Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-18
A Letter from Iowa.


the Newport Erpress, under the title OF
"The great West-shall We 60 or stay "
the tenor of which is calculated to mis-
lead very many minds with reference to
our western cline. Now this worthy cor
respondent may be honest in the opinions
thus expressed, but conclusions arrived at
by inference, rather than by actual
knowledge, are not, in my opinion, calcu-
lated to benefit mankind, or prove to be
proper material for publication to the
world as facts.
I am not desirous of wasting much time
or printers ink in attempting reply to
this very unjust, to say the least, repre-
sentations of the "great West" neither
ana inclined to let it pass, without
word in justification of the interests of
portion of our country already mighty in
the land.
As am more interested in the State of
Iowa, having been identified with its in
terests for three years, I propose to take
cursory review of the statements made in
the letter referred to, and lay bare few
facts as they really exist.
Having spent most of my life in New
England, and born among the green hills
of old Vermont, think 1 am entitled to
know whereof speak, and accorded the
power of being better able to judge cor
rectly of how these things are, than those
who have not had experience in both To-
calities.
fully agree with the statement that
Vermont is good for borning purposes,
but it is we'll to emigrate early, and by
this I do not wish to be understood as
casting any undue reflections, for honor
and revere the grand old Mountain State,
the "star that never sets,"-immortsl be
her memory
But our friend seems very much exer-
cised over the immigration to this "beau-
tiful land, and thinks it passing strange"
that great "hue and cry" should be made
about going West, and that in the eyes of
some it should seem to be an extensive
garden of Eden. That many come West
with expectations unrealized, l will not
deny ; that some come here, get honesick
and return, I will not dispute, for the
beauties and benefits of this Western
world are seen and felt from different
stand points aud fields of observation. The
Yankee who could see no beauty, gram
deur or utility in the mighty Niagara. ex-
cept that to his mind it would be glori-
GUS good place to wash sheep, had reached
the goal of his ambition when he made
this wonderful application. So we tind
many who come to Iowa aud return again
to Vermont to relate the pleasing story,
that our vast prairies are treeless and bar
rem, our springs are all dry, our rivers and
streams a myth, that the wild winds
sweep with unrelenting fury over the bar
rem waste, the crops are sll shorn and our
homes made desolate and unproductive
by the fearful food or parching droutb
and if perchance the smallest pittance
survives this ordeal, it only furnishes food
for the countless millions of insects that
cover luS COL ia IlhC q OAOub"
What "stuff and nonsense T. Like every
other land on the face of the globe, ours
has it's good and bad, but we do cl4im We
have more of the good and less of the bad
than any other State. Look at Iowa to-
dav. with it's 100000 Inhabitants, tC
which Vermont has contributed as much
as any other State in the Union, in pro
portion to her population. It's mighty
} fields of waving grain, and cattle upon &
thousand hills and plains. it's widest prai
ries covered with flowers of every hue anc
| variety, from the opening spring to th'
chill of autumn, its mines of coal and hid
den wealth, railroads crossing and recross
ing the whole State in perfect network
of iron, two of the largest rivers in the
world wash it's eastern and western
, shores, bearing on their mighty water
much of the commerce of the great North
west, the whole State interspersed will
rivers ard wooded streams on every hand
E giving an abundant supply for man ant
beast. and making it what it is to-day anC
what it is bound to be in the future, III
State of the Union.
= Our friend very generously allows tha
/ people can enjoy themselves in our larg
f cities. But he adds "Let them go on
z into the woods, miles away from stor
r and Post Office, chop trees, roll up littl
g log house, and settle down with home
q sick wife and discontented children, ant
see how long they chant the glories of
). Western life" Well, chop trees with
o vengeance, and build log houses in
! country where the greatest obj ctioI
: usually made is the scarcity of timber
@ A little historical study would hav
served our friend this blunder, "sinc
ignorance is bliss it's folly to be wise.
Again he relates the history of nobl
i. "prodigal son" who came TO this far coun
! try and found his brother spatting aroun
barefoot, and 40 sale for his corn"
So this very sensible man returned t
0, Vermont where no one gees barefoot an
o there is always sale for corn. The
8 our illustrious correspondent compare
! the families living in comfortable home
q in Vermont, with plenty to eat and weal
y with that exceedingly unfortunate elias
q of people in Iowa, diving in wee bits {
# houses Qog huts,) eating off rough board
going up stairs on a ladder, sitting o
pieces of logs, without chairs, sleeping o
rough poles, instead of bedsteads, shivel
; ing over red hot stove with the wind
I. whistling through the logs." Iu eouE
= try where the people judge hole in th
ground dug for cellar ss one of th
seven wonders of creation, and whel
: people have to go two and half miles ft
- water, and that even must be draine
j, through stream the size of pipe sten
! If the fools had all been dead, no sue
;. nonsensical trash would have bee
written.
1 4 r r,sll &hof III