The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-06-22
Notes and Observations.

| ONdooO 10 tilO COuulI scat VI iOnluWdSS
see County, situated and built in a graces
full curve of the Shiawassee river This
city numbers some twenty-five hundred
Inhabitants. The site is very pleasant
one, The land descends or slopes gently
southwark to the river. Its business
blocks are an odd admixture of old wooden
stores and shops, and large elegant brick
blocks. by city law, all new business
houses must be of brick. This law or ord-
nance, is very common in western cities,
as better protection against fines,
1t was loosely remarked the other day,
Ivy thin, tall man, on the subject, that
it was his opinion that the city Fathers
ought to suspend the law, long enough to
have a conhagration sufficient to drive the
fever and ague out of the county, and
cure everybody suffering from hard colds.
The Owasso Press says 1t is cold
comfort to learn that the Marquette Bay
is full of ice on the 9th of June. Some of
the cnterprising young Americans there,
are trying their hand at sherry cobblers
mixed with ice and water direct from the
lakes. 1t is common remark here that
it thaws little in the middle of the day.
Rain squalls are Of daily occurrence.
For two years prior to last September,
Owasso has been erecting building for
Graded School. 1t is substantially built
of brick, and cost between so and $780,
600. 1t has four (wood) furnaces in the
basement, and consumed 100 cords of
wood for heating it through the winter.
The rooms are all finely finished and fur.
nishcd. The principal teacher has a SAL
airy of $1,000. A Female Assistant $500.
-Four other teachers from $500 to $500
each. A Janitor has rooms furnished his
family in the basement, and is paid yearly
$500.
We passed through every part of the
building to the observatory on the top,
where we had fine view of the river,
city and surrounding country, The bull
ding is located a little out of the city, on
an elevation, and is uncovered in a beaus
tiful grove Of young oaks. The tax as
sessed for running the school is eleven per
cent, only, which of course is not bur.
densome. Long purses and deep pockets
here, render the running expenses of the
school quite moderate per capita.
Here we met Judge Turner, well and
Interestingly known to some of the cite
zens of Middlebury. He is pleasant,
social gentleman, and the laurels which he
has worn for more than score of years,
sit gracefully still upon his brow.
Mr. II. b. Sturtevant, formerly of
Weybridge, VT, is engaged here in mer-
camille pursuits. He evidently has the
elements of a successful merchant lie is
one of the Stewards in the M. L. church,
in this city, and stands arrayed upon the
side of Christianity, He is a firm advo-
cate of abstinence from all intoxicating
beverages, and an inveterate foe to tobac.
co. We like to be able to make a good
report of the young men who emigrate
west, from Vermont, and very generally
are able to do so.
10 knot Of boys here, we witnessed an
instance of depraved habits, quite too
| common in the west. They were all
armed with pipes and tobacco, and were
seemingly emulous to rival each other in
making a smoke house of themselves. |
never look upon boy with cigar or
pipe in his mouth, without large meas
ure of pity for the lad. Tobacco lowers
the vital tone of the whole system, and
thus shortens life. 1t is stated by DR..
| Willard Porter, that three excellent cler-
gymen in New York, had died within a
few years, who might now have been alive,
had they not used tobacco. 1t is estima.
ted that there are 235, 900 smokers in
New York. If they smoke four cigars a
day, at the low price of ten cents each,
these smokers pay S94, 900 daily for
smoke, making an expenditure of S34, =
80, coo year for no earthly good, but
for pastime, damage to the general healh
and constitution. Tobacco smokers are
never healthy, and the children of tobacco
users are comparatively feeble. Tobacco
chewers and smokers are guilty of not only
slowly killing themselves, but Of entailing
premature decay upon their offspring.
But we did not intend philippe against
tobacco smokers.
Forty acres of grove near this city, has
within three years, been devoted TO A
cemetery. 1t is on high, dry ground,
with ravine crossing one end of it. 1t
is fenced and laid out tastefully with
drives, walks and avenues, 1t does hons
or to the people Of Owasso, and is fit
resting place for their departed friends.
Winston, the American Humorist, puts
into the mouth of his "Crying Sexton"
this satireon the legal profession, viz -
that his chief sorrows consist in this-lhe
lawyers charge 80 high for settling estates,
that the people cannot afford to die J.
Whether or not that be the cause here,
we found but few new made graves or
tombs, in this city Of the dead.
l leave here tomorrow, and propose to
write you from another stand point, I'M
Ioso I Graa1a ,,,u ri0ht hand