Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-05-23

belOTe--sucn Us DoukeTls, MenunteS, Omlsn, &C.
the last Of whom choose their ministers from a
mong themselves by casting lots; they wear long
boards, and mret every Sabbath for worship, and
partake Of pea soup dinner together The Dutch
are Industrious and wealthy, but manifest no le-
fnement, unless it is in their singing.
The country that goes by the name of Queens
bush, is composed of four townships, each of
which is twelve miles square. Nearly all the col
ored people are settled in the township of Peel,
and there not probably half dozen white
families settled in it. cannot ascertain the exact
number of coored people here, but Mr. Bipond,
the only merchant of the place, an intelligent and
pious man tells me there are at least two hundred
families, and they are rapidly increasing. The
land is mostly divided into hundred acre lots, and
there is generally but one family on lot. The
soil is of the very best quality, and is covered with
heavy growth of elm, maple, oak, &c. | think
the season is several weeks earlier than in YER
mont; but am informed that the place is subject
to early and late frosts. Wheat is the most i'm
porant article of produce, but they raise
nearly all the different vegetables that found
in New England.
The land has not yet gone into the market, and
settlers take up lots wherever they please. They
are sure of pay for their improvements, should
they ever be compelled to leave their lots; and
when it comes into the market they will be allow
ed to purchase it at its original value, in prefer
ence to all Others, if they able to pay for it
Men who are best acquainted with the general
course Of the Government think they will have no
difficulty in obtaining good titles to their land, but
am sure that this government must act more
honorably towards them than the government of
the United States has towards the Indians, il il
is SO. However, should they be compelled to
leave them, and 60 farther into the wilderness,
they will have pay for their betterments, which
will furnish them with something to start with;
they had nothing at all to begin the world with
| here.
Most of the settlements ARE on or near the
Canisoga river, for ten miles or more, and the
roads are only pushed out from one opening to
another. They now need at least four schools,
but have as yet had only two. The greatest hope
of improvement with them, as with all other peo-
pie is, with the young. A brother Galpin, from
Ohio, and Miss Fidelia Coburn, from Bloomfield,
Maine, were the first who attempted to furnish
them with instruction. She succeeded in obtain
ing log school house, in which a school has been
kept most of the time since, and he attempted to
establish school TWO miles further up cleared
several acres, living on boiled peas and bread a.
lone, but finally abandoned the undertaking. Soon
after he left, Miss Evans obtained another teach
er to supply his place, took his Improvements. E.
rected n house, in which she lived, and instructed
a school through the winter. The reader may
form some opinion of its convenences when he
understands that the whole expense of the building
was only fifty dollars; but it almost incredi-
BILE that so much should be accomplished as has
been done in this settlement, with so little means.
Brother Elias f. Kirkland has lately come here,
and intends to erect house and establish himself
permanently as a teacher He has for some time
been principal teacher in the institution at Dawn.
If friends are disposed to assist him so that he can
spend all, or nearly all, his time in teaching, he
will be glad to receive it; otherwise, he will
his own bread, and teach what he can. | have
been surprised to learn that little has been
done to support these schools. Probably every
cent that has been received here, clear of expense
will not amount to sixty dollars and half of this
has been from the public school money. The rest
has been borne by the sacrifice and self denial Of
the teachers. From the hest information /
obtain, think that Miss Coburn has expended
here, and al Dawn, Of her own money, and what
her relatives have furnished her. at least five hun
dred dollars, and the others have sacrificed their
all and have endured hardships and privations to
an extent that few are capable of enduring. Some
have supposed that the teachers may obtain con-
siderable assistance from the public school money;
but from what am able to learn, there is no pros
pect that they will be able to obtain enough from
this source to half pay their board
All settlers in new countries have had to endure
many privations and hardships, even though they
have something to furnish themselves with food,
clothing, TOOLS &C., until they can get under way
But about all the inhabitants OF this place came
here entirely destitute. Until they could raise
| something for themselves, they had to go out to
the older settlements and work awhile to obtain
: something to subsist upon while clearing and cuI
tivatine their land. 1t is not strange, then, that
their buildings are of rude constructions and their
convenences few. They have, however, done
much better, a whole, than could be expected,
; though they are by no means able to raise money
to pay teachers, or do much towards educating
their children. Still the most of them are anxious
to have their children instructed, and will do what
they can to furnish them with clothes and send
them to school. There seems to be a greater
l want of inst ruction among the females than among
the males Some of them, when in slavery, were
accustomed to nothing but cooking, others to
washing and ironing, and Others had always la
bored in the field These find it difficult TO do all
the different kinds OF work that is necessary to be
performed in families. 1t is Miss Columns desire,
if means can be obtained to keep sort of board
} ing school for girls, where she can instruct them
to do different kinds of work, as well as to read
and write 1t seems particularly desirable that
IL aL....lL Lnun r,nnns To nccnn nlish Ibis for