a friend who had already entered the downward path of immoderate drinking, Mr. Briggs was induced to promise that so long as the other would abstain from drinking, he, himself, would give up the use of a collar; and this agreement was kept by both parties for life.  The truth in regard to the anecdote is rather as follows:  While County Commissioner he was often obliged to make long drives, so that besides the annoyance from wearing a collar, he found great difficulty in replacing it when soiled.  From this arose a habit of dispensing with it altogether.  Once, being rallied on the subject by an old friend, he offered to resume his collar if the other would cease drinking gin, and would cut off his cue.  The gin and the cue carried the day.

The Berkshire Medical Institute was established in 1822, mainly through the exertions of Dr. H.H.  Childs.  The charter provided that degrees should be conferred only by the President and Trustees of Williams’ College, and according to the rules in force in the school at Cambridge.  The purpose was to secure a uniform practice throughout the State, and to cause a degree of confidence in the diplomas.  The arrangement continued fifteen years.  The tuition fee was fixed at forty dollars, and board, room-rent and lodging at one dollar and seventy-five cents a week.  In 1825 it became necessary to defray incidental expenses, and pay the salaries of instructors out of the proceeds from tuition fees.  These were frequently paid in notes, many of which read “when said student shall be able to pay,” and having been distributed among the members of the faculty, a large number were found afterwards in the deserted office of the Dean.  In 1867 the compensation of each instructor was about one hundred and thirty dollars, hardly enough to attract young, inexperienced physicians.  Therefore, the college came to an end, having graduated in the course of forty-four years over one thousand doctors of medicine, who held rank in their profession equal to that of those sent out by any college in the country.

[Illustration:  Berkshire life insurance company’s building.]

The Public Library Association was founded in 1850, with a regulation excluding forever all prose works of fiction, and on the other hand, theological writings, unless admitted by a unanimous vote of the Directors.  After a few prosperous years public interest had so far died out that the library consisted of a few books and a small room, open one evening in the week by the dim light of a lantern.  A timely donation, and a liberal construction of the rule regarding works of fiction, had a favorable effect.