Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-01-19

f"N aNN hlNAAU~AleuNhs huNNt All
other men, for a certain capacity which, in the
language Of the country, is termed uoafriranos .
this is, that sort Of ingenuity. invention, OF
skill, which enables an individual to turn his
hand 10 any occupation, or 10 devise a scheme
for any sudden emergency Thus, il Yam
kee is crossing the Alleghanies on horseback,
and is overioken by snow-siorm, he will iump
into the woods with his haichei. and in three
hours lime will be riding over the snow upon a
sledee Of his own construction. The records
Of tie Patent Office at Washington exhibit a
striking testimony of the superiority Of these
people in ingenuity by far the greater number
Of inventions are from New England. A Yam
kee farmer is a sort Of Jack al-all-irades he
not only delves the soil aud goes TO market, bu,
he Is carpenter, shoemaker, weaver, cooper,
soap-boiler, and more trades than these. He
turns wooden bowls. makes buckets, sets up
shocks, weaves baskets, manufactures brooms.
and invents washing machines 10 this last
mentioned matter the New England ingenuity
is inexhausiible, and oAe would Imagine that
the second yirue'' Of cleanliness had been ell
evaied 10 the first rank in this land, such will
defness Of patent gimcracks have sprung Up 10
the attempt to usurp the honors Of old Dumb
Beny. 1t is Yankees main study 10 he in
proving everything his very language brcalhos
this spirit, for he who occupies a tenement is
said 10 improve it, To leave a thing no bet
ter than be found il, seems 10 him no fair usage
Of the globe We inhabi
10 travelling over the kingdom OF Naples,
and contemplating the wonders Of ,ha, favored
land, its fertile soil its genial climate, lis ad-
mifable capacities for commerce. and the con-
irast exhibited 10 all these advantages, by the
slolh and ignorance Of its population, lis beg
fars and brigands,-- have been struck with
the whimsical Imagination Of the scene that
might ensne, were plain Yankee taken from
his plow-iail aud placed on The throne Of the
Two Sicilies. His Majesty would begin reg
uiar overhaul Of the whole body polite the
morning after his coronation. Whats this
see - says the king "Where are vour over
seers Of the highways-your school committees
your select inenl What idle fellows are
these in the streets What are these bells
ringing every dayi What means this crowd Of
chips lying behind the mole With nothing to do
or this marina, the waters edge Of nv great
city, where ! see no piles Of merchandise, no
trucks nor dray carts driving about with goods.
nor half tie business done 10 a month that is
done 90 Boston Long Wharf in two hours -
Come, buslle, occupy set the lazzlron To
work upon the roads, send the children to
school; make railroad here aud turnpike
there bridge this river and canal that hang
the Calabrian robbers give the monks rouse /:
60 into the churches, and strip me those ,rum-
perry shrines sell the gold and silver and Jew
els With which they are heaped and the inter
est Of the money will support all the poor Of
the kingdom, Tot I'll have no besgars nor idlers
snail ulnd their business, for ! Will abolish
these |ts'es, which come every other day, and
are good for nothing bul to promote ideness.
Heneeiorih there shall be no fesias but fast,
thanksgiving aud independence Set me up a
newspaper ia every town; take me census Of
the population fine every district that don't
send representative 10 the General Court
I'll have everything ihrashed and set a-bncking,
even 10 The yernaeplsr speech. for 2e1cs far nj
cate shall be routed from the lslian.''
Now Jonathan the First might not under
stand quite so much Of the antiquities Of Pom
peii or the beauties Of the Callipygian Venus
as Ferdinand the Second yet. if the Nespol-
itan would not make profitable acdp by the
exchange, mine is no true Yankee nulionp