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

5000. That sum, with its detail, was
submitted to the companies and tho
possessions of the Vermont Historical
society are now fully insured Tor thet
amount I would say that have during
the year purchased bronze frame, pro-
perly inscribed, for the holding of the
fac-simile OF the Bennington Declaration
and IL now hangs on the wall at the
entrance to the Legislative chamber.
while the original declaration has been
placed for safety in the vaults OF the
National Life Insurance company OF this
city.
Immediately following our last annual
meeting the proceedings Tor lSl2 were
struck from the press and of that issue
the following distribution was made:
Every member Of the society first received
a copy, $50 then were given the state
library. about 1856 we're sent to the various
town and city libraries Of Vermont, 81
were forwarded town clerks in towns
where there were no libraries, = were
sent to various heads OF our State depart
ments. % were given to the prison. the
house of correction, the reform school.
the insane hospitals, the colleges, acad-
ornies and some of the larger high schools
'
some 30 were retained for our private
use. of which 12l have been sent on ex-
change to the various historical societies.
state libraries and the leading colleges OF
the United States. AS the time now rap
idly approaches when the proof for the
1914 proceeding. must he sent to the print
crs allow me to close this report with
reference to the contents Of this forth
s.f no,
opinion that no impartial and fairly com
ncte list Of Vermont's famous sons from
tho dawn Of the commonwealth down
to the present generation has ever been
compiled and with that idea in mind
have spent many leisure hours for many
months In going through page by page
all the encyclopedias Of American hi
oEraphY yet published Hemenway's
Gazetteer. Thompson's Vermont, all the
Vermont town histories, who's Who in
America Who's who in New England,
and indeed every other source which
might yield the names Of men born In
Vermont who by conspicuous service and
ability made names for themselves, at
least Of Statewide Importance IN the re-
spective commonwealth in which they
rose to fame or power.
This work was done entirely without
fear or favor and the result shows one
thousand men born within our confines
from 176, to 1870 who have attained high
positions in life ana the list is a grand
and surprising one Indeed, The work
has been arranged alphabetically by
towns OF birth commencing with all those
born in the town of Addison and ci>ling
with all those born in the town of Wood
stock. The date Of birth, fun name and
positions occupied in life by each man
appear in the work and an Introduction.
4 synopsis, statistical tables, and an in
dex begin and close the effort. It was
extremely difficult in many cases to dis
tinguish the really worthy from those at
whose doors fame or power merely
knocked but the completed list has been
submitted to some ten Of the leading men
Of Vermont whose judgment was un-
biased and | am assured the lines have
been drawn as sensihly and carefully as
could be desired AS regards its com
pleteness. no such list could ever be COM
plete but it is as nearly so as long con
tinued and careful search and CORE
spondence could make It. If you desire
that this work be made part of our
next published proceedings shall be glad
to present II to the society
Another matter and am done We
arc all we'll aware that the ave vol
umes Of Vermont history edited and
published rnder the supervision Of
Abby Maria HemenwaY must stand
forever as far as a collection of the
personal histories of the great num-
Der of leading men among our earliest
Inhabitants lH concerned as the great
est work on the subject We are
equally we'll aware that the indices to
these volumes omit At least one hun
dred and ninety-nino out Of every
hundred Of the names appearing in
the work and for years a copious and
complete index to the entire produc-
ton has been crying need realized
by every student of Vermont geneal-
ogy or history. The affair has all
along seemed too prodlguous for any
man to undertake until about a year
ago the task was commenced by a
member Of our society. Mr. T. Lee
Whitney. the assistant Vermont State
librarian. Mr.. Whitney gave us a year
ago his index to The Vermonter. which
Is now part Of our published pro-
ceedings. and his index to Hemenway
can be ours If we do our just part
The task. as I have said Is trsmen-
dous and he and his able assistant
MISS Nancy Puffer, have l under -tand
only thus far completed the first of
the five volumes. The complete index
VIII make book equal in size TO anv
one or the volumes and ! should Judge
II would be wise to publish II in five
parts, or rather in each one of our
next published proceedings we should
print the index to one volume of Hem
enway's Gazetteer No deliver among
the records left by our earliest inhab-
ltants and no seeker after the life
stories OF those men can but admit
that the publication of this work
would be an everlasting monument
both to our society and it's compilers
our proceedings 20 into every Yer
mont library, every historical society,
every state library, and every large
college in the land, nearly all of whom
own Hemenway's Gazetteer and every
one OF whom long since learned that
10 hunt for one OF the majority of the
hundreds of thousands of names in
this history without knowing at least
the town IN which the man resided is
absolutely useless would suggest
that committee of three b. appoint-
ed to wait upon Mr.. Whitney and re-
port their findings and advice at our
next meeting in January