Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-09
The Northern Pacific Railroad
The Climate Of the Northwest.

The Northern Pacific Railroad-
| The Climate Of the Northwest.
Editor Rutland Herald Now that the
| construction of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road is about to unite more closely the ex.
tremities of the republic, it is fitting that
the mis-education in geography which
most Americans now on the stage Of action
received in their childhood, when Chicago
was an Indian village and Lake Superior
an unknown sea, should be corrected. :.
PERSONAL Enthusiastically
and theoretically have studied the eli
mate of the Northwest. Nervous debility,
splitting of blood, a fear of hereditary ten
dency to consumption, clustering graves
reveal family foe,) led me some five
years ago to change my home in the East
to Minnesota. The story of the consump-
tive who, apparently in the last stages Of
that disease, was removed to our State,
and in few months was restored to per-
feet health, subject to only one drawback
the constant Fostering Of agents to in
sure his life--is not entirely hyberbole,
for it is almost paralleled in my own ex-
perienee. Years ago the life insurance
company of which I was general agent,
refused to take risk on my life. About
two weeks since, after careful examina-
ton by physician, who was total stran-
ger to me, was pronounced an excellent
risk and policy secured.
While 1 am relating my experience, let
me add that in Minnesota learned what
it is to enjoy living-life. mere existence,
without regard to its circumstances. be.
came positive joy, and eating, to say
nothing of sleeping; luxury, and the
horrors of forcing down your breakfast,
an experience so familiar to Eastern men
of sedentary habits and mental appliea-
ton, thing of the past. Here even COM
mon food is "rolled beneath the tongue as
sweet morsel," and my little boy.hit the
nail on the head when he said "Father,
it tastes good all the way down" 1t
stands to reason that food thus eaten must
strengthen the system more than that
which is eaten without relish. want to
say further.--for several months in Min
nesota averaged thirty speeches of an
hour each, delivered with the energy be-
longing to Welsh blood, and grew fat
while so doing.
THE GLORY OF LIyING.-O, it is a
glorious thing to really live; to feel the
blood leaping along the veins as if in
every joy; to realize every muscle braeed,
every nerve snergized labor pleasure
and not an effort, and the rapture of men,
tai toll not neutralized by subsequent de-
preston. I came to Minnesota in the
spring and lady told me, "When winter
comes you will find it hard work to walk
dignifedly; but, almost in spite of your
self, you will be found skipping, dancing
along" Alas, for my dignity! it was too
true, for in many of our glorious winter
mornings have felt it would be positive
relief if could have frisked around like
colt. Said Boston gentleman to me
"Your summers are trifie too hot, but
your winters are grand The language
of one of our editors is scarcely too strong
''The whole winter is radiant and joy
GUS band of sunny days and starlit nights"
A grave Presbyterian clergyman of st.
Paul, writing of the coolest term known
in Minnesota for many years existence
"The sky was without a cloud, not al
breath of air was stirring, and the still
ness and perfect quiet of everything was
that of Sabbath in summer. l went to
my stndy az usual, and felt no unusual
sensation of cold. In fact, the exhilara-
ton of being out in and breathing the air
was purely delightful. can now under
stand DR.. Kane's statement, that he could
without inconvenience, stand seventy de-
grees below zero, if no wind we're blow
ing. And fortunately, here the coolest
days are the stillest days" On the very
coolest day of the last ten years attended
public meeting in Minnesots, to which
men, women and babes in their mothers
arms came from a radius of ten miles
around. True, these exceptionally cold
days require exceptional care of the cara
and extremi ties and an occasional shield
ing of unduly extended nasal organs.
MINNESOTA AND THE EAST
All things are by comparison, and dur
in, or int AL 70 kIo 81,
leaving it for my home in the West, iu-
stituted comparisons between the two lat
itudes, not much to the advantage Of the
former. As cold is measured by the Their
mometer, it is colder in Minnesota than in
Boston or New York but it ia equally
true that they suffer more from the cold
than we do. It is the uniform testimony
of residents here that they feel the cold
less than they formerly did in the wet
and variable winters of lower ATTITUDES |
We need no more clothing, if as much, in
winter than they do They go out III one
of their raw mornings, and they are often
raw even iu early October. and their first
sensation is that of chill, and rapidly
must they walk to overcome it; We go out
in our coolest weather, and there is no
chill, and absolutely the well clad pedes-
trian is unaware that it il cold save by
the tingling of exposed ears. The reason
is plain around them is a wrapping of
beat-absorb bling damp air;
around US is a covering of non-conduot,
ing dry air.
UNIFORMITY OF TEMPERATURE.
Their May days in January, when rub
bers are discarded and overcoats become
a burden, and when the birds are almost
deceived into returning from the South,
and the occasional twitter of swallow is
heard, are truly delightful while they last
but, alas, while the system is all unlocked,