VERMONT. 



847 



highest ridge of the spur of the Imataca moun- 

 tains opposite to the source of the Barima, and 

 thence along the summit of the main ridge of the 

 Imataca mountains in a southeasterly direction 

 to the source of the Acarabasi, and thence along 

 the midstream of the Acarabisi to the Cuyuni, 

 and thence along the northern bank of the river 

 Cuyuni westward to its junction with the Wena- 

 mu, and thence following the midstream of the 

 Wenamu to its westernmost source, and thence in 

 a direct line to the summit of Mount Roraima, 

 and from Mount Roraima to the source of the 

 Cotinga and along the midstream of that river 

 to its junction with the Takutu, and thence along 

 the mid stream of the Takutu to its source, 

 thence in a straight line to the westernmost point 

 of the Akarai mountains, and thence along the 

 ridge of the Akarai mountains to the source of 

 the Corentin, called the Cutari river. 



The provision was inserted in the award that 

 the line of delimitation fixed by the arbitrators 

 shall be subject and without prejudice to any 

 questions now existing or which may arise to be 

 determined between the Government of her Bri- 

 tannic Majesty and the republic of Brazil, or be- 

 tween the latter republic and the United States 

 of Venezuela. 



In fixing the above delimitation the arbitrators 

 considered and decided that in times of peace the 

 rivers Amacura and Barima shall be open to 

 navigation by the merchant ships of all nations, 

 subject to all just regulations and to the payment 

 of light or other like dues; provided that the 

 dues charged by the republic of Venezuela and 

 the government of the colony of British Guiana 

 in respect of the passage of vessels along the 

 portions of such rivers respectively owned by 

 them shall be charged at the same rates upon the 

 vessels of Venezuela and Great Britain, such 

 rates being no higher than those charged to any 

 other nation, provided also that no customs du- 

 ties shall be chargeable either by the republic of 

 Venezuela or by the colony of British Guiana in 

 respect of goods carried on board ships, vessels, 

 or boats passing along the said rivers, but cus- 

 toms duties shall only be chargeable in respect of 

 goods landed in the territory of Venezuela or 

 Great Britain respectively. 



VERMONT, a New England State, admitted 

 to the Union March 4, 1791; area, 9,565 square 

 miles. The population, according to each decen- 

 nial census, was 154,465 in 1800; 217,895 in 1810; 

 235,966 in 1820; 280,652 in 1830; 281,948 in 1840; 

 314,120 in 1850; 315,098 in 1860; 350,551 in 1870; 

 332,286 in 1880; and 332,422 in 1890. Capital, 

 Montpelier. 



Government. The State officers in 1899 were: 

 Governor, Edward C. Smith; Lieutenant Gov- 

 ernor, Henry C. Bates; Secretary of State, 

 Frederick A. Rowland; Treasurer, John L. 

 Bacon; Auditor, Orion M. Barber; Adjutant 

 General, T. S. Peck; Superintendent of Educa- 

 tion, Mason S. Stone ; Chief Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court, Jonathan Ross; Associate Justices, 

 Loveland Munson, John W. Rowell, R. S. Taft, 

 H. R. Start, L. H. Thompson, James M. Tyler: 

 Clerk, M. E. Smilie. All the State officers are 

 Republicans. 



The State Senate, which has 30 members, is 

 unanimously Republican. In the House there 

 are 201 Republicans, 42 Democrats, 1 Prohibition- 

 ist, and 1 Independent. 



Finances. The State Treasurer's report for 

 the fiscal year ended June 30, 1899, shows gross 

 receipts, $1,413,221.55; disbursements, $1,280,- 

 288.64; leaving cash in treasury, $133,632.91. 

 Among the receipts is $1,581.27 from 28 towns, 



for excess of profit on liquor agency sales. Lud- 

 low reports the largest sum, $173.14; Highgate 

 the smallest, 98 cents. Tin- corporations paid 

 $403,535.99; the collateral inheritance tax $13- 

 661.36. 



The Auditor's orders paid amounted to $635,- 

 994.59; debentures of the General Assembly, 

 $57,844.20; extra State pay, Spanish war, $31,- 

 958.18; interest, $31,034.36. The remaining items- 

 of expenditure were mostly for repayment of 

 .borrowed money and distribution of State, road, 

 and school taxes. 



The Treasurer estimated the revenues of the 

 State, including cash on hand, at $879,248.33; 

 liabilities, $530,737.47; balance available for the 

 current fiscal year, $348,510.86. 



Railroads. Under the charter granted by the 

 Legislature of 1898 the Central Vermont Rail- 

 way Company was reorganized at St. Albans in 

 April. This reorganization was effected to carry 

 out the agreement of the bondholders with the 

 Grand Trunk Railway, and for the purpose of 

 consolidating the various properties included in 

 the recent sale of the road. The general man- 

 ager of the Grand Trunk Railway said of it: 

 " The organization of the Central Vermont prop- 

 erty has been unique in that the relations be- 

 tween all interests have been adjusted satisfac- 

 torily and the property has been put on a sound 

 financial basis without an assessment made on 

 any class of security holders the only instance 

 of the kind known in modern railroad organ- 

 izations." 



In October a new arrangement was made with 

 the conductors and brakemen, by which they are 

 to receive pay according to the number of miles 

 they run instead of by the month. It was said 

 that this would increase their income. 



Highways. In May a meeting of road com- 

 missioners of Washington County was held in 

 Montpelier to discuss the problem of permanent 

 road building. The State Highway Commissioner, 

 W. B. Viall, addressing the meeting, said that in 

 five counties in which he had already held such 

 meetings he had found only one man who had 

 expanded the 5-per-cent. State tax according to 

 law. Mr. Viall said he considered the macada- 

 mized road the best, and the so-called stone rt>ad 

 next best. The State has insisted since the law 

 was passed in 1894 that this 5-per-cent. tax 

 shall be laid out for permanent roads, but this 

 has not been done. J. P. Rice, of Northfield, ex- 

 plained his method of building permanent stone 

 roads. Good drainage helps good roads. Slate 

 gravel has been used by him with much success. 

 The State money has been expended for gravel, 

 and a separate account has been kept of it. 

 Joseph Bartlett, of Plainfield, believed in the use 

 of tile, and that it should be put in deep. Others 

 gave the results of their experiments, and the 

 subject was discussed thoroughly. 



Forests. A writer in the New England Home- 

 stead says : " One can but note with apprehension 

 the gradual depletion of our Vermont forests, 

 with no effort made to replace the annual output 

 with young growth of the varieties most in de- 

 mand, such as spruce and pine. The vast inroads 

 made upon our young spruce and pine forests 

 at the Christmas holidays' approach is especially 

 destructive. Thousands upon thousands of 

 young spruce trees from three to ten feet in 

 height are annually shipped to the larger cities. 

 The small pittance the farmer receives for them 

 becomes a source of wonderment to those who 

 have the preservation of our forests at heart. 

 There are many acres in Vermont that could be 

 set out to spruce and pine that would prove not 



