope
that his brother and sister will some
Vermont Historical society. Horace
Bailey's library and thus carry ont the
thing he wound have done had God
spared him little longer
At our annual meeting in 1919. re-
ported to YOU that the Vermont Society
OF Colonial Danes had expressed the
desire to buy each year and to house
with MS as many Ecnenlogies and town
histories as their means seemed to war
rant such books to be kept on separat q
shelves in our rooms and containing
their own book plates. This idea seemed
feasible and | advised one of the So
cietys officers from time to time OF
books offered for sale with the result
That few were purchased and are now
N our rooms. Since that time the Yer
mont Society of the Daughters Of the
American Revolution has sgnined an
exactly similar wish and | advised the
woman who was sent to see me that
we could. believed. take care of their
books. Upon further consideration l feel
obliged to state to you that in my opin-
ion we should write these two societies
expressing our approval of the idea il
conditions were different and thanking
them for their kind offer but saying that
owing to our cramped quarters we can
not find room for their books We are
already constantly moving valuable
books TO the dome of the capitol in or
der to make room for other books OF
value. more often consulted, and in my
Judgment ii would be exceedingly Ill
advised on our part to expose to de-
struction more of our possessions in
order to accommodate other societies
All the wiring in this building conforms
/ strictly to standard regulations and the
danger of fre from this source is doubt
less extremely remote. To my mind the
greatest danger lies in the possibility Of
lightning striking the dome. Should
ms occur and should IT take fire the
/ capitol would be doomed and probably
quickly. But the building is by no means
ilre proof against other causes. 1t Is al
most wholly old in construction and
Whlle to layman strolling through the
.arse rooms and observing the massive
walls, the possibility a serious con-
migration would appear very remote. We
must recall that If cigarette or a
llGhtcd match dropped in waste paper
basket Of the New Yo--; State capitol
could in moment start "A fire that the
combined ingenuity Of man in the art
or hre proof construction and fire fight
Ing could not check, for how little could
we nope should accident befall us.
In the event of fire In the main build
lns our possessions In the dome would
be lost but the heavy iron and brick
| walls between the main building and