through Lamoille County, Fletcher and Sheldon to Swanton, Vt.; this is a part of a through line from Portland, Maine, to Ogdensburgh, New York. One road runs from the mouth of Wells River via. Groton and Marshfield to Montpelier Junction, also a road running from Montpelier via. Barre to Williamstown. The Burlington and Lamoille Railroad runs from Essex Junction in Chittenden County to Combridge Junction in Lamoille County and thence connects with the road running from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. The Addison road runs from Leicester Junction westerly to Lake Champlain and Ticonderoga, N. Y.

These lines of railroads, and the fast multiplying electric roads, together with the waterway facilities afforded by the Lake Champlain, supply the people of Vermont with convenient traveling facilities, and the farmers and business men abundant means of transportation of freight.

CHAPTER II.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS TO THE STATE IN ITS EARLY DAYS.

The pages of this history show that Vermont, even at an early day, had many able citizens, wise in state-craft and well fitted for building up the interests of a new State; and the State had been honored by some distinguished guests. In the first summer after the State was admitted into the Federal Union, two of the most distinguished men of the nation, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, took a sail through Lake George and on Lake Champlain and as far as twenty-five miles north of Ticonderoga, when a farther advance was prevented by head winds causing the visitors and their party to return-they proceeded to Bennington on the 4th of June, and remained there over the Sabbath, and then returned by the way of the Connecticut River Valley and through Hartford and New Haven, Conn., to New York and Philadelphia.

The next distinguished guest to whom we will refer is the man of "two worlds," the Frenchman, the disinterested patriot, the Marquis De Lafayette. He was born on the 6th of September, 1757, in the Province of Auvergne in the southern division of France. In the summer of 1776, he was

stationed on military duty as an officer of the French army in the citadel of Metz. The first news of the opening struggle for American independence struck the key-note to Lafayette's fiery ardor. America fighting for its independence against British oppression, enlisted every sympathy of his heart. He threw up his office at Metz, returned to Paris and secretly made preparations to leave his native land and join the American Army to aid the Colonies in establishing their independence. It is not the purpose of the writer to give a detailed account of his invaluable service in aid of the American cause, but suffice it to say here, he was commissioned by Congress, Major General, July 31, 1777, and had the full confidence of General Washington. After peace was declared at the close of the Revolutionary War, Lafayette returned to France. Lafayette having been invited by Congress to visit the United States, he and his son landed at New York City on August 15th, 1824, and from that time until his departure in September, 1825, there was a continued ovation, extending to him the highest honors in every State in the Union, and Congress crowned it by a gift of $200,000 and a township of land.

The Legislature of Vermont in 1824, requested Governor C. P. Van Ness to invite Lafayette to extend his tour to Vermont, and directed the necessary military and other preparations. Accordingly, Governor Van Ness on Dec. 27, 1824, addressed General Lafayette as follows:

"SIR,-It has become my pleasing duty, at the

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request of the Legislature, and in behalf of the people of Vermont, to invite you to visit this State previous to your return to France. It can scarcely be necessary, Sir, to assure you that we should feel both gratified and honored by such an event." To this Gen. Lafayette replied from Washington Jan. 15th, 1825, in part, as follows: "It has ever been my intention not to leave this side of the Atlantic before I have visited the State of Vermont, in the feelings of which, the first times of our Revolution, I have heartily sympathized, while its services to the common cause were by none better felt than by me, who may boast to have been early distinguished by the kindness of the citizens of Vermont." The expression in the above letter that "I have heartily sympathized," referred to the controversy with the adjoining States. His visit to Vermont was deferred till after he had made his contemplated visit to the Southern States.

General Lafayette and party, consisting of his son, George Washington Lafayette, and his secretary, and the representatives of Governor Van Ness, entered the State on the morning of June 28, 1825, and was met by the committee of arrangement at Windsor and welcomed by Hon. Horace Everett by a short address, after which Lafayette was introduced to Governor Van Ness who addressed General Lafayette as follows: viz.,

"Permit me to tender you the congratulations and the hospitalities of the people of this State, on your arrival within its borders. In the performance of this welcome duty, Sir, the first and

most pleasing points which present themselves, are the character and occurrences which have distinguished and adorned your life: your publick and your private virtues-your exalted and inflexible patriotism-your ardent and uniform devotion to the great cause of liberty-and above all, as it regards us, your noble zeal, your disinterested sacrifices, and your eminent services, in that memorable struggle, which resulted in the establishment and independence of the United States. But to dwell minutely on these, could only be a repetition of what has been a thousand times said and published; and the recital of which, in new and glowing terms, has but recently greeted your ear, and, I trust, cheered your heart, at every step, throughout this happy and rejoicing country-a country, which at the same time acknowledges you as a father, and proudly claims

you as a son.

"But though our tongues have been forestalled, our hearts are not the less full. They, have indeed, been constantly and tenderly alive to all your movements, and whatever concerned you, while traversing the Union; but it has been reserved to an hour in which our soil is hallowed by your tread, for them to pour out, without measure, the libations of their gratitude, and their affection. That these are now rushing forth from their overflowing fountains, in torrents behind whose rapidity any language of mine cannot but lag, is sufficiently seen in the intense and adoring gaze of the croud by which you are surrounded.

"General, I have the honour to represent, on this