Class. F ^<3 . B()()k,^^1 PRESENTKn m y . -^ -^ c^ ^ :^^^r,^;v ^. : ;<^,;^:^ ^ -^ -^ -^ .:^ ^: ; .^. -^- -^j^- -^^ : r^- : -^- •^•^•♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦.♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦<■ ♦ ♦♦,♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦■•>♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ THE BReeKLYN ^ocietjl of VeMonter'?. ORSANIZAriON, March 4, 1591. V^- V^v- V^V ••^. '/^V- .^V ^^V> V^N- Ij^S^ »♦♦♦♦♦♦ The Brooklyn ^z Society of VGrnr^oi^ters. RECORD OF ITS ORGANIZATION AND DINNER, Aarchi A\\\, 1591. Together witl^ its Coristitutiori, Officers, Aerr^bers ar\d tf\e Addresses. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. Gift. f-i 9 Ja 05 Kacii.k Fkkss, Bkooki.vn, N. Y. OFFICERS Drooklyn Oociety of \/ ern\or[\er5, ELECTED MARCH 4, 1891. President, . . . . Robert D. Benedict Vice-President, . . . . ("hari.es A. Tinker Secretary and Treasurer, - - Roi'.i-.k r [. Kimham, Executive CorT]rT^ittee. Col. N. T. Si'RAGUE, Chairman. Ai.iiERr 15. Chandler, Saneord H. Steele, (1eor(;e r>. .\i;iioi I, J. H. Flagg, ANK TIIK President, Vice-President and Secretary, Ex-officio. ■^ w Pi fe U a. vo ■* m m t^ R. J. KlMHALL, Sec. 8 9 E. N. Taft. Rev. Dr. HUMl'STONE. lo II George G. Ward. ALONZO ALKOKI). 12 13 W. Harkness. J.J. Allen. M 15 Hon. Geo. B. Abbott. E. A. Pk.\ IT, i6 •7 Hon. W. Bartle IT. H.AMILTON ORMSBE. i8 ly Frank Brady. A. J. Howard. 20 21 George H. Fletcher. Mr. Rockwell. 22 23 R. C. Allen. Ch.\rles a. Hoyt. 24 25 J. C. Allen. Albert E. Ch.\ndlek. 26 27 W. H. Colton. Frank W. Chandler. 28 29 A. Tinker. \V. E. Kimball. 30 31 A. L. Tinker. Dr. Ramsdell. 32 33 0. F. Hibbard. R. I. Pierson. 34 35 R. H. Newhall. H. Titus. 36 37 L. Titus. Dr. H. C. Matthews. 38 39 F. E. Titus. W. I. RRIN.SMADE. 40 41 G. C. Brainerd. Col. J. H. Platt. 42 43 H. F. Holden. p. L. Watson. 44 45 C. E. Stearns. S. L. Hutchinson. 46 47 Gkokce H. Kelley. George A. White. 48 49 R. M. Dow. Jesse Johnson. 5" 51 W. E. Andrews. T. C. Cronin. 52 53 James Brady. W. C. Spelman. 54 55 B. H. Allen. J. G. Marshall. 56 57 George Follett. E. A. FOLLETT. 58 59 Joseph Babcock. L. K. Barnes. 60 61 Thomas Bishop. H. E. Hutchinson. 62 63 B. L. Benedict. J. H. Brewer. 64 65 B. H. Dewey. t> ? 0. H THE BROOKLYN SOCIETY OF VERmONTERS. TiiK l>R(t()Ki.\N S()Cii;i\' oi Vi:km< IN ri:Rs was organized on March 4, 1891. at tlie house of the Union League Chib of Brooklyn, with a member- ship of 40. The day was the looth anniversary of tlie admission of Vermont to the United States, and that event was celebrated by a dinner, with addresses. The formation of such a society had been first suggested at an informal meeting of a few natives of V^ermont at the residence of Col. Robert ). Kimball, 436 Clinton avenue, on Feb- ruary 23. A committee wds aj)[)ointed at that meeting to consider the celebration of Vermont's centennar\- ami the formation of a society of Ver- monters resitiing in Brookl}'n. The members of this committee were as follows : RoBEk r 1). IliNKDK r, ['RANK H. Chandler, ALHEKr II. C'lIANDLKR, .SaNKOKI) H. STEELE, Charles A. Tinker, Roi;ert J. Kimball. This committee called a meeting at the office of Frank II. Chandler, 300 l^^ilton street, on February 26, sending invitations to all the natives of Vermont in the city whose names they could obtain. The following gentlemen responded to the invitation: Sanford H. Steele, H. R. Steele, Albert B. Chandler, Frank H. Chandler, Robert J. Kimball, Charles A. Tinker, N. T. Sprague, Benjamin H. Dewey, M. A. Dewey, Omri F. Hibbard, F. S. Blinn, C. T. White, F. B. John- son, A. R. Johnson, W. H. Cotton, J. J. Allen, Rev. T. P. Frost, James Brady, R. I. Pierson, L. K. Barnes. Sanford H. Steele was chosen Chairman of the meeting and Robert J. Kimball, Secretary. On motion of Frank H. Chandler, it was voted to celebrate the Vermont Centennary, and a Com- mittee of Arrangements was appointed, consisting of Col. N. T. Sprague, Chairman; Robert J. Kim- ball and Charles A. Tinker. It was also voted to organize a society of Vermonters in Brooklyn, and the following Committee of Organization was appointed to prepare a Constitution and By-laws for the society : Charles A. Tinker, Albert B. Chandler, and Robert J. Kimball. As soon as this intention became known in the city the names of applicants for membership came in rapidly to the committee, and on the night of the dinner, 70 Vermonters gathered at the Union League Club. The dinner was preceded by a brief meeting for organization, at which Col. N. T. Sprague, Chairman of the Committee of Arrangements, was made Chairman, and Robert J. Kimball, Secretary. The following resolution was adopted : A'tsi'hri/, 'I'liat we, \'crmniii( is hew |)rcscnl, on this centennial anniversary of tlie aclniission of Ver- mont into tlie Union, to acknowledi^e our love and fidelity to iier, and to periietuate her memory to tiiose who come after us, do form ourselves into an association to be called tiie " Brooklyn Society of Vermonters." The following named persons were present and took part in the proceedings organizing tlie Association, to wit : George B. Abbott, Alonzo Alford, Rev. J. C. Allen, J. J. Allen, R. C. Allen, W. E. Andrews, C. G. Atwood, J. M. Babcock, L. K. Barnes, B. Lincoln Benedict, Robert D. Benedict, Thomas Bishop, James Jirady, William Brinsmaid, Albert B. Chandler, Albert E. Chand- ler, Frank II. Ciiandler, P^ank VV. Chandler, VV. H. Cotton, C. II. Cutting, Benjamin H. Dewey, M. A. Dewey, Francis M. Edgerton, Geo. Follett, Omri F. Ilibbard. Charles A. Hoyt, A. T. How- ard, Jesse Johnson, Brainard Kellogg, Robert J. Kimball, Wm. Eugene Kimball, Dr. Henry C. Matthews, R. W. Newhall, Hamilton Ormsbee, R. I. Pierson, Dr. W. F. Ramsdell, VV. C. Spel- man, Col. N. T. Sprague, Charles A. Tinker, Arthur L. Tinker, L. Titus, Henry Titus, Pres- cott L. Watson, G. A. White. The association duly elected its ofificers, whose names are jirintcd elsewhere. After the business meeting the compan)- was summoned to the dining-room and seated at the table in the order indicated by the diagram on another page. The menu card bore the Vermont coat of arms and the Vermont motto, " Freedom and Unity." The bill of fare was as follows : MENU. OYSTERS. SOUPS. Consomme Printaniere. Cream of Celery. Small Patties a la Princess. FISH. Boiled Striped Bass a la Chambord. Potatoes. RRLEVE. Capon Braise a 1' Ancienne. String Beans. ENTREE. 'J'enderloin of Beef a la Richelieu. Green Peas. Orange Ice. ROAST. Plover on Toast au Cresson. Lettuce Salad. Petit Flap-Jacks a la Green Mountains. Brattleboro Maple Syrup. Iced Cream in Form. Assorted Cake. Fruit. Crackers. Randolph Butter. Cheese. Coffee. March 4, 1891. 9 ADDRESS OF ROBERT D. BENEDICT. After the dinner had been eaten, Mr. Bene- dict calletl for the attention of the guests, and spoke as follows : Gentlemen and Brother Vermonters — -One hun- dred years ago to-day occurred the event which we, as Sons of Vermont, are gathered to-night to cele- brate. We celebrate il in the way which has be- come ajipropriale for such celebrations ; first, by a moderate and cheerful feast, and then by varied speech in which we shall stir up our minds by way of remembrance, and e.vpress to each other ap[^ropri- ate congratulations. There are those who, listening to the tone of speech which prevails upon such occa- sions, are somewhat disposed to sneer and to make remarks about "mutual admiration" and " boastful- ness." Let us jniy no heed to such carpers. W'e are children of one family who have come together, not indeed under the famdy roof tree, but to renew the thoughts and feelings and associations which cluster around that roof-tree, beneath whit:h our youth was spent, and beneath which sits the mother of us all, still with all the freshness and beauty of youth u()on her. Why then, should we hesitate to speak freely to each other of her many excellences and virtues and to say, "Never man had a better mother than we had?" Vermont ! every fibre of my frame thrills as I speak her name. " I love her hills, 1 love her streams, Her blue lakes haunt my waking dreams ; When the morning shineth Or the day dec! i net h. Ever dear her memory seems." 10 And so it will be as long life shall last. And when 1 shall have come to the end of life, I hope it may be my privilege to be laid to rest within her soil beneath the shadows of her murmuring pines, where the eyes of remembering friends 'may rest upon her solemn mountains, from whose peaks their thoughts may rise to those eternal verities whose steadfastness those mountains fitly symbolize. But it is not only because of her natural scenery, the beauties of her valleys and mountains, that we love Vermont. It is because of the character of the people who have found home among those moun- tains. " Two voices are there — one is of the sea, One of the mountains, each a mighty voice ; In each from age to age thou didst rejoice. They were thy chosen music, Liberty." That voice of the mountains has sunk deep into the hearts of the liberty-loving people of Vermont. It is the proud boast of England's judiciary that one of her judges declared that the soil of England could not bear the foot of a slave. With equal pride may Vermont point to her judge before whom a proceeding was brought to recover possession of a slave, and who, skilled in the trial of causes involv- ing land titles so frequent in a newly settled region, (in which each of the contesting parties sought to trace his title back to the grantee from the crown, who was spoken of as the original proprietor), and using the language of such causes, pierced the heart of the slavery controversy by deciding that the claimant, if he would succeed, must prove a deed from the " original proprietor," Ood Almighty. II It was by reason of tliis love of lil)erty among lit*r |)co|)U', and tluMr love for the Union, that in the great contest for liberty antl the saving of the Lhiion from destruction, Vermont, in i)ro])ortion to her pop- ulation, "had more of her sons killed in battle than any other Northern State, and gave to the cause of the Union more lives lost from all causes than any other State." I have not time to point to the i^osition of Ver- mont upon other vital questions of our national life. Where has there been one on which her posi- tion has been equivocal or doubtful ? In most of the contests for reforms which have succeeded, she has taken her place among the front ranks ; and in the contests for reforms which are yet to come, what better order could be given to the armies of reform than that which General Sedgwick gave, " Put the Vermonters ahead ! and keep the rest of the column well up." It is not therefore only for the natural beauties of hill and valley, lake and stream, that we love Vermont. It is because she is animated by a love for freedom and progress in right things, and because she has shown by the hundred years of her history, that she can be relied u|)on for the right in the struggles and strifes of the future. And It is not with a half-hearted affection that we love her. We should not be true sons of Ver- mont if it were. The men who founded the State were not half-hearted men. 'i'hey were not merely patriotic and brave men, not merely men of clear insight and of far-reaching views. They were men of determination, who knew what they wished to 12 accomplish, and went forward to it with their whole hearts. An incident in the life of Ethaa Allen occurs to me, one which I think is not generally known. I found it some time since in turning over a file of old newspapers (always to me an inter- esting occupation), and I tell it, although I must rely only on my memory for the details. It seems that some legal proceeding was pending against some relative of Ethan Allen, who had not taken as earnest a part in the cause of liberty . as some others had done. In that proceeding (probably be- cause Ethan Allen had set it on foot), this relative deemed it important to show that Ethan Allen was hostile to him. He, therefore, published in this news- paper several affidavits, among which was one in which deponent testified that, meeting Ethan Allen he had mentioned the fact of having recently seen this aforesaid relative, whereupon the said Ethan Allen (I trust you will excuse the language. It is the language of Ethan Allen, and we all know that he wasted no time in measuring his words), replied, " You saw him ? Well, how was he, d — n his luke- warm soul." That expression, gentlemen, characterizes not only the man who spoke it, but the men of Vermont. With them "lukewarm souls" found no favor. And in our affection for Vermont we are no lukewarm souls. We love her with all our hearts. I esteem it a great compliment that I have been called to preside over this organization of the Sons of Vermont on this occasion. For us who are Vermonters this is the last of the long line of the Centennial celebrations which 13 have niarkt'd in succession ihc various staji;es in that series of events which "made us a nation." It celebrates the time when Vermont first stood up as one among her sister States, no longer in solitary independence, but in thai more perfect Union for the estabUshmcnt of wtiicli the Constitution of tiie United States was estabUshed. The 4th of March, one hundred years a<;o, made Vermont one of the United States, an intej^ral part of this great Nation, and it is proper that we should at the outset pay due respect to the Nation whose Hfe has pulsed through the veins of Vermont for the hist iumdreil years. I ask you, therefore, gentlemen, to rise ni your places and drink with me to the health and jirosper- ity of The President of the United States. The Ljuests rose and joined in the health proposed. Mr. Benedict then said : It is also appropriate th.\t, having t^iven a Iiealth to the representative of the National life, we should next pay our respects to the of^cer who represents the State, and I ask yi)u to rise and join me in a hcaltli to the Governor of the State of W'rmont. We slKtuld be t;lad if he were with us. In his absence you will be glad to hear a letter from him, which will be read by the Secretary. The Secretary, Col. Kimball, read the following letters and telegrams : 14 FROM GOVERNOR PAGE. State of Vermont, Executive Department, „„_. __ .._. I Hyde Park, Vt., March 4, 1891. ) Col. R. J. Kimball, No. 436 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Dear Col. Kimball — It is especially gratifying to those of us who are left behind, to know the deep feelings of loyalty to their native State, which Ver- monters are everywhere manifesting on the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of Vermont's admis- sion to the Union. Minneapolis, Boston, and Providence, of the larger cities, will join with Brooklyn to-night in commem- orative exercises, while thousands upon thousands of Vermont's sons and daughters, scattered throughout the length and breadth of the land, will recall with deep emotions of patriotism the unblemished record their native State has made in the century which will close March 4th. That record will grow brighter and brighter as the years roll by, and may we not hope that the loyalty and devotion of Vermont's sons who have gone out from among us will increase from year to year as they rehearse the achievements of the century. I thank you for the honor you confer by inviting me to be with you in the festivities of your ban- quet, which I am sure cannot be other than a most enjoyable occasion, but prior engagements will pre- vent my attendance. Very cordially yours, CARROLL S. PAGE. «5 FROM SECRHTARY (W WAR PROCTOR. War Dki'artmknt, \ Office of thf, Skcrf:taky, l Washinm; ION. I). C".. March 2, 1S91. ) Dear S/r — I have the lionor to acknowied.t^e the receipt of your letter of February 27th, inviting me to attend tlie l)an(iuet to be given by the Vermonters of Brooklyn, to celebrate the one hundredth anniver- sary of the admission of V'ermont to tiie L'nion, on Wednesday evening, March 4th. 1 am sorry that this meeting occurs on the day vviiich closes the session of Congress here, at which time, of course-, my official obligations require me to remain on dnl)- in Washington. It is always a pleasure ami a privilege to a son of \'ermont to participate in celebrating an occasion like this to do honor to his native State. Similar gatherings are to be held by Vermonters in many principal cities of the country ; and those who, like myself, cannot unite with their friends in celebrating this anniversary in some manner similar to this, envy those who can. I regret very much that the multitude of affairs which demand my attention just at this time, make it impossible for me to leave the city, and I am, therefore, unable to accei:)t your kind invitation. Hoping that the occasion may be an enjoyable one to all who jiarticipate, and thanking you again for the courtesy of your invitation, I am, ^'()urs very truly, rf:dfikli) proctor. Mr. R. J. I\imi;ai,i., No. 16 Proad Street, New V^)rk, N. \' . i6 FROM ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR GRANT. War Department, \ Office of the Assistant Secretary, v Washington, D. C, March 3, 1891. ) Col. N. T. Sprague : Dair .S/>—- Your kind invitation to be with the Sons of Vermont to-morrow evening is duly received, and answered by telegram. You know it would give me much pleasure to be present, but Congress will ad- journ to-morrow, and the Secretary is going away on Monday, and there is much to do just at this time. I promised the Vermont Veteran Association, of Boston, to meet with them to-morrow night, if I went anywhere, and I had but just telegraphed them that 1 could not come, when I received your tele- gram. I have declined similar invitations from Min- neapolis, Providence, Chicago and Boston. It is very gratifying to be thus remembered, and I am sorry that I am unable to attend any of the meetings. I am satisfied you will have a pleasant and profitable time, and I will think of you and give you my bene- diction. Truly yours, L. A. GRANT. FROM SENATOR EDMUNDS. Senate Chamber, 1 Washington, D. C, February 28, 1891. f JDear Colonel Kimball — I have yours of the 27th, and thank you very much for kindly inviting me to attend your banquet in honor of Vermont's cen tennial year as a member of the Union. I regret extremely that it is absolutely impossible for me to have this pleasure, as I have made all arrangements 17 to go South with my family on tlie evenin.t,^ on 4II1 of March, to be j^one a month. Wishing you all tvery felicity, both at your baiu|uct and at all times, I am, Very truly yours, (;i:(). V. EDMUNDS. RoiM. I. KiMB.M.L, Esq., No. 16 Broad Street, New York. FROM SENATOr^ MORRILL. Washington, D. C, March 3, 1891. /Jti7r Colonel Kiinhall — Your kind favor of the 2d inst. has been received, inviting me to be present at a banquet of the Brooklyn \'ernionters, on the even- ing of the 4th instant, and I regret that I sliall be unable to accept of the same. I feel sure that wher- ever a company of Vermonters a.ssemble they are always happy. I am too busy to write at more length. Thanking you for your attention, 1 am. Very truly yours, JUSTIN S. MORRILL. Mr. R. I. Ki.MK.ALi., New York. Telegrams of congratulation were read from the Sons of Vermont of Rhode Island, of Boston, from Col. VVhcelock G. Vcazcy, of the Interstate Com- merce Coninnssion, John V. llcnr\-a!id L 11. Fla"overnment. In these days, when vast territories like Dakota, Montana and Washington are reclaimed from the wilderness and from savagery, and matle jiopulous, prosperous and fiill-lledged States within a period of hardly more than a tlozen years, notwithstantling their remote- ness from the civilization out of which their peopU' have been drawn, does it not seem strange that so goodly a land, within a hundred or two of miles from the long established honu's of the ancestors of those who went to take ptjssession of it, should have remanuMl for so many, many years, unoccupied, and almost unknown' ( )f course the difference is clear when we consider the ox team -the mud and corduroy— then sujipiying the only means of trans- portation — and the locomotive, with its roadway of steel, as in use to day. 20 The political history of Vermont is most remark- able, and very different from that of any other member of the union of States comprising our great Republic. Its real development began about the year 1760. Between that date and 1768, 138 town- ships had been granted within the present limits of the State, by Governor Wentworth of New Hamp- shire, who claimed jurisdiction and fee of the soil by virtue of the New Hampshire charter. In Decem- ber, 1763, the Governor of New York issued a proclamation claiming the territory under the grants from Charles II. to the Duke of York, and order- ing the Sheriff to make returns of the names of all settlers west of the Connecticut river under titles derived from New Hampshire. Govenor Went- worth issued a counter proclamation in March, 1774, declaring the claims of New York obsolete, and maintaining the jurisdiction of New Hampshire. New York appealed to King George, who granted that colony jurisdiction eastward as far as the Connecticut river. The New York Government then attempted to dispossess the settlers from their lands. This attempt was met with vigorous and organized resistance. Governor 'I'ryon of New York, in 1774, issued a formal command requiring Etlian Allen, Seth Warner, Remember Baker and five others to surrender themselves within thirty days, under pain of conviction of felony and punishment by death, without benefit of clergy, and offered a bounty of one hundred and fifty pounds for the capture of Allen, and fifty pounds for each of the others. The Vermont leaders responded by offering a reward for the apprehension of the Attorney-General of New 21 \'()rk. What would have l)cc'n tlie result of this controversy it tht- war witli l"".n<;hin(l had not oc- curred to demand the attention of New \'ork, New Hampshire and all the other c^olonies, nobody can conjecture. The behavior of the leading Vermonters in the circumstances next occurring' was manly, statesmen-like and patriotic to a det^ree which ex- cites our admiration and our jj^ratitude for such ancestry. 'I'hey promptly |ietitioned the I'rovincial Congress in session at Philadelphia, for admission into the newly formed confederacy of States. New York, still cherishing the hope that it might secure the territory to itself, opposed, and their petition was withdrawn. On the 17th of January, 1777, these wise and determined men, su!)ported by their brave and devoted followers, the " Green Mountain boys, " declared their independence, and formally "resolved that the territory known as The New Hampshire Grants should be thenceforth known and distin- guished by the name of New Connecticut." But, in June of that year the appropriate name of Ver- mont was adopted, having been suggested by Dr. Thomas Young, of Philadelphia, who was an intimate friend of Ethan Allen from his boyhood, the name being a contraction of the French name of the Green Mountains. In July, 1777, an application was again made to the Continental C'ongress for the admission of Ver- mont to the Confetleracy. Congress hesitated and temporized, and the peo])le be<'ame indignant. Pritish generals took advantage of this condition of affairs and endeavored to induce the Vermonters to declare 22 their allegiance to Great Britain ; but the tact and genuine statesmanship of Ira Allen, Thomas Chit- tenden and others, as well as the courage and determination of Ethan Allen and his noble fol- lowers, preserved the little principality in safety and in honor, to act an important and exceedingly helpful part in the Revolutionary struggle, and finally, after fourteen years of independence of all the world, to be received into the Union, just one hundred years ago this day, as the very first addi- tion to the thirteen original States. I am able to present to you a copy, made a few days ago, from the original Congressional records, showing tnat on the 9th of February, 1791, a message from the President of the United States informed the House of Representatives that he had received documents expressing the consent of the Legislatures of New York and the Territory of Vermont that the said Territory be admitted as a distinct member of the Union. On the 12th of February a message from the Senate informed the House that they had pass- ed a bill for the admission of the State of Ver- mont into the Union. On the 17th of February Mr. Sedgwick, from the Committee appointed for that purpose, presented a bill giving effect to the laws of the United States within the State of Ver- mont, which was read twice and committed. On the 19th the House resolved itself into a Com- mittee of the Whole on the bill giving effect to the laws of the United States within the State of Vermont. The Committee, after some time, rose and reported the bill to the House, with an amend- ment, which, being agreed to, the bill was ordered 23 t(i hi- iMi'^rosscil l(ir .i ihiid icailin^. I'hr House then wrnl into ,i ( 'ommitlrc ol the Whole on tlie bill r(.'L;u kiting the nuiiil)(.T ot npreseiUatives to be chosen b\ tln' States of Keiituckv and N'ennont. 'l"he Coniniiltee rt'poitmn the bill to the I louse without anieiuliuent, on motion, it passed to its third reading. Mr. Cliandler then read transcripts from the records of tlie Senate and House of Rej:)resent- atives of IMarch 4th, 1791, reciting the passage of the act which admitted Vermont to the Union, and the mess.ige of President Washington con- vening tile Senate in special session in the Senate chamber, in Philadelphia, on that da\-, and nom- inating Nathaniel Chipman to be the first judge of the United States Court in that State; Stephen Jacobs, to be attorney for the United States in the district of Vermont ; Lewis R. Morris, to be marshal of the district of Vermont ; and Stephen Keyes, to be collector of the port of Alburgh. Mr. Chandler concluded : It is but just to state that the removal of the ■ol)jections of New ^'ork to the admission of Ver- mont into the Union as a separate State, was not (jbtained until \'ermont had consented, for the sake of peace and hannony, anil for the security of its citizens in the possession of the lands wliieh they had purciiased, to the payment of thirty thousand dollars to the State of New York. The subsequent history of Vermont has been such as might have been expected from its honorable 24 birth and its sturdy growth up to the period of its statehood ; and its record in the war of the rebellion, from the firing of the first gun at Sum- ter until the close of that great conflict, shows that it brought one in ten of its entire population into the field, and that the conduct of its officers and soldiers throughout was no less creditable than that of their ancestry during the war of the revolution. Its civil government may justly said to have been, from the first, based upon principles of absolute equal rights before the law, and to have been so carried out in practice in an eminent degree. It has been, in fact, as well as in theory, " a govern- ment of the people, by the people, and for the people." Its citizens are best governed, largely be- cause they are least governed, of any under the sun, while its freedom from political corruption, in its legislature, its courts, and among its public officers, from the highest to the lowest, affords an example which, if successfully emulated by all our States and by our national government, would bring us almost within sight of the millennial day. At the conclusion of Mr. Chandler's remarks Mr. Benedict resumed : Gentlemen — Our next sentiment is, " Vermont one hundred years old." It would not be easy for any one to do full justice to that subject. Who could fitly portray for us what Vermont has been duVing that hun- dred years? Who could picture for us all the heights and depths, the heights of prosperity and patriotism, the depths of deprivation and toil 25 wliuli have Iklii llic wiiieil ixtiljoii ol her pco- l)lc .-' W'lio couKl i)i)rlr,i)' for us the hc.uitics ol Vermont hcisrlf, from Cmada lo the Massachu- setts line, and from tlie top of Mansheld Mountain to the Conneelieut Ri\er anil Lake Cliamplaiii r' Tlie man who would do that must needs have a "pencil toucheel with frost and fiie."' The Committee of Arrani^ements have done what they could. Tliey have .isked Mr. I^'rost to speak to us on the subject, and 1 think you will find that he will furnish the fire. I ha\e the pleasure of introducing;' to \'ou Rev. T. P. h'rost, of the Summerheld Methodist Church. REV. T. P. FROST'S ADDRESS. Mr. PkKsiDKNr .and CJrek.n Mouni ain IJovs — llie simple statement that 1 rei,^ard it an honor to speak in this place to-nir re|>resent- ation has been small, her voice has been respectetl. In Congress she has never been weak, but always 28 among the strongest. No Vermonter in all these years has had cause to l)lush for the position lieUl by his State, either in the House or the Senate of the United States, and tliis country could not well afford to have missed some of the . work done by Vermonters in Washington. Nor could the nation span the results of their heroic work upon the battle fields of the republic. Some of the sister States have been disposed to poke fun at Vermont in a good-natured way, be- cause she is small and iier family increases no faster. True, the State is not large, but she furnishes some large opportunities to her people. I understand that according to the findings of the census of 1S90 there is no other State in the Union in which the aver- age man owns so much value in live stock, or tlie average cow produces so much butter, or the aver- age agriculturist has so much hay in his barn with so little hayseed in his hair, as in Vermont. The Brattlcboro Phoenix has recently printed the follow- ing, among other results, reached by comparing cer- tain available statistics of the census : Vermont leads thirty-seven States in the average value of all farm productions to each person engaged in agriculture. Vermont produces more than four times as much butter to each person engaged in agriculture as the average to each such person in the United States. The average product of cheese to each farm is greater than- in any other State excepting New York. 'I'he average number of milch cows to a farm is greater than in any other State. The hay cro]) of Vermont averages more to each person engaged in agriculture than the hay crop of any other State. 29 \'cnn()iU has live stixk avcraL;iii.u m value $i ro more to eac-li jhtsoii ent^an-ed in a^riciill arc lliaii the correspomlino- average value of livi' --lock m [\\v United States. Vermont leads thirty-two States in the averaije value of live stock to a farm. The avera.y[e annual product of maple su<.i;^ar to each farm in Vermont is nearly seven times as much as the average to each farm in New Vovk. Nearly two-thirds of all the iiiaple su^ar produced in the Ignited States is made in \'ermont and New \'ork. In the yield of corn, potatoes and f)ther crops per acre, Vermont ji^enerally stands at or near the head of the list of States. lUit two States had a lart^^er yield of potatoes per acre, accordiny the tenth census only two States had a lars^er yield of oats per acre than Vermont ; onlv three Stales a larger yield of corn per acre, and the yield per acre of almost every crop cultivated in the State was far above the average per acre in the United States. Vermont has more than once stood at the head of the States in the yield of corn per acre. Vermont leads thirty-six States in the average value of forest |)roducts to each farm, not including majile sugar as one of these jiroduct.s, and not including the jiroduct of timber lands not belonging to farms. It appears from these facts that Vermont must \^v one of the best localities of the world for farmers. And yet the ninnber of sons and daughti'rs in the old homestead has increased but little for tui'iitv years. 30 I think tlie first report of the census of this year showed a decrease of ei.a^hty-two lUTSons in the popu- lation of the State during- the decade. I could not account for it. 1 knew that Secretary Proctor and General Veazey had t>;one to V/ashington, and that an humble individual, whom modesty forbids me to name, had moved to Brooklyn meantime, but where the seventy-nine others had oone to was more than I could imagine. According to the latest report it is not necessary to account for them, as there has been a little increase in the population afttr all. l'>ut the reason for the tardiness of increase in population is easily fcnnid. It is not that the State gives birth to so few children, but because she sends so many out to make other families respectable. In proof of this statement I quote from another source: "The census of 1880 gives the number of natives of Vermont living in other States and territories as 176,000. Thus it will be seen that in 1880 more than forty-two per cent, of all living Vermonters resided in other parts of the country ; therefore, the natives of Vermont, with their children, living outside of the State undoubtedly are more in number than the present population at home. It is doubtful whether any other State in the Union can show such an array of native born citizens who have occupied high positions m the public service within a single decade since the foundation of the government. Vermont has furnished one President, three Vice- Presidents, two Presidents pro ton. of the Senate, three cabinet officers, ten ministers plenipotentiary to foreign countries, eight United States consuls at foreign stations, eight United States court judges and one surgeon-general of the United States And at present Vice-President I-. P. Morton ; the Secre- larv til' War, Kcdik'ld I'loctoi-. llic Assistant Sk rclary of War, CciiLTal I,. A. ('.rant; tlif i^raiid (ominaiKk-r of tlic Ciraiul Army of llu- Kcpubru-, W. (>. \'ca/ey, are all Wrinoiitrrs ; ami our two senators, Justin S. Morrill and Cieor^e 1''. I'alnunuls, arc the peers oi tlieni all. I'ew, if any, other States in ihe Union have contributed so largely lo llic representation of other States in ('on,^rcss as Vermont. The rolls of the Senate and the Hi)usc of Representatives since 1840 contain the names of ten senators and si.xty- two niend)ers, representinj; other States, who were natives of X'crmont." Thus X'crmont is contniually sendinj; out her children to bless other reunions. Wherever Ver- monters have ,m)ne (and they have j^one everywhere between the fri,!.;id zones) tiiey have made their mark. Whenever 1 rise with the winL;s of fancy to survey their avhievements in the world-wide field, 1 become exultant. Were it not for a single fact 1 might on these occasions mount so high as to touch heaven's ceridean dome. lUit that fact always checks my llight, and reminds me of the well- known advue ol the ohi philoso|)her to tin- young (jrator, namely — that he would do well to pluck a few feathers from the wings of his imagination and stick them in the tail of his judgment. When 1 rise to the contemplation of N'ernionters' operations outside their State, L'tah greets my vision, and 1 am confrontt'd with the chilling recollection that Brigham \'oung was born in X'crmont. 'I'o be sure he nunle a mark, but it was ugly ami tliscredit- able. And yet we arc able to find a few crumbs of consolation to heli) us in this difticulty. We do not forget that the law passed by the National 32 Congress which gave Mormon polygamy its death l)h)W bears a Vermunter's name. Again we rellect that Urigiiam Young was born in tlie town of Whitingham, very ne'jr the Massachusetts line, where breezes from the waste places of the old l>ay State are borne up into the fastnesses of the Green Mountains. He nuist have breathed much Massa- chusetts air. Perhaps he was nourished from a Massachusetts dairy, and if so, that might account for some of his waywardness. This is not said because of any ill-feeling toward our sister State, or with any desire to tarnish her fair fame, simply because it is imperative that at such a time as this we find relief from an unsavory fact at the expense of somebody. Furthermore, we are able to console ourselves with the thought tiuit had it not been for the prestige of being a Vermonter, the Mormon leader could not have persuaded half as many women to marry him. We treat the case as a conspicuous illustration oi falling from grace. Ver- monters have sometimes done it But most of the sons and daughters sent out by the State have made an honorable record. Call the roll of Vermonters in any State of the Union and a host will respond to your call — not a regiment of knaves anti tatter- demalions coming up from the slums to put you to shame, but an assemblage of citizens inlluential and honored. We feel it scarcely possible to e.xas'gerate in sounding the i)raises of oui native State. History from the beginning presents its |)eoples of renown. The sages of Athens, the heri)es of Sparta, the Swiss and Tolish patriots, their deeds are unniorlal- i/.t.(I , but wc l)liisli iiol when \vc linn lioin an< icnl story to our own Statu of modern tiniu. When wc retrace the reeortl of her jiulieiary from those who are trusted to-tlay bael< to a Kolinison, a C'hipniaii ami tlieir coiileinporaries ; when we retrace the r(jll of her statesmen from an iMhiumds, a Morrill, a Phelps, ami all other honored men who serve us now back to our Aliens, Warners, llakers and Chit- lendcns, whose (.lust hallows our hillsides ; and when we retrace the story of her true sovereigns, the com- mon people, from this nii;ht backward an hundred years to the few thousands of brave men and women who held the independent State between the blue Adiromlacks in the West and the While Mountains in the I'vast, we are not ashamed lo ])laie the \'er- monters by the siele of any other peojile of history. The past is crowned with lumor. What the future shall be, we do not know. There are conilicts before us. iMiemies are covertly and villainously seeking to undermine the pillars of righteous government, destroy the beneficence of free institutions, antl violate the sanctity of Christian homes. lUil what- ever the conflicts or their issue may be, we trust that the last State flag to be struck before any black ensign of unrighteousness, will be the banner which bears upon its fokls the picturetl emblem of peace, and those two worths so dear to every Christ- ian antl patriot heart, Fkkkoom and UMr\. Cod bless our native State! Cod grant that in the ages to come her sons ami daughters yet unborn may guard her liberties and her tame with no less vigil- ant care than have iier children of a ceiiturv gone. 34 In introducinjjj the next speaker Mr. Benedict said : We who are collected here, although our earlier years were spent among the hills and val- leys of Vermont, are men of the city, who feel the burden and stress of city life. That burden it is which has led to the habit of the summer exo- dus, which sends our city people to seek health and rest in the country among the woods and fields. We are fortunate that we, in the pursuit of our summer recreation, can betake ourselves so easily to Vermont, where we may not only enjoy the beauties of her mountains and her streams, but may revive our spirits by bringing back again the associations of our early days, and treading the paths which were once familiar to our youthful feet. But even others, though not Vermonters, must recognize the truth of the next sentiment which 1 give you. " Vermont — A Paradise for Summer Visitors." And for a response to this sentiment I call upon one who is not of Vermont origin but from her neighbor on the north, our friend Hon. Erastus Wiman. ERASTUS WIMAN'S SPEECH. Erastus Wiman spoke substantially as follows: A foreigner, and especially a Britisher, enjoys a view widely different tium that of the native Amer- ican, of the progress and conditions i)revailing in the United States. A Vermonter, especially, is " to the manner born," and looks upon his State with an affec- 35 tion which covers its defects, and hardly permits him to see its pecidiantit-s. A lOreioiur approaches the investijration of conditions that |)revail here in an observant and more or less critical condition of mind, ;iiid il ill' is thoroiiL;l)ly indxied with the ,id van tastes, glories and surroundings of such a commonwealth as Vermont, his appreciation, and his sense of complete- ness are at once advantageous and satisfied. Of all the commonwealths that make up the vast constella- tion that on this continent so illumine the world, Vermont is one of the most interesting, as it is one of the most attractive. This is so, because of the pec-idiarity of her location; her clean cut history: her extreme attractiveness, and, above all, for the hearty love of her off-spring. 'I'he present group of Vermonters is an indication, that with little notice and no i)articular effort, such a delightful assemblage comes together to do her honor, (".o where you will over the broad continent, Vermonters will be fomid ; and always and every time with a hearty love for the place that gave them birth ; and, what is more, they will always be found thrifty, progressive, honest and uniformly successful. .\ liritisher who looks upon Vermont sees all the advantages which she posse.s.ses, and as she forms so important a link between forty per cent, of the British Empire in the North, and the great aggregation of English speaking peojile on the South, there is an attractiveness about her that, next to the people of Vermont themselves, extorts admiration and res])ect. It was, perhaps, a great mis- take that I'Uhan .Allen was not successful in cajitur- ing Canada, as he so ardently desired, and making it a part of Vermont. Had he done so, and brought 36 in forty per cent, of the British Empire into the tight and little State whose glory we celebrate, he who speaks to you to-night would have been a Vermonter, and would have gloried in the appellation. It has been said that the best crop that Vermont had was her summer visitors. 'J'hose who go there, and get all that Vermont bestows, never cease to extol her virtues. Her summer visitors, too, are largely made up of her own sons, and these, coming from abroad, with a thrift and success which they have achieved, make, indeed, a splendid group, and yield a large return for the largess of her generous hospital- ity. In return for this, there is no place in the world that bestows purer health, that imparts purer air, that restores the nervous force, and lays the basis for greater achievements, than do the health-giving prop- erties that abound in the mountains and lakes of Vermont. The attractions of Vermont are not only, however, to her own sons— they are beginning to be appreciated by all others. No other place is so near great aggregations of humanity, is so accessible, and possesses the same attractions. 'I'he variety of lake, mountain, hill and dale exceeds that of any other State in the Union. Especially is this so of the excellency of her roads to numerous mountain resorts, and of the attractiveness and beauty of the scenery, which render them so delightful. The Green Moun- tain range, which runs the entire length of the State, ■possesses a variety and a free prosjiect unequaled in the world ; valley and mountain top, hill and dale, rival each other in their attractiveness of beauty ; such piles upon piles as Mount Mansfield, Camel's Hump, Ascutney Mountain, l^quinox, Killington Peak, 37 and Mount Antliony, arc all iiinnaclcs of |)lfasurc, not only for tlic lovini^' WTniontcr, hut for all those who are tired and weary, who under the pressure of tlie winter's work in town and city have l)ecoinc ea,2;er to eonininne with Nature, and when recreation is the necessity of the hour. It is doul)tfid, if there is, anywhere in tiic worhl, a ^roup of mountains so accessible, so charniiuL;, and from which such an infin- ite variety of views can be had, as from tiiis cata- logue of elevations, this sea of mountains. lUit in vivid contrast with her mountain scenery, her lakes are famous. Who would believe that in this tight little State there are no less than three hundred and seventy-three lakes and ponds? True, they are not all great stretches of water like Lake C'hamplain and Lake Memphremagog ; but such i^lacid sheets of water as each Vermonter will recall, nestling in the valleys, beneath the mountains, thrilling with delight him who has the good fortune to view them. AntI what a splendid stretch is this Lake Chami^lain ! Have you ever realized that it has no less than two lunulretl miles of shore Tine, including the main land and the islands? What more delightful than its placid waters for boating, fishing, and bathing; its good fishing almost everywhere; its numerous hoU'ls, so easy to be got at, and so delightful when one is there! New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, and other great aggregations, have, in these lovely sheets of water, a health-giving resource difficult to over-esti- mate. As to Lake Memphremagog, it is a cpiestion whether there is anything in this world prettier. Certainly nothing in Switzerland, which has called forth the admiration of millions, can excel the beauty 38 of this lovely sheet of water, with shores so verdant, bays so beautiful, coasts so rock-bound, and islands so forest-clad. What in nature could excel the attract- iveness of this ]iaradise ? If you realize that it is one hundred and twenty miles lonjj;-, and ten miles wide, you see that it is, at once, an ideal spot for the yachtsman, the sportsman, and the seeker for health. The growth of the leisure class is very great. The success in life of the generation that now is, means that in the generation that is to come there will be an enormous class who will need just such places as these lakes in which to spend their sum- mers. And it is a blessed thing that it is so. U'here the change is so easy, where it is so complete and vital, it is a beneficence that Vermont possesses all this attractiveness. Vermont will, therefore, constantly reap her best crop from the cities of the East and the West, because these great accumulations of cities make certain the demand for the enjoyment that such scenes afford. She can well afford to treat with liberality, as she always has with hospitality, those who come within her borders. The speaker said he recalled with infinite pleas- ure a ten days' visit which he had made to the State, under the guidance of that excellent Vermonter, Col. Robert J. Kimball, who was mainly instrumental in bringing the company together to-night ; who had taken a group of Canadian friends through these beautiful scenes, the memory of which would live as long as the guests lived. But there is another class of visitors to Vermont that in a certain sense, the speaker said, he repre- sented, viz : the large additions to the population of 39 that Slalc from ("anada. W'liilf the j^dod crop of simiiiKT visitors cuiiies from llic Ivisl, Soulli and West, ami all arc most heartily welcomed, there was another steaily trend of I'reneli C'anvidians from the North, whose business in X'erniont was just as essential, and who were just as prohtablc as visitors from other re.^ions. The strange economic chans^es which Ver- mont had iL^one through, in the abantlonment of her farms, anil in the decreasing' a,L;ricultin"al outjiul, were a most interesting study to her children. The "grad- ual acquirement, by the Irish laborer, of some of the best producing properties in the State had made some j)rogress, but it remained for the French ("ana- (.lian to take permanent possession. Like the in- vasion from the North in the time of the Roman I'hnpire, from this direction comes a new element that will in time work a wonderful revolution in this the most V'ankee of States. The I'rench Canadians, to-day, are the most picturescjue nation on the con- tinent. They are, at the same time, among the most thrifty, the most industrious, anti the most contenteel. 'I'he exodus of the l'"rench Canadian into a State needing just such help as Vermont, will certainly be fruitful of the best conseiiueiices. I'he abandcjned farms will gradually be taken up, and in the vil- lages the C'anadian will displace the (icrman and the Irishman, as in New England these have tlisplaced the workmen in the manufactories. The best test of the growth of the French Canadian in New Eng- land is found in the fact that at the new stations of the railways the dual language is found to be necessary, and that the legends in and arouml the stations are found in French as well as English. 40 Vermont may view with complacency the growth of this class, because they will contribute vastly to her riches. The Vermonters of the early day have dis- appeared ; the Irishman tiiat succeeded tliem is stepping aside in the steady course of assimilation which is going on in this country ; but the French Canadian comes in his place, and with a distinctive language, a distinctive religion, and witli character- istics pecuHar to himself, will occui)y a place in the future of great importance on this continent. One thing will give him prominence more than anything else, and that is the marvelous fecundity which the French Canadians have exhibited. Tlie census figures show that in the last ten years there has been little or no increase in Vermont. The decade that we are now entering will tell a different story, and unless the blight in New England, whicii has hitherto pre- vented growth in population, should intervene, the results of the next census will be vastly different. The fecundity of the French Canadian is shown by the estimate of Premier Mercier, who states that had the United States increased with the same rapidity as French Canada, since the cession of 1770, the [)()pulation of the United States to-day would have been one hundred miUions, instead of sixty-four millions. With a constant increase in numbers, with industry, economy and contentment, a basis will be laid by the French Canadian among the work- ing people of Vermont, that will contribute largely to her progress and glory. ' A great change impends in the economic condi- tions that prevail in the United States. The cities are filling u[) fast, and the growth of consumptive 41 tk'in.Mul for tooci products far exceeds tlie iiK rease in iheii' p iml ml i on. The rush to I he West is checked, ami iniim^iation is sctlinL; m from tlu- Rocky Mountains and to the I'lasl. I'he uicieasetl necessity foi' ch)ser cultivation will make States like N'ermonl assume a new phase, and on her hillsides and in her valleys will in time develo|) a condition of cultivation similar to that which jn-evails in the densely populateil portions of France, l5elt,Mum, and especially Switzerland. The hi.L:.h price of ])r()duce, the increased cost of living, the lessened number of |)roducers in the country as compared with consum- ers in the cities and towns, all point in the tlirec- tion of ;in increase of a,L;ricullural effort in the Eastern States of very threat |:)romise. No better class to accomplish this purpose can be found than the P'rench Canadians ; no better held for operations than Ver- mont ; and no better market than that which is offered by the .^reat a;4i;re,L;ati<)ns of the cities of the sea, in wdiich Brooklyn forms so distinj^uished a part. Thus a new future for Vermont opens up. in a hundred years she has .^rown enormously, and a hundred years has alfordeil opportunitv to illustrate, all over the world, the j^reatness of her sons ; Inn. prosperity yet awaits her, in this exodus from the North, of very threat importance. Mr. W'iman said that he could not resmne his seal without payinij tribute to the public worth of the representatives of Vermont in the i)olitics of the coim- try. He recalled with very ^reat j^leasure the .l^^oocI services rentlered by .\Ii'. Phelps, the late Minister to EnirJand — the splendid administration which was being given to the War Department by Secretary 6 42 Proctor, — the long and honored period of services by Senator Morrill, and, especially, the high position as a statesman and economist, so worthily attained by Senator Edmunds. Mr. Benedict, in introducing the next speaker, said : Gentlkmen — We had hoped to have with us our friend Rev. A. J. Hough, the chaplain of the House, but he has been prevented from attending. He has, however, sent us a poem pre- pared for the occasion, which will now be read to you by Prof. Braiiierd Kellogg, of the Polytechnic Institute. , A GREEN MOUNTAIN SONG. Bv Rev. Alfred J. Hough, Montpelier, Vt. Here's a song of our green mountains, Fair, and loved and honored State, Of her valleys and her fountains. And her sons who made her great. Bright will shine her deeds in story, Ever more her fame will ring. Covered is her flag with glory, And her praises will we sing. Burgoyne met his first disaster At her iiands, and stood bereft Of all hope, while the Vermonters Hung, '' a dark cloud on his left." Scorning foes, and courting dangers, Ready both to do and dare, 43 Daslu'd tin- brave Circcii Mountain Rany^crs SiuUk'nlv upon his rear. IH'nniii'^ton rrvcals the couraijje ( )nr Ciiccn iMoiinlain lioys disjilay, WluTi' thcv won from forcijj;n soldiers Two pilflied battles in one day. At the fort TiconderoiLia, ere Vermont IJecame a State, ('.lowed the passion of the spirit 'I'hat has made her strong and great, r.v the Continental Congress, in the (ireat Jehovah's name, Ethan Allen there demanded swift Surrcndi'r, and it came. Independent in her bearing, she is not Subdued or bought, As New York can well remember, And New Hampshire, when they sought In the stormy past to stamp her • With the honored names they bore. Now they glory in her freedom, and She loves them more and more Since her advent to the ITnion, just a hundred years ago, See her history, it is lying, stainless As her driven snow. Never slave was born within her. Never fugitive was spurned In the dark days from her borders \m\ to slavery returned. When one sought a slave's surrender, This decisive answer came : Your demand must lie unhonored. For God has a prior claim." Freedom's soul is in the sighing Of her pines o'er mountains green, 44 And the smile of peace is lying On her vales that sweep between. Soft the skies that bend above her, , Dear the homes that round her cling. Old Vermont we love, we love her. And her praises will we sing. Small she is, a bird can cross her Without resting, in its flight, But she has a compensation in The grandeur of her height Standing up amidst the nation, As once stood the kingly Saul, In the presence of the people, head And shoulders over all. Greece was small, and so was Britain, But they rose to sovereign sway. As Vermont has slowly risen to The place she holds to-day. Larger States may turn to hail her As she rounds her hundredth year, But for purity and honor she is Still without a peer. And this sweet assurance cheers her, That her sons and daughters stand, Not the least among the noblest in Those States all through the land. Where true merit is demanded. Where integrity is crowned. Where truth conquers, single-handed, There Vermont is- always found. To the Cabinet she enters, and Would place her candidate In the first seat of the nation Were she but a doubtful State. In the Senate she has spoken, still Is speaking, and her word. 45 Calm, niajcslic, full of wisdom, Carries wciyiit wiieiiever lieard. On the bench and in tlie market Pure as flame lier actions i^low, And what battle- luM beheld her I'lirn her back upon t lie foe? l''or the nation knows that ever In the day of blood and tears She can count upon the valor of Her hardy Mountaineers ; That in answer to tin* bui^le, forth I'rom mountain and from li'len Will be marching' to the battle fifty 'I'housand armed men. As they marched — well, all men Know it, for this fact in history shines, That Vermont is .ti,ood at jilowint;- Stony lands and rebel lines." Sound the busj^le, she will hear it. And awake to mis^hty deeds. Lift the banner, she will cheer it, And then follow where it leads. It's the best State in the Union For the cure of that distress Which a sitjht of jn'ople die of. Known as chronic laziness. For her summer is too fleeting for A man to sit at ease, .\ml her winter such a wild one That he's bound to work or freeze. Stamped upon her vales and mountains, Clearly seen by every eye. Are these words of solemn import — You must either dig or die. Was there ever breathed from organ. Or rehearsed in poet's lines, 46 Any music like the sighing of The winds among her pines ? Any strain by spirit chanted Through a night of happy dreams, That surpassed the measures woven By the flowing of her streams ? There's the spirit of contentment In the lowing of her herds, There's a thrill of heavenly rapture In the singing of her birds. And sublime as shout of victors, When their foes, defeated, fly. Is the answer of her mountains To the thunders of the sky. Were there ever laid on canvas For the love of fame or gold. Hues like those which clothe her Maples when the year is growing old ? Softer lights and richer shadows float Before her children's eyes 'I'han have swept the wolds and waters Underneath Italian skies. Who shall paint her mountains rising Up like towers to greet the sun ? Or the streams that from their summits To their bases leap and run ? Who shall tell the strange enchantment Of her resurrection hours. When the springtide rises o'er her Changing snowdrifts into flowers' When the woods all bare at sunset Greet the morrow's tender dawn, Like a troop of pleasure seekers With their summer garments on ? Angels drifting to her valleys, ere Her Indian summer dies. Might still dream that they were Standing in the midst of Paradise. 47 Horses? wrll, tr<»t "Hi th.it Mori^an, Hitch litT up, ;iiul i-lcar tlic way. Soc that uail ? She'll kcfj) it steady Through the loiii^esl suninur thiy, Swini;' a buj^'.ny o'er the moiiiUaiiis, Reins drawn tit^ht or lyin^' slack, Turn at nightfall to the stables, Not a wet hair on her back. Little, is she? well, each finely moulded. Supple, nervous limb Is just like the State that raised" Her, crowded full of .yo and vim. Anil its safe to say for traveling Over those delightful hills, Nothing better than the Morgan Kver stood between two Idls. Maple Sugar? She supplies it, itn" The east and western home, Sweeter than the nectar hidden In the purest honeycoud). Oh, the tinkle of the droijping Of the sap into the pails, Was there ever such fantastic Music borne upon the gales? Was there ever sight more jolly Seen b\- mortals here below. Than a group of lads and lasses Eating sugar upon snow ? There's her butter! just Look at it ! N'ellow as her golden rod I Colored ? Ves, with colors Nature Mi.xed up with her virgin soil ! Bring that Jersey ! Milk a pail full. And the cream at once wdl rise 'I'o the surface, rich and yellow, While you look, before your eyes. 48 Then the women are such marvels, Made of such superior parts, That tlie butter when they touch it Takes the flavor of their hearts. Every time they turn it over, knead It up or toss it round, Something seems to make it worth Another cent or two a pound. See it ready for the market, wrapped In snow-white linen bands, And you'll say that it was moulded By the daintiest of hands. At the Century's shining portal fair Vermont is standing now. There is grace in all her moulding, There is glory on her brow. The aromas of the forest, from her Flowing garments rise. Clear as lakes becalmed in sunlight is The shinmg of her eyes. She extends a maple garland in Her right hand, strong and fair. As a sign of salutation to her children Everywhere, And they rise responsive round her, and The tender symbol heed ; With their benedictions crown her, x^nd with us exclaim —" Cod speed." Mr. Benedict said : Gentleman — Our exercises would not be com- plete if we were to omit mention of the Press. I give you as a final sentiment " The Vermont Press," and I call upon Mr. Hamilton Ormsbee to respond. 49 HAMILTON ORMSBEE'S SPEhCH. \'()ur C'oinniillcc camiot luive expected lioiii me any history or eult)gy ol the Vermont press, such as the siibjeet deserves from more familiar and more able hands. My serviie upon the ne\vspa|)ers of Vermont was h)ni; enough to show me that they have a record for service to the best interests of their Slate which should be recited as a part of the State's history, but which should be told from the standpoint of loni; ami intimate accpiaintance. lUit there is another side of the subject upon which it would \)v unL;racious, in sucli a company as this, not to say a word. 'I'hat is the gratitude which \'ermonters far frcjni the shadow of their native peaks feel towaril the editors who stay at home. What " Kaijle" scream be never so ehxpiently ; what "Sun," though it shine for all; what "Tribune," on its tower of judgment, can com[;are in interest for the son of Vermont with those little papers which the postman brings us on l''riday afternoon? How eagerly we read them, from the column of personals upon the fourth page backward to the poem at the begin- ning of the first. It matters not whether it is the "Rutland Herald," the " P.urlington Free I'res.s," the "St. Albans Messenger," the "M()nl|)elier Watchman," the "St. lohnsbury Caletlonian," the " Henninglon Banner," the "Newport K.xpress," the Windsor or Poultney or Manchester "Journal," the "Woodstock Standard," the " Middlebury Register," the " Marre Enterprise," the " Vergennes Vermonter," the " Kan- (.lolph Herald and News." the " l>rattleboro Reformer" or " i'lKcni.x," the " l''air Haven l*'.ra," the " Rellows 50 Falls Times," the '' r)rand()n Union "or the " London- derry Sifter" — if that vivacious little journal is still sifting — we read them from editorials to advertise- ments. Metropolitan journalists are somewhat given, 1 be- lieve, to making merry over the items about the reshingling of John Smith's barn or about Widow Conant's rheumatism. But how much they mean to those of us who know John and who remember Mrs. Conant's kindly face with its big rimmed glasses. There is also a metropolitan impression that a Ver- mont printing office is — well, that it is not exactly a Colorado silver mine. A somewhat varied observation convinces me that the Vermont editor and his city brother stand upon a substantial and glorious equal- ity in that respect. Journalists nowhere become mil- lionaires, except occasionally by marriage on the other side of the East river. But neither do they, in Vermont any more than in New York city, fail to enjoy the substantial blessings of life. 1 presume there may be in Vermont a fi^w editors who have taken pay for subscriptions in cordwood or eggs, but nobody accuses the Vermont editor of storing his cordwood inside his skull, or using his addled eggs to bespatter his neighbors' reputations with. Then more power to the elbow of the Vermont editor ! May his subscription list wax fat and never kick ! He knows his public, he serves it faithfully, ■and he deserves well of it, especially of that part of it far from home, to whom he is village post- office, tavern and sewing society rolled into one. 5' Mr. luMicdict ilisniisscd the coinpaii)- as follows: GlCN'ILKMKN -This l)rint^s to a close the exer- cises of this occasion. 1 con<^iatulatc you all that it has proved so pleasant and so successful, and I hope that a year from this time we all and many others may have the [)leasure of a second and an equally deliL:jhtful meetinjjf. BY-LAWS OF THE Orooklyr^ Oociety of V srrr^oriters. The Committee appointed to present plans for a permanent organization made their report and recommended the following By-Laws, which were adopted : Article i. Tliis Society shall be called "The Brooklyn Society of Vermontkrs," and its object shall be the social improvement of its members and a more cordial union of interest and sympathy among Vermonters who reside in Brooklyn or its vicinity. Art. 2. The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treas- urer. There shall also be an Executive Committee consisting of the above named officers, cx-officio, and five other persons. Art. 3. The President shall preside at all meet- ings of the Society, and shall perform such other duties as appropriately belong to such office. AR'r. 4. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President during tlie al)sencc of thrtt officer. Art. 5. The Secretary shall keep a faithful record of all the meetings of the Society, attend to cor- respondence, and notify the members of all meet- ings and special assessments, if any. At the request 53 ol the I'rcsidi'iU or tlic I'lxcciitivc- ("(.mmitl cc. Ik- may provide l)o()ks, blanks and stat ioiicrv for his own list' as Secretary, and for the Society. He shall .dso keep a suitable book of record, in which shall be recorded the names of all mend)ers of the Society, their birthplace, occupation, and present place of residence, which shall be accessible to all members of the Society. Ari'. 6. The Treasurer shall collect all dues, and attend to the disbursi-ments of the money of tiie Society, paying only those bills which are autlited by the Ivxecuti ve ("ommitlee, and keeiiin^- vouchers for the same; and he shall present to the Society a full report of the receijHs and expenditures at the annual meetinir, and ofteiu-r if called upon by the K.xe(-utive Committee. Akr. 7. The Executive Committee shall make arranijements for all meetin.trs or entertainments of the Society, and have plenary powers to act in the interim of business meetinsrs. The President, Vice- President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be cx-officio members of the Executive, and a majority thereof shall constitute a quorum to do business. Aur. S. The officers and the Executive Commit- tee shall be elected by ballot, and a jilurality shall elect. They shall hold office for one year, and until their successors are elected. Art. 9. The reticular annual meetino- of the Soci- ety shall be held on the second W'l'dnesday in [an- uary for the election of officers and any other business that may ( omc before it ; if the election 54 is not held on that day it may lie ordered by the ICxecutive Committee, and when so ordered, a week's notice shall be given to each member of the Society. Special meetings may be held at any time by order of the Executive Committee. Art. io. The annual festival shall be held on March 4th, or such other time as the Executive Committee may designate. Art. n. The members of this Society shall con- sist of gentlemen who were born in Vermont, and their sons, and such other gentlemen as, by resi- dence and association, claim to be Vermonters, resid- ing in Brooklyn or vicinity, and who shall have l^een recommended by the Executive Committee, upon their signing the Constitution and By-Laws and paying the admission fee. Art. 12. The Executive Committee may, by the concurring votes of two-thirds of all its members, suspend any member from enjoying the privileges of the Society who may be guilty of gross misbehavior, or scandalous or dishonest conduct. Art. 13. The regular initiation fee shall be two dollars, which sum shall be invariably paid to the Treasurer by each member before he shall be enti- tled to the privileges of membership ; and there shall thereafter be an annual assessment of one dollar. Art. 14. These By-Laws may be amended at the regular annual meeting, provided the proposed amend- ment shall have been submitted at-- least thirty days previously. /Aenr^bers of tl^e Society. The followini^ is a list of the members of the l^i'ooklyii Society of Wrmt)iitei's, who became mem- bers at its first meetiiii;", on March 4, 1891, with the name of the Vermont town where tliey were born, or have Hved for such a time as to become Vermonters in spirit. GKORCE i:. Ai;i;OT r, liiooklicld. Orai)};c Co. ALONZO ALFORD, St. Albans, !• rankliii Co. JOHN C. ALLEN, Wallingfoid, Rutland Co. JOHN J. ALLEN, Burlington, Chittenden Co. RUEUS C. Al^LEN, Wallingford, Rutland Co. VV. E. ANDREW.S, Waitsfkld, Washington Co. C. G. ATWOOD, Townshend, Windham Co. JOSERH M. BABCOCK, Danville, Caledonia Co. L. K. BARNES, Brooklyn. J. A. BARRETT, Woodstock, Windsor Co. J. HYATT BREWER, West Randolph. Orange Co. B. L. BENEDICT, Burlington, Chittenden Co. ROBER r D. BENEJ)ICT, Burlington, Chittenden Co. THOMAS BISHOP. St. Johnsbury, Caledonia Co. JAMES BRADY, Bellows Falls, Windham Co. FRANK M. BRADY, Brooklyn WH.LIAM BRINSNLVH), lUirlington, Chittenden Co. ALBERT B. CHANDLER, Rando!i)h, Orange Co. ALBERT E. CHANDLER, Brooklyn. FRANK H. CHANDLER, Randolph, Orange Co. FRANK W. CHANDLER, Brooklyn. W.M. 11. COTTON, Bradford, Orange Co. CHARLES H. CUT TING. BENJAMIN H. DEWEY, Georgia, Franklin Co. MARTIN A. DEWEY, Waterbury, Washington Co. FRANCIS M. E1)(;ERT0N, IVniilney, Rutland County. l.oV 56 GEORGE FOLLETT, East Berkshire, Franklin Co. A. W. FOLLETT, East Berkshire, Franklin Co. EDGAR A. FOLLETT, East Berkshire, Franklin Co. Rkv. timothy p. FROST, Fairlee, Orange Co. JOHN F. HENRY, Waterbury, Washington Co. ABEL T. HOWARD, Hartford, Windsor Co. OMRI F. HIBBARD, CHARLES A. HOYT, Burlington, Chittenden Co. HENRY E. HUTCHINSON, Windsor, Windsor Co. JESSE JOHNSON, Bradford, Orange Co. GEORGE H. KELLEY, Chester, Windsor County. BRAINERD KELLOGG, ROBERT J. KIMBALL, Randolph, Orange Co. WM. EUGENE KIMBALL, Brooklyn. JOHN G. LOVELY, W. C. LOW, Bradford, Orange Co. JOHN G. MARSHALL, St. Albans, Franklin Co. HENRY C. MATTHEWS, Granby, Esse.\ Co. RICHARD A. NEWHALL, Pittsfield, Rutland Co. THEOBHILUS OLENA, Grand Isle Co. HAMILTON ORMSBEE, Rutland, Rutland Co. RICHARD I. ITERSON, Charlotte, Chittenden Co. CHAS. POWERS, Sutton, Caledonia Co. JAS. H. PLATT, Burlington, Chittenden Co. E. A. PRATT. WILLIAM M. RAMSDELL. Montpelier, Washington Co. WM. C. SPELMAN, Manchester, Bennington Co. N. T. SPRAGUE, Mount Holly, Rutland Co. II. R. STEELE, SANFORD H. STEELE, CHAS. A. TINKER, St. Albans, Franklin Co. ARTHUR L. TINKER, St. Albans. Franklin Co. LEANDER TITUS, Wilmington, Windham Co. HENRI TITUS, Wilmington, Windham Co., J. C. TURK. PRESCOTT L. WATSON, Wilmington, Windham Co. WALTER P.WHEELER, Brandon, Rutland Co. GEORGE A. WHITE, Shelburne, Chittenden Co.