Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-11-08
BURLINGTON, VERMONT. FRIDAY. NOVEMBERs 1914

should follow upon his offer; and then, for "A
lease of thirty years, offered shilling an
acre for four hundred acres of that unbrokcn
waste, with power to renew his lease for ,hir.
ty years more, if he should so incline, at five
shillngs per acre; but with liberty, also to
quit at the end of five years, without being
liable in damages from any cause.
Many landlords seem to fancy that though
land is of no value in their hands, they have
yet right to be sharers in the profits pro-
duced by the intelligence, labor, and capital
of others ; and that they are extre nelly lib
cral in forbearing to share for few years in
what had never existed for them, and yet
will, at the end Of those few years, be val
liable inheritance to them and their heirs for
ever. The landlord in the present Case was
wiser. He saw that he was about TO receive
Immediately, for small portion of this moor
in cultivation, almost as much as the entire
moor brought as an inferior sheep-walk, and
that at the end of thirty years il would cx-
coed the original income Of the entire pos
session; while this attempt at cultivation, if
successful, would be an example of the ut
most value, and might give his village that
neighborhood which il so much required.
Not only, therefore, was the offer of our friend
accepted, but wood for buildings was volun-
tarily offered and proper allowance for
useful and constructed drains.
The villagers were as,onuded to hear that
they were to obtain such a ncighbor, but
happy even in the hope of it. Enclosed as
the place was by banks, which, instead Of
admitting it to be drained, would, if broken
down, inundate it with watel, it looked to
them like IA huge frying-pan, and of course
jokes. This last was indeed the worst as
pect of the affair. There was fall for drain
ing within the farm, but not without it there
":' 40 h"'' -".'"' Still. our friend deter
mined on pursuing his experiment.; and, as
"A first measure, determined TO give his pos
session good name he called it Glen
Eden.
He next marked off the site for his stead
ing on very slight but bare and valucless
knoll, being DESTROYS at once to sit dry and
to spare his good land if there were any.
AS he felt that nothing would be more apt
TO encourage him than the comfort of his
home, as soon as his turf cottage was rooted
in, he had floor laid down in one end of it,
and raising up slight ribs of wood by the
walls, and continuing them overhead, had
which, with the addition of little carpet
and slight curtain festoncd over his couch
A couch ordained a dou lie debt to pay:
couch by night, sofa all the day
made his end of the tenement seem palace
and enabled him to look on the storm or the
SuiIsiIIue WA cvrni ,o"e~,o,'~'.,,,~ ...'' ...-
rity to health. Good fires soon made the
other end very tolerable to his servants; and
being washed with lime, though not plaster
ed, it formed very cheerful temporary res
id"ncc. He had the lankest of the heath
pulled and secured for tIlalch or fuel, intend
ing to burn the rest on the ground as soon as
the ground should be dry. lie next laid out
the fields, and ordered them TO be cleared of
stoncs-an operation that covered them in
some places TO the depth Of several feet; and
finally, he set himself to endeavor to lay the
land dry.
For this last purposs, at the lowest part
of the farm, but where the surrounding wall
as it may be termed, was highest, (and this
was on the east ~ he ordered bank of moss
to be dug out, and placed in situation con-
venent for being dried and burned. In the
course of this digging he came upon both
stones and clay, treasures of great value in
his circumstances and lest the winter, by
filling the pond with water, should render fur
Their digging impossible, he pursued his la
bors with great assiduity. His determination
was, that this reservoir should afford him an
opportunity of draining the land and should
it prove unequal TO this, that a pump or
pumps, to be worked by small windmill,
should raise the water to height enabling
him to- send it off his territories. In the
meantime he knew what rdicule the susp-
cion even of such a project would draw upon
him, and therefore he grallied inqnirers by
informing them that he was forming a fish
draw profit from the ice in winter, by letting
it out for curling, though the game was moi
then known in that part of Scotland and
the parties, breathing softly, turned from HIM
and gently lifting up their hands and eyes
departed. Meantime he was intersectng his
fields in numerous directions by drains, lead
ing them into one another, dlverging, branch
ing, and every way varying them according
to the inequalities of the ground; and after
proving their running, carefully filling them
with the stones taken from the surface, and
all tending at las, to the general reservoir
Even in winter, therefore, the land became
drier and drier, and people now began tc
see the use of the pond, By the return o.
spring he had en'ectually drained large
space in front of his residence, and general.
ly prepared it for the operation ofthe plough
And even in this, by sort Of natural instinct
he differed from the accustomed mode
Aware tina, oxen draw most gently and stead.
lily, he had secured the temporary use of a
strong yoke of these, to be tried in all sucl
portions of the soil as seemed likely to be
capable Of being opened up by the plough
People from the village had been engaged to
attend at the same time to complete, will
the shape and other implements, what til,
plough nigh. leave imperfectly done, anc
give him, if possible, field; and they haC
, by this time so entered into the spirit Of lh'
thing, that the attendance was large, and ii
IL hnI e.,