Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-07-13
Massachusetts Correspondence.

The following letter is from Massachusetts
lady, who formerly visited Wisconsin, and be.
came great admirer of Western people and
their customs. Our prairies and oak openings,
fertile soils and brooks of sparkling water, so
much surpass New England's richest scenery,
in her estimation, that all comparisons would
be ridiculous. The gentle hit, that mssiona-
ries ought to be sent to Massachusetts,, is well
aimed, and not altog ether without meaning:
CLINTON, Mass. June i8, '53.
Mr.. Editor: SRI have been writing sew
eral letters to my Wisconsin friends This day,
and tho't would finish by writing YOU. Tho
I presume you will not expect to receive let
ter from me, shall offer no apology for wri-
ting these few lines, except this, that l have
written to all my friends in Wisconsin but you.
was reading one of your papers few weeks
ago, and it really seemed like old times to have
the chance of perusing your Grant County
Herald. l lent the paper until it was worn
out /; so you may see by this that your Western
aesos is well received in Massachusetts, ]
think you might get as many subscribers here
as in Lancaster and vicinity. I would like to
have your paper read more here. I think it
would be an advantage to the New England
people 10 understand the resources of the great
West, as presented in your paper. After my
return home, thought of sending for some of
your papers, for my thoughts were after the
western country, and its news, but my time has
been very much engaged the past winter.
Well, | will describe the village of Clinton.
1t is in the north part of Worcester county,
and has several villages scattered over three
miles of grounds. From the Nashau and or
cester Railroad, that passes through this town.
you can have good view of the most of the
village of Clinton. This is new town, for
merly part of Lancaster. 1t has several
mills of large size, the largest being the Cling
ham, which has been "a operation seven years.
Manufacturing, you know, is the life of New
England, especially Massachusetts, and some
of the towns of this state are mostly Irish, of
the low cast, and are very ignorant. see
some of this kind of people every day, indeed
hundreds of them may be met in all our villa
ges, and the scene will make generous heart
sad. Oh the heart must be hard not to feel
for these poor disposed people, who are shun-
ned by the conceited aristocrat of New Eng
land, while they are sending out missionaries
to the Tar West! am sorry to say we need
some OF them at home, for all the manufactu-
ring villages Of New England. You may think
me rather severe in my censure of my native
home. The thought is painful, and I will
leave it as sad reality, that may one day be
remedied by the Christian world.
The eastern people seem to be interested with
the description of your western country. You
may expect to see more of the New England
people in Wisconsin than you have for some
time past. If you like Yankees, we have fair
specimen of the true blues here, the right old
New England farmers, that are as set in their
own opinions as the rocks and hills of their
own native soil. But to speak IN their favor.
would say. they make good citizens after
their Yankee notions are laid aside, which /
think will be after living in Wisconsin year
or two, and when they have noticed the liber-
atty of the western people. To do justice to
the New Englanders, | must say they are in
favor of improvements when once convinced
of their utility, are quite sanguine in the exc
cation of their plans, whatever they may be.
| think you will soon have chanc to see
some of these people, to test my assertion.
I should like to write more, but time for
bids it. beg the favor that you will please
send me one or more of your papers. sho'd
like Milwaukee paper, and one of the Ma
olson papers. But must close this discon-
nected letter. Yours, with respect, S. T.