The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-03-22
LETTER FROM low,


March. !e55.
II" recent ";'"niny in this place oF .
Land Office Tor 'ie new Turkey river a..
trlct. has drawn crowd Of ,eoni. from, =,
quarters The li',ir town is filed :, o,.-
flowing. A. communities. kird-as ,a
tongues. seem 10 be represented A, ey.-.
stepyo see annoancc1 in staring ran;.,ls
dealers in exchange and Land W.rrar,.
and lands entered on time" Tie bar-rooms
stores and o;l:reS and all the street corra-s
are filled with eX tied crowds. who talk ,o--
tinnal'v Of varan. lands, and land warrant.
assignments, duplicates and pre-emrtions-
On the night i,rece ling the opening of the
o'ilre. a crowd of men assembled on the steps
leading 70 the REGISTERS office. and remain
I'd all nigh. in the bitter cold. land W. have
had H.. coolest weather this winter ..v.-
known until nine the rrxt dav when the
otiire opened. should rot be surprised IN
learn ;ha; some Of those who pcrilled health
and life or that event.ll night. would ;ina
ere long very small liere of land sufficient
for all their wants Their next move was a
little more sensible. TIL " drpnted four Of
their number 70 gnard the stairs for an hour
then tlo~" were relieved tv four others.
and this routine was kept up through the
night Those who were off duty passed the
tim" in various WAYS indoors. among which
music and eucre were not forgotten. As the
crowd increased daily. il was necessary in or
Ger 10 prevent all suspicious of faroritsm. TO
number the applicants. This put an end to
ni-itwa'rhinc. Many cook numbers who
neither wanted land. nor had the means 10
nav for II. As the numbers were transfera-
be. they would offer them 10 the highest tii-
der, and in some eases one hundred dolla-s
were paid for number which would entiile
The holder 10 the privilege Of making sin
gle entry. In this wav flouri>hng business
was done on a very small capital.
notice that most Of the lands entered here
are paid for with numbers. This cause.
much 'ronhie and dcla:. 1t took half an
hour today TO examine a single warran,
which had az least half dozen assignments.
instead O! being ass; cne'i in blank bv the o
ricnal holder |: was found TO te defective
At las. Then arose long discussion whe,h-
er an administrator could assign a warran.
wlirh had issued 10 the deceased pc rson.-
The i'nrnjv lad system is omen TO seriou.
objections S"ldom does il happen that
warrant is lora'ei bv the person to whom i:
is issued They deprecia'e in value as soon as
they are thrown into market. The bill which
authorizes them. is lobbied throug Oh Congress
bv the united ex.rtions Of spectators. bro
acr> and attorneys. as ar act Of Justice TO I'll.
defenders of the soil. whose bravery sudden.
" becomes the theme of much superfiuous
audation. The bill raises. and the Govern
ment becomes party to the depreciation Of
IL own properfy-inasmuch as lands which
are Judged to te worth not less than ten shill-
incs an acre. are often bought for FIVE.
Tie rush here has lasted two months. and
there is very little abatment The places of
those who have been served are made good
10y ne~ ccnierS. 1oner comes a full blood
Cd red moufht i Iloo>er His suit OF butter
mt oo"rei ,insey. uneain.v person. long
hair. AMI black iu>tre eve. sure index of the
vacant mind. tell his origin. II ANYTHING
further IS wanted in confirmation, his II
r,cliu." will settle the matter. fie isaspec-
inrn ot a large class found wherever slavery
i t".rra; ii, whose members must be called
Ii'.n. because they wear the human FORM
He Is representative man." foo-for he
"rpr'>rn'> lsnoran, c. superstition and indo-
r;ir'. IN ms own person. One Of the class IL
tr-i ,ii.or of mine. He IS somewhat wealthy,
and boasts of living high from the fact tina, hi.
fanny consumes six pounds Of coffee. and
two OF tobacco weekly. He has eight child
rem 1T home between che ages of five and
twen'v-fi FIVE, and of that number only two can
write their NAMES. and that indiifprentlv.-
During the time have known him he ha.
never taken newspaper. and the only per-
cepfble advance in the education of las
children is. that those who three wears AGO
were ignorant of the use of tobacco, have
since became valiant soldiers in the cause.
and will doubtless remain such for life On
approaching them. YOU detect the fumes of
whi>kev, coffee and tobacco. mingled with the
eii,uvi, of bodies unwasied from wear to
year. You fancy at once tina. YOU are pass
ing liquor saloon. The same cast Of feature,
the same dull stare. and the same b,oodless.
dirty white complexion is noticeable from
oldc>; 20 Youngest. You look in vain for
the smallest intellectual manifestation. In
bed two bits of charcoal IN a cake of dirty tai
low. and Won will then have a fair representa-
ton of a lioGSier'S face In some cases how
ever. something of brighter color than
charcoal hut equally expressive, should be
substituted
This Is not fancy sketch. nor has it been
written TO point moral. or adorn a tale"
And while | acknowledse that MANY good
men, and some educated men, emicrate here
from slaveholdinS States. it cannot be de-
nice. that there are thousands to whom the A.
b"ve description will apply in its full length
and breadth
We are near The close OF one of the .iercest