The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-09-08
Miscellaneous.
GREAT DROUGHT
One Hundred Years Ago.


We find in the Christian Register, tho fol.
4 living article, taken from he-"tollections
o(de Massachusetts Historical Society, for
\ he year MDCCc." IL is somewhat remark
,bIs that the period described Ii Just one
A hundred years ago
Somf dcoouI 0r'tls Sepere DyOu0M IN i7lO
( 6oHl MS gf.hr James BLAKE, Of DoreLssleT.
THIS summer wha the seyereaI drought IN
4 this country shat has over been known In the
memory Of he oldest persons among Ila. ID
was ny rrtt''gi sB@ lay the latter end of
MsT he grass was burnt up, 10 that the
Il ground looked white; and IL was The 9th day
2fJnIy' before any rain 10 speak ofl came.
4 Tho EARN was dried like powder 10 a great
4 Splh' ana many wells, springs, brooks, aud
4 iniD rivers were dried up, that were never
ino"n to fail before, aud ihe ish In some
dbe rivers died, Tho pastures were so
f"rhed' mat there was nothing green 10 DO
Fthi and the cattle waxed poor, aud by their
4 wing seemed 10 call upon their owuers G,r
MET, who could not help them. Although
y dry grnsA was eaten 80 close, that there
stfe but few thin spires a. To seen. We,
vIeml pastures took fire., aud burnt 1ercelv
Nv pasture took fire near tho barr, nv "A boyis
lfoppng conl ~ he wns carving fire ia il,e
Nalerslde; aud though there seemed 10 be
80 little grass, yet what there was hy lLs
grounds bring so dry, blazed aud flushed
like gunpoHder, and run very fast nlong the
ground, aud In one place burnt some fence,
and we were forced To work hard 10 Keen IA
from Tho harn. mud To eXiinguish IL; having
inc asln Of sundry men that happened TO Be
bere.-lt spread over about half an acre of
round before we could stop IL; and where
ere we're Jumps OF COW 'dung,it would burn
elle Whole iu'rp -rVna consumed, aud burn
tate IN ihs ground, and we were Obliged TO
> much water to quench II.
here WINS n Rrent scarcity Of hay, being
L. 4 lille cut of The first crop;hnd aI-naTsh
aiTt nrnriy m much As the English mend
o. English hny was then sold for CO and
i-lO, old Tenor, per hundred. itHFtByHurf1
az were no pinched, that many had NOT
men more then their seed again; aud mnny
~ down their frt'iR befars !; was ripal Gir
fdler. Flax almost wholly iailed. ms nlso
GARDEN herbs Of all sorisnnd the ln,linn corn
uiIr'i np aud wilied. And there WIS n mel.
ancholy prospect Of the greatest dearth lbnt
ever Wa kuown la this land.
In the tine Of our f.nrs aud distress, the gov
eminent ordered day Of public flushing aud
Wnlof ana p"d was gTnciously plehsed td
ear and answer our petitions in n very re-
mhable manner; for, about the 9th of July,
We course Of the weather altered, aud there
anle such reasonable and plentiful rains, as
q4''e Changed Tie face OF HE earth; and thni
ga" which we generally concluded WINS
"holly dead mud could not como up again
under several yenrs, wus revived, aud there
"" good secoHd crop of moving, il lopk-
ihs more Ike the spring then the latter part
OF me yedri md the kidInn corn recovered
'nI There was very good harvest.
ana whereas 1t was thought in the fall of
he year, TINT multitude OF cattle must die
rwant of food ,insomuch that they sent and
rfthed hay from England yai God in his
o'ldence ordered us moderate winter,nnd
'e we're carried comfortably through il. and
ana not henr ofmnny,i if any cattle that died.
wi 10y reason ofsO many cattle having been
lled of Inst fall, beef mutton. and butter,are
own May, 1850, very dear. Butter is Is
oil tenor, per III.
Pgs lhe coming Of the rains, and renew.
W o. tho,earth, last fall, the government mp
'O,lb2,e1A day of public thanksgiving.
nus sumner, June 18th, was said to be
Ne hottest day that was ever known in the
Olherly part of American