Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-10-31
Letters From the Shore.

GRoToN, CONN, Oct. 10, 1871.
DEAR HERALD We have had 0
very dry autumn. Wells have been
low and many have gwen out II
many cases springs and brooks have
dried up, aud the millers have only
here and there day been able tC
grind. But the surface of the earth
is not as dry as it was year ago
and the farmers have not been oblig.
ed to fodder as yet, whereas last year
they began the middle of August
Last week we had two days of album
dant rain, which made Il depth Of six
inches Of water on level And now
we have roaring brooks and the s.rist
mills hum away from morning till
night.
The crop of corn is good, potatoes
are meaIy and yielded wei. One
man told me the other day that he
got three hundred and fifty bushels
OF Early Rose off an acre. But the
average yield of Early Rose is not
more than Two hundred bushels. We
consider this variety the best pota-
toes for fall use, but for stock pota-
to we raise the Garnet Chill. Oats
were light this year of other grains
we raise none in this part OF New Eng
land worth speaking of--here and
there farmer raises an acre of rye Oh
"a halt an acre of Buck wheat for his
family use.
Beef is low, that is in the carcass,
but the butchers keep the prices up
TO the retail trade The other day a
neighhor OF mine sold a young beef at
ten cents and bought back tho steak
for twenty-five. Pork is low-only
six ceuts. Every farmer hereabouts
fats some three or four hogs, two OF
which he keeps for his family use
Each farmer, too, usually fats one of
his old COWS. In fattening these old
est members Of the dairy herd the
farmer generally begins early in the
fall, feeding corn stalks, potatoes,
pumpkins and turnips as they come
along, adding little meal to each
day rations. The animal is usually
butchercd ia December
Turkeys, geese, and chickens are
all raised in large tiocks for Thanks
giving and Christmas. Around every
farm house you will see Aocks of for
ty or fifty turkeys each. bright, hand
some birds, and they make the well
kin ring with Chinese melody as you
drive through them. At Thanks
giving they will fetch from two to
three dollars piece. They cost but
little to raise, and are source Of
revenue to our small farmers. One
Of my neighbors sent ten tons Of tur-
keys to Boston at Thanksgiving
time last year Tho usual price to
the raiser is twenty-five cents per Id.
Female birds weigh eight lbs on the
average dressed, male birds average
twelve lbs. | went TO farmers
house the other night and he showed
me his feath red family, and such
gathering, both as to numbers aud
noise, there has MT been since The
great Convention at Worcester to
nominate candidate for Governor
of Massachusetts. There were tur-
keys aud geese and Bramah Pootra
chickens, and they gabbled and cac-
killed. in most boisterous and DIM
ming fashion.
As | have alluded to politics, will
say that our fall elections have pass
ed off and the State has gone Repub-
lican. The Tammany management
in New y ork has killed out Dpmoc-
racy in this State for the present.
Next Spring we expect it vi 90
strong for the Republicans, unless
the Temperance people put up a
ticket, which they are bound to do if
the Republicans slight them any
longer. We asked our Legislature
last Summer for State constabulary
law, but they refused US, and if they
do MT pledge themselves to give it 70
Us another year, we shall cut loose
from them and leave them to the
tender mercy of the Democrats. Of
course the Democrats would carry
the State for few years, but in the
end the Temperance people would
triumph,
The destruction of Chicago by fire
is all that we talk or think about at
present. A city blotted out ia day !
We can't bring our minds up to the
measure of the calamity. Millions
is all we can say. We feel afflicted.
1t seems like terrible judgment up
on the whole country. 1t is so vast
and awful in its ruin that we have
no other thought. 1t seems impos-
sible for the place to recover. Will
it be worth while TO pour GU. three
hundred millions again to build city
of wood on foundation Of mud p
Some say that Chicago will rise again
and be greater and grander than ev-
er. Insurance Companies have been
swept overheard by this bilow of fire
The only insurance company in our
county has gone down. The City of
Hartford looses more than ten mill
ions of its wealth. All over the East
there are men well nigh penniess to-
day, who were capitalists tea day 5
ago. But the response of the East
to the call for help at Chicago has
been swift, in every city, town, ham.
let and church the people have an
swered to the call with contributions.
This is the fruit of Christianity
This swift charity--does it not prove
to the world that America is Chris
tian land? / was gloomy when l
heard of this terrible stroke upon our
Western metropolis, but the grand
uprising Of the people in this noble
work Of relief is like the sun break.
ing through the clouds after storm.
With good wishes for the Herald
and It's readers, ! remain
Yours Truly, ALLANN.