The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-17

very late in life. | have had this ef
larged and am told by Mr.. Wing, tb
state librarian, that it is the only pei
feet likeness of the old patriarch as h
knew him, that he has ever seen.
/ have secured also for ridiculousl
small sum a largo crayon portrait 9
Senator William Upham, made in Phil
adelphia in the early fifties shortly be
fore his death. From this portrait wa
reproduced the likeness Of the senate
which appears in Hemenway and SO Ia
Las | can discover it is the only one eve
made of this distinguished man.
I would say also that we have received
| this year from Sherman Parker Of Barre
Ia drum carried in the Civil war, from thu
Hon. Matt Jones of Boston, a goodll
number of manuscript sermons OF Sam
uel Williams, the author OF Williams
History of Vermont, from Rev. Myron A
| Munson, wood from old Fort Vengeance
| from the Vermont Society of the Daugh
tiers of 1912 horn or eornet used at the
battle of Plattsburg. from William Eos
ter of this city a fife PLAYED at the same
timo and from Mr.. w. II. Follett horn
used in Africa by chief and made from
the tusk of an elephant. A collection OF
over 1000 book plates of public, college
and society libraries and of private in
dividuals as we'll has been gathered dur
ing the year, Nearly all large Libraries
collect plates and using our own excel
lent one in exchange, | have succeeded
in getting together one OF the largest col
lections in New England.
OF the 246 towns in Vermont. town
histories have thus far been written of
AZ of them. Each year now sees at least
one or two added and 1916 marked the
publication of those of st. Johnsbury and
Jericho.
Many years ago there was given to MS
manuscript history of Marlborough,
from the pen of Rev. Ephraim II. New
ton. This work is well done and it seems
q pity that it should be hidden from
public use and benefit. ] call your at
tention to the advisability in my opinion
of corresponding with the town clerk oil
Marlborough, advising him of what we
have and suggesting his placing an item
in the warning for the next March meet
ing in Marlborough, to see If the town
will take steps to publish this work. |
should Judge it would be no more than
fair ii we gave them the manuscript,
that they should in turn present us with
40 copies of the finished book. | present
this matter for your consideration.
At the beginning of the year about 60
historical societies were sending us their
and by correspondence this
number has during the IL months been
by about 20. The number of
books and pamphlets annually received
from these societies is large and valuable
but owing to our crowded space we have
never been able to place these works be-
fore the public, but now Of course all are
we'll aware that at last the long looked
'or and long prayed for, new state build
ng stands intact at least on the outside,
IN the low land adjoining these grounds.
The arrangements for the housing OF our
library and collections are ample, not
llone for our present needs but for many
lecades to come as well. As ] under
tand it, the excellent collection of min |
rails and animals and bugs and birds |
md bees cared for by Prof. Perkins, is
0 be exhibited closely adjacent to our
,wn in this rev building and no one can |
eel but confident that these two collee- I
ions housed together in commodious and |
veil arranged quarters will be of interest |
md advantage to the whole public, old |
md young.
/ have long felt and feel now that
many transient visitor TO this capitol
uilding has never discovered even what
title we can now expose for view, tucked |,
way as we necessarily are up in this
mall side room. Here, being directly
diacent to the Vermont state library.
he officers and clerks of that institution
ave for over 30 years been enabled to
ave oversight Of our room. While we
ave given them freely desk space Tor
heir own purposes, yet few stop to con
ider that without their courteous as
lstance during all this time, our own be-
,ngings would have had to have been
,cked from view unless means had been
nnually provided for caretaker in con
.ant attendance When we move to the
cw building, however, the ltate library
nd its staff win be quartered on floors
bove. And then, in order that the Ii Il
rary of the Vermont Historical society
ay be open to the public, funds will /
ave to be provided for someone to look
tier our rooms or they must be closed. t
The Vermont Historical society while j
has had in its membership for over
lree-fourths of century nearly every )
aiding man of Vermont and many OF
lem of large means, yet when our mem o
RS have come to draw their wills in the
,st, for some reason all who have thus s
r dipd have fnrppttpu uE the society Id
,ver having received one penny from
e estate OF any individual. v
We rely for our expenses of mainte-
nee solely on our dues. During the
re years in which | have been your Ii a
arian and as some have said, general D
anager here at home" we have gotten
ong on less than So cents day and O.
e sum OF money in our treasury is in d
ed small
This society is a part of the state of n
Its interests are her interests o.
d her interests are cur own. Every
ate in this country but three has a II
ate historical society and all draw /,
,m their states, financial support. Our m
IN has for long time been $500 a
ar for the purchase of books and bien %
lily the cost of publishing our proceed h,
Is has been borne by the common u,
alth. IL is a fact that a very few So in
ties receive less from their state than =
we and il is equally fact that near
all receive far more. The Wisconsin a
storical society receives, believe, $780,
every year. In;
In case of our dissolution the state Al