Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-14
THE oruEn SIDE OF ruE PICTURE.

we extract the following:
There never was country so lied about as
Kansas so affrms one of the old settlers, an
original Vermont Yankee, who has worked
hard here many years, through privatons and
discomforts and now enjoys as the fruit of his
labors comfortable home; who still is not
blinded by any glamour Of pride in his adopted
land but secs clearly the disadvantages as
well as the advantages Of life here A stay
of three months here, continually jaunting
about and hearing the pros and cons Of the
matter, shivering in the north wind one day,
and sweltering in the south the next, seeing
with my own eyes the omnous dust clouds,
hearing with my own ears the roaring winds,
aud worst Of all, tasting in my own mouth
the generous rich grit with which every
breeze comes laden, all, with other things, in
cline me to think that he is right in his state
ment as to the way in which Kansas is mis-
represented by land agents and other inter-
ested but unscrupulous parties.
now PEOPLE LIVE HERE.
If the whole aim and object of existence
is to make money, regardless Of how or whore
any one lives, then doubtless man does far
better to come here than to remain in cold,
sterile New Engond, True, it is not every
one who makes a fortune here. "Tho poor
ye have always with you" is not less true
here and now than when and where il was
spoken as also, everybody knows, there is an
irrcprossible class OF men who would make
money somehow, even if pent up in a rocky
side hill sheep pasture in Vermont To speak
in general terms poor man with large fam
lily to support can do it more easily here than
there, because in this comparative state of
society, the style of living is such that what
are deemed essentials to comfort there, are
decided luxuries here and not to be thought
Of The staples which go to sustain life are
usually raised here in such profusion that
bread is always plenty to putin the ehildren's
mouths, and though it may often lack the
butter, sorghum is cheap and eminently re-
spectacle. A young man with small capital
cannot perhaps do better than to invest it
here but let the middle aged man who has
good home and surroundings in one Of our
Eastern States, and can afford to stay there,
think twice before he throws it aside for a
chance here. New England society, privil-
eges and comforts are yet long ways in the
future here, and many of them, for nsupera-
Bile reasons, good deal farther of than the
millennium, so that the man who comes here
to live, need not aatter himself that it will
be like his old home. lie must resign him
self to things as they arc, and wait patiently
the slow mending Of matters. Many who
come here have never looked at the subject
in that light, and their disappointment and
homesickness are consequently great. About
half the people one meets here have come
for the avowed purpose of making money
enough to enable them to live comfortably
elsewhere, and are staying, not from love OF
the country, but to accomplish that end
Doubtless, however, the majority OF them will
become accustomed to things, aud eventually
remain a lifetime, for the greatest inconyen-
fences become endurablo from sheer force OF
habit.
To the Eastern family who come here from
their spacious roomy house, supplied with cv
ery convenience, it looks ut first the height o.
barbarism for whole family Of may be ;
dozen to live, move and have their being
through summers fiery heat and winter
fierce winds, in one-roomed cabin, as three
fourths of the establishments in this sectioI
arc. Yet, as time passes on, they beeom'
accustomed to it, and compelled at first tC
live so far from the scarcity Of means 10 Dc
with aud the high prices of both labor and
lumber, they come by degrees to consider i
all right, and men worth their thousands will
90 in that style year after year, because thei
neighbors do, and who wants to live bette
than other loks2 Women will gravely tel
you that a large house is great trouble, re
quiring so much work to keep it clean in
one-roOmed house everything is so handy, an
: a dirty floor the very best to have, for it need
neither sweeping or mopping Indeed, speak
ing in general terms if people would dres
, and deny themselves as they do here, the
might lay up money as rapidly, but who doc
it, or wishes to ? Since we have but one lit
to spend here, why not make the most Of
aud crown it with comforts, instead Of alway
starving the mind and body both, for the SAX
Of the pocket. In all my rambles here
have entered but half dozen houses that
would think | could at all live in, and M
: notions of comfort are by no means too loft
for common use. We often hear complaint
o made Of people who do not live within the
) MEANS but there are more here who will nc
= live up to their means, and often feel indil
; nant for family Of children whose paren
u still cling to the cabin or dug out" whe
amply able to have better home. 1t is on
of the curses Of this money-gettiog countr.
? but when you arc with the Romans you al
L quite apt to do us the Romans do, especial
> when il is so advantageous to the pocket.
4 WORK HERE AND THERE
i The idea that life is less of u struggle hel
+ than at the East, and work easier, is the grea
:. est of falacies. Women here need to wor
c twioo as hard as they do there to secure Ii
Q same degree of comfort, Houses lack Il
: appliances for tightening labor that about
Q there. The constant winds bring in dust
J, one who never witnessed it cannot imagin'
}, aud it seems To penetrate everything and cot
It everything with disagreeable grit, from u
s dishes in your cupboard to the writing psp'
!, you take from your trunk. Another thin
- which strikes one unpleasantly is that no gra
l. grows about the houses, and the coarse NJ
4 tive grass makes no good sod, and once broke
Q to dig cellars nothing springs up in its plat
but weeds. Clover or herds grass need I
l. much care as hot-house plant to make the
l. grow and the result of all this is, that whe
is you leave doorstep you strike the make
Is soil. Children wallow in the dirt from NJ
It cessty as much as from choice, bringing away
Is liberal allowance on both clothes and face
v IL by chance a rain comes TO mosten the to
y of the ground, the mud is as adhesive
|, SO much tar, and you may kick off your boo
n soles in the vain endeayor to rid them OF
q Owing to the innate tendency Of the humi