Weems, the book peddler, who was not a New England man, wrote for his own ends, one of the most popular books in his so-called “Life of Washington.” It is said to have gone through some forty editions, Washington declined, and very naturally, to give him access to his papers; hence Weems was thrown entirely upon the resources of his imagination for the material which he needed. It was natural, therefore, and not difficult with so free a hand, to make up a good story. Hence the origin of the incident of the Cherry Tree and little hatchet, and other like truthful and popular anecdotes, which have become almost _historical_ in our day. Excuse may be found for Weems on the score of his commercial instinct, the inaccessibility of facts and of his irresponsibility; but what can be said in mitigation of the offence of those New England historians, who have distorted facts, although they had access to all the material necessary to have enabled them to do full justice to others as well as to their own people? These men assumed, and upon them rested, the solemn responsibility of teachers and defenders of historical Truth! The author here disclaims all prejudice and has no other motive than an earnest desire to establish the truth. This issue is made with the writers of the past and not with the country nor with the people of the present day. The _true_ history of New England is sufficiently great to enable her to look fearlessly into the mirror of Truth, and she can well afford to cast off the meretricious glamour which has been thrown about her by those sons who “loved her not not wisely, but too well.” NEW YORK CITY THOMAS ADDIS EMMET, M. D. ❧ EARLY MENTION OF EVENTS AND PLACES IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY. I The origin of place-names, and the reason for them, are always matters of interest. Sometimes we may know both, often only one, and sometimes neither. Frequently a dead and forgotten old resident survives in the name of the hill he built his house on, or of the pond or brook by the side of which he lived, or in the property he once owned, or even in some event in which he was a prominent actor. Thus, the Brighams of Essex, in Brigham Hill; the Burlings, in Burlington; Count Fredenburgh, in Fredenburgh Falls and M. Chasy, nephew of Tracy, in Chazy, have a kind of immortality. The name of Samuel Champlain is preserved not only in the Lake which is called after him, but in the River Champlain, the Town Champlain, the Village Champlain; and who can give the number of Champlain hotels and streets, in the cities and towns and villages of the United States and of the British Provinces north of us? Also it is interesting that many localities in our very midst have had names in common use for a time, which, later, are lost in oblivion.