The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-10-23
Lottor from noaton,
Bos1os, ocr Is, 1888.

10 me Edlforoffhs CaisaoHiaH.
Since the removal Of the Court House 90
your village, the "Caledonlah" seems 10 have
assumed an additional impnrtanee, aud those
who merely desire 70 keep posted IN regard
% the GLORIOUS uncertainties Of tho Law"
have only 70 consult ils pages ia oder 20 sec
how much is doing 10 this department How
ever idhing the benefits resulting to parlicu-
lar individuals, there can be no doubt Of the
importance Of good laws, wisely administered,
upon the country at large, Justice 10 some
times lille long-winded, aud At times as
aumes positions little contradictory,
Several years since, two gentlemen we're
travelling early IN the morning Ia tho north
ern part Of your state, and all az once they
came upon a company Of men who warned
them against a certain bad place in the road,
where, a. they went on 70 say, horse had
stumbled and broke his leg, They explained
the circumstances by stating that the road
had been turned from IL course by tray-
erse sled, Ia drawing ml-logs. and that a
young man In returning from a ball with his
lady had met with the mishap referred TO-
A. the horse was priHia fa0is evidence of
the fact, the story seemed plausible enough
The next summer these travellers we're called
upon 10 make out their deposition and leave
Il at the hotel by certain day, but, ~ they
we're unwilling 10 get into the courts In any
shape, they concluded 10 lot the matter for
the present, so far as they we're concerned,
go by default In order to preserve the
facts In as good form aa possible HAlde
from legal custody, one Of them made mem
orandum Of the leading features Of the case,
aud read them TO his associate, who fully
coueurTcd 10 it, correctness with the remark
that III called upon 10 testify he could say
no more" and the document committed % q
pigeon hole Of the desk. A few years hher
one 6i these individuals, Ohe other having
deceased Ia The meanIimel was summoned by
legal process to attend court in neighbor-
Ing county, as witness upon this same case,
which he had supposed sct,led years before
lie took his manuscript from his desk, and
late in the afternoon, after severe snow
storm, drove over thirty miles through
drifts TO say nothing OF the number Of times
his sleigh was eapsized, and arrived, near
midnight, at his place Of destination, Here
he was called upon for his evidence, and a.
his story was short and simple, and unaidcd
10y other testimony, while the good people
who had Illuminated him In regard to the way
aud manner In which the accident had occur
red. were like one man on the aide Of the
dufcndent, our solitary witness, 30 far as any
lntereAt IA the matter was concerned, Was no
where. OF course ~ testimony went for
tothing, and was not even alluded % by the
bar, the bench or the jury. lie waited TO
hear the charge, and found that the strong
point in that Was based upon circumstances
VI which he was really the only disinteresicd
witness. Before the charge was completed
he was again IN his sleigh, pursuing his route
homcward--uot without wish that he could
afford 10 rSfund the small fee which lac knew
most bc total loss TO somebody A few
years after these events, he was speaking OF
them, and learned, much 90 his sul prise that
il was still unscttled--that there had been
delays from various causes--once the docket
having got lost in the long suriout pocket Of
The presiding5udgo- new trials had been
repeatedly resorted 10 with6ir settling the
question. At length our traveller was again
called upon for his deposition. IL was made
out, sent, and report said il was conclusive,
knew, as he had no knowledge of the parties,
never cxhunging n word with either, and no
intcTest save that Of personal yeracity The
laws of evidence ought to have had their in
ilucnce ut an earlier day.
In this goutify city There rs an effort MAX
ing to do something in behalf Of the temper
Ancc cause, aud the plan is much lCtv that Of
a farmer in former days TO clear his farm Of
trccs--by the acre. IL is thought that n
piece containing about forty acres, n little
less than the size of our common, seems To
have four or five hundred more grog shops
than are needed. and tho a.Sort referred TO
contempletos clearing them off, Neal Dow
spoke in the fremont temple the other even
ing, aud though Of course he spoke well, yet,
his address was not quite as good as, the one
in the State nUu,e nj montpelier few years
ago. There is need enough Of reform in all
and il is not unwnrrantnble TO sup
pose that many Of the fifteen thousand per-
sons who have been known TO visit the drink
ing saloons of this city in n single evening,
do not confne themselves wholly 20 lager
beer.
Ii is with no small degree of pleasure that |
we learn that the Rev. Mr.. Bonds regainng |
his health, In a measure and it is hoped that |
his talents as an able and faithful minister |
of the gospel may find ample employment; |
while his accomplished and devoted compan- !
ion, by her daily life Of practical usefulness, !
is q living illustration Of the true mission Of |
woman, is beyond all praise. Yours truly,