three convents and numerous parish schools. All the graded schools and academies prepare pupils for college, but only one in two hundred and sixty of the graded school pupils goes to college. About one-quarter of all the children in the state attend the graded schools. Education is made compulsory by law, but it is not rigidly enforced. Vermont has been a prohibition state for thirty-five years, and instruction in hygienic temperance is required in all the schools.

The University of Vermont, beautifully situated at Burlington, and of which the State Agricultural College is now a part, was chartered in 1791, but its first class was not graduated until 1804. It has had eleven presidents, and its present accomplished head, Matthew H. Buckham, D.D., has served four years longer than any of his predecessors. Its graduates number 1,101, besides 1,368 in the medical department, among the former being Jacob Collamer, Wm. A. Wheeler, Asa Owen Aldis, Henry J. Raymond, Frederic Billings, Edmund H. Bennett, Henry O. Houghton, J. Gregory Smith, Asahel Peck, Dudley C. Dennison and Dorman B. Eaton. During the war of 1812-15 the buildings were occupied by United States soldiers. The corner stone of the present main building was laid in 1825 by Gen. Lafayette. The buildings have recently been remodelled and several new structures added, among them the elegant Billings Library, designed by Richardson and presented by Frederic Billings. The department of agriculture and science extends many advantages to the farmers besides teaching classes. Women have been admitted to all the courses since 1871.

Middlebury College was founded in 1800 by citizens of the town whose name it bears. It has had but eight presidents, one having served twenty-one years, and another, twenty-six. The buildings, library, and finances have been much improved under its last two able executives, Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., and Ezra Brainerd, LL.D. During its ninety-one years this college has sent out 1,352 educated men, among them being Henry N. Hudson, John G. Saxe, Solomon Foot, Edward J. Phelps, Stephen Olin, Wm. R.

Shipman, Truman M. Post, John W. Stewart, Aldace F. Walker, and Julius S. Grinnell. Women have been admitted since 1883. The college is both classical and scientific, is very inexpensive, and is noted for the thoroughness of its instruction.

war.

Norwich University is a military and technological institution, located at Northfield. It was chartered in 1834, and grew from the academy which Capt. Alden Partridge, formerly superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, had established in 1819 at Norwich, across the Connecticut river from Dartmouth College. Captain Partridge was its first president and was succeeded at his death by Gen. Truman B. Ransom, who resigned after four years to take command of the Ninth (New England) regiment in the Mexican war and fell while gallantly leading his men at the storming of Chapultepec, Sept. 13, 1847. Many graduates of this college became officers of distinction in both the Union and Confederate armies during the civil In 1866 the barracks were burned, and removal to Northfield followed, where a brick building was erected to which another is about to be added to accommodate the increasing number of students. Charles H. Lewis, LL.D., is now president. An officer of the U. S. army is detailed to instruct in military science. Among the most distinguished of former professors were Zerah Colburn and Alonzo Jackman, far famed as mathematicians. In 1884 the legislature authorized the annual appointment of thirty state cadets to Norwich University (one by each state senator), for whom fifty dollars each per year is paid in full for tuition and room rent. In 1888 the University of Vermont was granted state aid for four years of $3,600 a year for instruction in industrial arts, and $2,400 for college expenses of thirty students to be appointed by senators. A similar appropriation of $1,200 was made for scholarships at Middlebury. The three normal schools are partially supported by the state. The state also pays liberally for the instruction of its blind pupils and deaf mutes in schools of other

states.

Col.

The penal institutions consist of a state

prison at Windsor, a house of correction at Rutland, and a Reform School for boys and girls at Vergennes. They are all conducted in accordance with modern usage.

Until recently the insane poor have been supported at state and town. expense at the Asylum at Brattleboro, owned by a private corporation, but the state is now building and has already opened a section of a hospital at Waterbury.

At a banquet of Vermonters in Lowell, Mass., many years ago, a letter from John G. Saxe was read, which contained this sentiment: "Vermont is famous for four things- men, women, maple sugar and horses;

"The first are strong, the last are fleet, The second and third exceedingly sweet. And all are uncommonly hard to beat."

In 1791, the year of Vermont's admission to the Union, an instructor in vocal music named Justin Morgan took with him from Springfield, Mass., to Randolph, Vermont, a small bay two year old colt, that became the founder of a famous family of horses. His sire was True Briton, that had been captured from Col. DeLancy, at King's Bridge, N. Y., during the Revolution. True Briton was sired by Imported Traveller, and he had descended from five noted Arabian horses. Justin Morgan's colt lived to be thirtytwo years old, and left a remarkable progeny, among which were the heads of the three noted strains in the Morgan horse family Sherman, Bulrush and Woodbury. Let us follow one of these strains down to the present. Sherman sired Black Hawk; he, Ethan Allen; he, Daniel Lambert; and he, Aristos and Ben Franklin. Gen. Knox was a great-grand-get of Black Hawk. Ethan Allen, foaled in 1849, became a famous trotter. His greatest race was on the Union course, Long Island, June 21, 1867, when he beat Dexter (also of Vermont birth), in three straight heats, in 2.15, 2.16, and

2.19.

Daniel Lambert, whose sire was Ethan and dam by Abdallah, get of Mambrino and sire of Rysdyk's Hambletonian, was foaled in 1858, and he died at Middlebury in 1890. He was considered by many the most beautiful horse that ever

lived, and he was for many years the greatest living sire of trotters, measured by the 2.30 list. He left thirty-three performers in the 2.30 class or better. The Morgan stock has been worth millions of dollars to the Vermont farmers and they continue to improve it, having shown more zeal during the last five years than ever before.

In 1810 and 1811, Consul William Jarvis, of Weathersfield, brought home from Spain a few choice specimens of the finest wooled sheep in the world, selected from the royal Cabannas that had been broken up by the French invasion. Skilful Vermont breeders have since improved the descendants of those merinos until their fame has become world-wide, and every year several carloads of the best stock sheep are sent to Texas, California, and other ranching sections of this country, and cargoes to South America and Australia. A single sheep of this character recently sold in Australia for $5,000, and another is held there at $15,

At the Paris exposition Vermont merinos were awarded two of the three gold medals, one of the three silver medals, and eight of the nine bronze medals. The improvement that has been made in merinos since 1810 may be judged from the two cuts printed herewith, but it will be emphasized by a few figures. In 1810, three selected rams at a public shearing yielded 7 110 per cent of unwashed wool to live weight; in 1889, twenty-one Vermont rams, from which fleeces or samples were sent to Paris, yielded 22 8-10 per cent. of unwashed wool to live weight. One of the rams whose fleece won a gold medal yielded when three years old, 371⁄2 pounds of unwashed fleece, which when scoured weighed 9 lbs. 11 oz. Many years ago the number of fibres to the square inch of surface on merinos was 40,000 to 48,000; Dr. H. A. Cutting of Vermont finds on the sheep of to-day 222,300 fibres to the square inch, and the bearing surface is greatly increased on the limbs and head and by the growth of wrinkles. It would seem that there is not much more room for improvement, but if there is, Vermont breeders will find it.

There has been a corresponding pro

An album of statistics recently issued by the National Department of Agriculture shows that the average value of land per acre is $22.44 in Vermont, against $19.02 for the rest of the country. In the production of corn, Vermont's rank among the states is only third; in wheat, eighth; oats, third; rye, first east of the Mississippi; buckwheat, first except California; potatoes, fifth, hay third, in a division of five classes; while in cattle, sheep, and swine, Vermont is in the first class. About one-third of her soil is arable, more than one-third, grassland; and a little less than one-third, woodland. She has more cultivated acres than any other New England state, and less unproductive land in proportion to area than any other state in the Union except Ohio, which has the same percentage.

Though abounding in water power and raw material, Vermont has not developed manufactures on a large scale, but there is a gradual growth. The Fairbanks scales, Howe scales, and Estey organs are noted throughout the world. The Russell Paper Company's mills at Bellow's Falls are unsurpassed. Textiles, woodwork, boots and shoes, garments, utensils, iron bridges, cars, carriages, etc., have at least a footing, and in a few places, lumber and butter packages are produced on a large scale.

Geologically, Vermont is one of the oldest sections of the country, the formation being mostly of the Silurian age. The lime stones of the Champlain valley are rich in fossils. The first stoves used in New England were made in Brandon from ore mined and smelted there. At present there is a promising development of manganese on the line of the Bennington & Rutland railroad. Kaolin of a very superior quality abounds near Vergennes. Copperas

at Strafford, and copper at Vershire and in some other places have at times been profitably mined on a large scale. Gold has been mined at Bridgewater, sometimes at a profit. Soapstone is a small but growing product. Black lime at Amsden, and Plymouth, and white lime at Leicester, Winooski, St. Albans and Swanton, are largely and profitably produced. But the great mineral output of the state is of marble, slate, and granite. In the marble business Vermont is far ahead of any other state and indeed of the world. Forty concerns last year employed a capital of nearly six millions of dollars and nearly 3000 men, whose wages were $918,120. The output was valued at $2,497,128. Rutland, West Rutland, Proctor, Brandon, and Dorset are the chief places of this great industry.

Next to Pennsylvania, Vermont is the largest slate-producing state. Last year her quarries yielded a product valued at $838,013, at a cost of $581,916. The quarries and mills employ 1311 hands and a capital of $1,290.951. In the quarrying and manufacture of granite, Vermont has increased from an output of $59,675 in 1880 to one of $581,870 in 1889. Forty-six concerns worked 53 quarries, employing 961 hands and $967,750 in capital. For cemetery work the Vermont output surpassed that of all other states except Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The principal quarries are at Barre, Dummerston, Hardwick and South Ryegate, and the principal works are at Barre, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, South Ryegate and Burlington.

In 1840 there was not a mile of railroad in Vermont; in 1850 there were 290 miles, and in 1890 there were 960 miles. There are fifteen miles of street railway, in Rutland and Burlington.

All of the large towns and many of the smaller have aqueducts, sewers, gas and electric lights, fine public buildings, including opera houses. There are fiftyeight newspapers in the state, three of which are long-established dailies. Several of the weeklies rank with any in the country for attractiveness, ability and enterprise. The high average intellectual and moral culture of the people is due in no small degree to the press, which was

there before the state was organized and has led its progress ever since.

The war in 1812 was unpopular in Vermont, but volunteers sprang to arms and rushed to the front when a powerful fleet and army menaced the frontier. Of the less than 5000 men with whom Gen. Macomb met and defeated the 14,000 of Sir George Prevost at Plattsburgh, Sept. 11, 1814, 2500 were Vermonters, hardly any of whom had been a week under arms. Rev. Benjamin Wooster, who had been a soldier of the Revolution, cut short a meeting at Fairfield and led the men of his flock to battle the next day. The fleet with which Commodore McDonough won the most important naval battle of the war and one of the closest struggles on record was all built at Vermont ports. His flagship, the Saratoga, was built at Vergennes within forty days from the cutting of the timber on the Green Mountains.

During the civil war, Vermont suffered a small invasion from the Confederate army. Oct. 19, 1864, 21 men, under Lieut. Bennett H. Young, of Louisville, Kentucky, who had gathered at St. Albans as citizens, entered the banks, stables and saddlery stores at an agreed moment, and by force of arms took all the money, horses, saddles, and bridles they could, and in less than half an hour rode rapidly towards Canada. One citizen was killed and two were slightly wounded. A few found arms and used them, but so far as known, only one of the raiders was wounded. Though hotly pursued, they escaped with property valued at $208,000. When arrested in Canada, they were released by Justice Coursol of Montreal; and as this was against law and evidence and in violation of neutrality, the Canadian government paid the United States $88,000, which equalled the amount found in possession of the raiders who were arrested. In consequence of continued menace from Confederate plotters in Canada, Vermont kept a provisional force on the frontier for some months and formed an effective militia of 10,000 men, many of whom were returned soldiers. After peace was restored, the force was reduced to the present nucleus of a very small brigade.

Vermont's part in the civil war makes a proud chapter in her annals. With a military enrollment of only thirty-seven thousand, she sent to war 34,238. With a valuation of only $9,706,000, the people paid war taxes of $9,087,000. Of the thirty-four thousand soldiers, 5,124 lost their lives and 5,022 were discharged for disabilities incurred.. Relatively, Vermont lost more men killed in battle than any other state. Next to Massachusetts, Vermont was the first state to send troops to the national defence. She sent more than her quota, provided for them liberally, and has long since paid the last dollar of her debt. To commemorate their valor she has reared at Gettysburg some of the finest monuments on the field, and many of her towns have established memorials in their midst. Her Soldiers' Home is unsurpassed, and her military history, prepared by Mr. Benedict at state expense, is proof at once of service and appreciation. Her pulpits, the most of her press, and all of her elections sustained and cheered the army, and of all her twenty-four organizations which went to the front, not one ever lost a flag in battle.

Her soldiers who obtained most distinction were Major-General Wm. F. Smith, Brigadier and Brevet MajorGenerals, L. A. Grant (now Assistant Secretary of War), George J. Stannard (deceased), and William Wells; BrigadierGenerals, John W. Phelps, Stephen Thomas, and E. H. Stoughton; Colonels and Brevet Brigadier-Generals, Edward H. Ripley, Wm. W. Henry and James M. Warner (now post-master at Albany, N. Y). Others, though not serving with Vermont troops, were Major-General Ethan Allen Hitchcock of the regular army, a grandson of Ethan Allen, who was born in 1798, breveted Brigadier-General for gallantry at Molino del Rey, and though too old for service in the civil war, was a warm personal friend and military adviser of President Lincoln; also Major-General I. B. Richardson, who commanded Michigan troops and was mortally wounded at Antietam. The late Gen. Asa P. Blunt of the regular army, and Gen. J. R. Lewis, now postmaster at Atlanta, Ga., were Vermont soldiers, and Colonel Wheelock G. Vea

zey, now interstate commerce commissioner and commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, was one of the most brilliant regimental commanders. Six Vermont soldiers have been governors since the war, namely, Peter T. Washburn, Redfield Proctor, Roswell Farnham, John L. Barstow, Samuel E. Pingree and Ebenezer J. Ormsbee.

The scenery of Vermont is a joy forever. The sublime and beautiful in mountain, hill, valley, stream and lake, sunset and cloud, are blended in it as nowhere else. Henry Ward Beecher said its variety was greater than he had ever seen elsewhere. W. H. H. Murray says "Having seen most of the localities of the continent noted for their beauty, I can but declare that I know no other spot which for loveliness of appearance, majesty of scenery and varied resources of entertainment, can compare with Lake Champlain." The mountain range through the centre of the state contains four peaks more than four thousand feet high, the latest measurements by the U. S. Coast Survey being as follows: Killington, 4,338; Mansfield, 4,168; Camel's Hump, 4,121; Jay Peak, 4,018; and there are nine peaks more than three thousand feet high, namely: Pico, 3,954; Equinox, 3,872; Shrewsbury, 3,845; Sterling, 3,700; Hogback, 3,648; Burke, 3,500; Ascutney, 3,320; Eolus, 3,148, and Bald, 3,124. Killington, Pico, Shrewsbury and Bald are grouped east of Rutland.

The principal lakes besides Champlain are Memphremagog, Bomoseen, Dunmore, St. Catherine, Willoughby, Silver, and Caspian; and there are many others. There are crystal streams and cataracts too numerous to name. The fertile farms and neatly kept homes are equally attractive. Many of the roads are already good, and the day is not distant when all will be made as hard and smooth and dry as those of Scotland, for the Vermonters are learning that scenery has economic value and urbans of wealth are gaining footholds all over the fair domain. No one of taste and travel can journey through the state without accepting as literally true the beautiful word picture of the late Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Lord, who, after making the tour of Europe, wrote as follows:

"A few regions God has made more beautitul than others. His hand has fashioned some dreams or symbols of heaven in certain landscapes of earth and we have always thought that the Almighty intended when he formed the hills of Vermont and shook out the green drapery of the forrests over their sloping shoulders, and made them fall in folds like the robe of a king along their sides, to give us a dim picture of the new creation and the celestial realm. Italy is a land of rarer sunsets and deeper sky, of haunting songs and grander memories; Switzerland is a region of more towering sublimity and unapproachable grandeur; but in all the galleries of God there is none that so shows the exquisite genius of creative art; the blending of all that is beautiful and attractive with nothing to terrify the eye; the mingling of so much of the material glory, both of the earth and the heavens, with so little to appal the sense. Vermont in summer is the Almighty's noblest gallery of divine art."