The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1870-06-30
VERMONT BEYOND THE miSSiS
SIPPl.
from The Rutland, (Vt.,) Herald
MADISON. Wis. Nav 10.

: Rutland was my birth place, anC
, there lie buried most Of my kindred
, Though have travelled far from it
[ still bear an untraveled heart.
know not whether others are like me
but in all the continents Whenever
| am perplexed about the points o
the compass, / always instinctively
orienteer myself, by thinking which
way | used to turn for north in my
native village. Accordingly, every
new scene / have ever surveyed has
} been associated with the oldest OF
Rutland streets, shat from the old
North Church co the old Court
House.
1t was not till | had wandered
through more than one realm that L
really understood the magnificence
of Rutland scenery. It's mountain
forms and sky Iines,-sometimes
horizontal, then conical or scalloped,
then pyramidical, were early pho,
tographed upon my memory, and
some one of their features has re-
CURED to me when my eyes have
rested on its counterpart it Switzer-
land, Italy, Greece, Palestine, Cali
tornia and the Sandwich Islands.
The physique of Rutland resem bles
Attlca, not only in the quarries OF
Pentelican marble, but in many 9TH
er salient points, which | wish | could
describe.
1t would be extravagant TO hope
that Rutland-or any other modern
city-can rival the intellectual orig
lnaIity of Athens, though it might
have wrought the miracle, had it
been founded first, yet | cannot fail
to note some analogy in the eneigr0-
tiO'tdk tendencies between the two
places. The Athenian boys in the
temple of Agraulos took an oath to
hold wheat, barley, vines and olives,
as the boundaries CT Attica, though
its geographical extent was not more
than six hundred square miles. The
meaning was that they would reckon
as their home all regions where these
things grew, and northward, south
ward, eastward, westward-where-
ever these things could be best pro-
cured, they would fly like birds of
passage and spread themselves as
pervaSively as the spring-time,
which leaves no corner of the earth
untouched. The Rutland boys
would seem to have sworn similar
oath. OF all whose dawniug time
was there with ne, cannot recall
a half a dozen who sill sit in the old
nest. And pet, OF all Vermont towns,
Rutland-waked to newness Of life,
yes, TO double life by railroads and
marble-has long held her children
III their native seats most firmly, and
with the most golden chains. Ac-
cordingly, other Green Mountain
boys have initiated the Attica cos
mopOlties even more than the Rut-
| landers.
This view is confirmed by stats
tics. In 1860 there were living in
Vermont 1892 children under ten
years old, and yet during the last ten
years the increase of Vermont pop
ulation has amounted to less than
one single thousand. Evidently the
emigration beyond her borders were
heavy. Its percentage has probably
been as great during the decade now
closing, although that has doubtless
witnessed no smatl advance in the
number Of resident Vermonters.
But how have the myriads, who i'll
-, III a,
Vermonters, Jared, who have left
their mountain-k ONE? As a rule,
well-beyond doubt, or they would
have forced their way back again
for ''if they had been mindful of that
country from whence they came out,
they might have had the opportuni-
ty to have returned" They went
ont usually poor in purse, but rich in
push and pluck, in education or
mother-wlt, or both, and have every
where made their mark, and "cut
their biguess." Most of them have
gone west, and there becoming farm
ers, have done more for themselves
and others than would have been
possible if they had remained where
they were born. Remaining they
would have been tenants or farm
laborers, or at most small freehold
ers removing, they till their own
land, and that easier as well as in
tracts larger and better than they
could have secured at home. AS
man can lift more at the end of
long than a short lever, so he will
accomplish more on land that is vir-
gin, abundant and fertile, than on
that which lacks these characters
tics.
As some persons are better salts.
fed with mathematical than with
rhetorical figures, l will add few of
these to the same purpose. The av-
erage wealth of the inhabitants of
Iowa is to-day as great as that of
Vermont. According to the Rat-
land Hsrald, the total valuation of
Vermont, including both real and
personal estate, is-a little over ninety
three millions (93, 356,393.) That of
Iowa is upward Of two hundred and
ninety four millions (294, 1922 }
The inhabitants of Iowa are a little
more than million Q,O40,s10 in
1862 and their average assessment
for taxation is no whit less than that
Of V ermonters,un unless those Vermont
ers now. number less than three
hundred and twenty nine thousand.
1t is possible that the Vermonters
are more aitful dodgers of taxation
than the Iowans, though the fowan
assessment, according to the Gov
ernor's message, represents less
than halt the actual value of proper.
ty in the State" But it is certain
either that the Vermonters are more
dishonest, or that they are not more
rich than the Iowans.
But the Iowan wealth has all been
acquired in less than half the period
during which that of Vermont has
been in growth. Thirty years ago
Iowa could not boast more than
half either of the wealth or popula-
ton which Vermont had in 1890.
Now it shows, speaking absolutely,
three times as much of both, and
speaking relatively, nc less of either.
| This result is owing to the soil, the
bounteous mother earth of Iowa,
which yields more in week than
/ Vermont in a year, and works for
every farmer as with the hundre d
hands of Briareus. Set down in
Iowa, the Vermonters would have
achieved even more than the
Iowans have done, for, as a whole
they are superior both in physical
stock and industrial training.
But the Iowan lump has never