Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-18

The Freeman
Letter from Missouri.
Below We give some very readable extracts
| from letter written by NJ. Stlllman Rug
gies, formerly I. resident of Waterbury III this
County, out nov residing near Roila, Mlssou-
II:
From Franklin Junction, 81 miles from St.
Louis, where We leave the Pacific Railroad
for the southwest branch, the ROAD, unlike the
Vermont roads which follow c.ose TO the
streams, traverses L ridge oI h h land between
the valleys OF tue Maramee and GAsconade
rivers TO Rolla, which Is on nearly high
land as any IN this country.
This was al Important military posi- during
the war, the supplies for all the southwest
being delivered here by rail, and then
hauled In wagons by here now live, to
the army by way OF ) fringheld near where ths
battle of Wilson 5 Creek was toughg. Two
forts, one on each SIDE vi Roia, are srii stand
ing, which were tor the protec ion OF the place,
ana the etockaue around The Court House is
stlll IN place. About ~, UOO troops were Sta
uoned around here during part Of the war,
some on the iarm We no~ occupy, l2 miles
from town, the Iavages OF war are percep
tiole ali about this region. a small mound
out In the pasture lev rods distant covers
the remains oil about dozen brave Union
soldie,s, ana their captains grave Is surround
ed by small yard.
The railroad now terminates here, 1l3 miles
from 81. Louis, oul was surveyed 10 Spung-
field ITO miles further southwest, whence the
Southern Pacific Railroad, lately chartered by
Congress, starts iOr tn Pacific coast, 50 This
VIII eventually. be - the " Pacific Railroad, IN
preierenc, to tnc more nortneriy snowy rou tee,
as TINS vii always DC tree from that great OBJ
stTuclon- Ine rOa0 IL graded % the Gas
conade lIver, Is miles toward Springfield, and
nearly ready tor the ties and iron, with the
exception Oi twO bridges near here, one OF l20
iee1 span and the other oI spans ot about
the same length, the abutnents anu pIeIs hay
lng been finished before the war, AMI the wood
wOrk was ali on the spot, but was taken to
supply the brlOge burned by the rebel Gov.
jackson al the mouth OF the Usage river when
ne lied the state. The railroad to this place
is still run by the Government, but by "a late
legislative acc is soon 10 DC sold by the Gov
and Commissioner, and 1t is expec Led that the
new company viii Immediately extend It to
Sheldon, 10 miles, where an important 1t uon
and town now being surveyed tor building
lots and good water power tor mills and
iactoIers Is Ia contemplation by STOCK com
pany, near the mouth OF tIney INer.
took occasion few days since 10 accom-
pany a lad 10 mil up tIney river, about 10
miles from RoilA. Alter fordlng the river
three or four times, Tor bridges uneommon
nere We arrived at the mill, anu very prIIn- |
i've affair lr was. Imagine "a stream some |
smaller than the WinooskI as Montpelier, bu 4,
with very little current, go the water powers |
are scarce, but by turning the stream from Its
hail mile or more, a fail of OF feet Is OBJ
tanned. The water is conducted into "a sort
oil board hume, from one corner OF which 1t |
rushes out into kind of wooden wheel with
force enough TO get up forty or fifty revolu-
HONS per minute, more or less. On the top
pocket milestone which grinds the corn about
fast i good sized family would eat 1t. Ii
1t was converted INTO good pudding. NoI
building Is attached TO the Concern except a
Hat board roof about II feet square. | in-
Quired OF the miller how much he could grind
IN day, and he said that last Monday he
ground 80 bushels, but it must have been an
extra days work. | understand they have
much better mills than this In the state, so
this is an exception, for there Is no better -four
made than Missouri produces.
Since arriving, here the 18th ult. l have
been very busy IN making repairs, farming,
&C., 50 have not explored the county, town,
or even the neighborhood, very much. l shall
not, therefore, be very positive about all the
advantages of this country at present.
The country is perfectly settled about here,
TO any disloyaI person doing an unlawful
act, or even uttering single traitorous word.
The Rev. MIR. Field, the Methodist clergy
man whose meeting attended, in giving me
an invitation to come up to their meeting sale,
'' We mean to be plain Christians, not at a II
starched up, but g intsnseiy loyal" which is
the ruling sentiment in this part of the state
at least. There are some ex-rebels who are
suffered to remain, but they dare not say
single traitoIous or disloysl word, on pain of
being compelled to leave the state forthwith,
and this is as it should be in the entire South
l remain very truly yours,
S. RUGGLKs.