Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-09
letter from the Mohawk Valley.


you have been through If, but did you
ever get off the train at one of the enter
prising villages between Utica and Schen-
ectady? If not, stop off the train with
me at Amsterdam and go with me over
the town. and see how its busy inhabi-
tants improve every advantage given
them by the Creator of the Universe to
till the soil and manufacture articles OF
use. There is an impression that many
of the towns on the line of the Central
railroad are finished, but when you learn
that there have been within the past two
wears over one hundred and sixty dwell
inqs erected here, besides several factc-
riee, your mind will be disabused upon
this point. Amsterdam is town of about
5000 souls. Start with me at the depot
and 80 north. We come first to Main
street, very pretty, lively business street,
filled for about three-fourth of mile
with stores and shops built up as solidly
as is Broadway, AS we pass along we
will soon come to beautiful little stream
the Chuctsnundu-passing hurriedly
from the mountain to the sea. 1t is an
I. dian name, and signifies Twin Sister,
as there is upon the opposite side of the
Mohawk, another stream nearly the same
size, which empties into the Mohawk at
nearly the same point, and has the same
name. Go with me a mile up the hill
Here a knitting mill, there foundry,
metallic burial case factory. What are
those large factories, you ask. Here
is where they manufacture carpets.
second only to those made in Lowell, Ia
pestry and Brussels. You go on and here
is an oil mill-here paper mill, and so
on, until your one mile is gone you
count up and find you have passed five
dams you instinctively ask why do they
not use the rest of the power, as you see
point after point that is unoocupied that
will furnish power with from 16 to 90
foot fall You have taken a hasty view
of these factories climb another biz
with me and take view of the country
We come to a monument which is dear tn
one of Vermont's children, and as W,
read "Sacred to the memory Of" we
will cast our mind b4ck to our native
State, and tbiak of the ashes that are
Wondering ia this tomb, away, separated
forever. We will drop silent tear tor the
sorrows of lifelong friend. and pass 10
the soldiers monument Nobly has Am
sterdam marked the place where repose
the ashes of those who :uok their lives To
the battle fi~ld, and sacrificed them that
we might erjoy that liberty purchased AT
such a cost by our forefathers. There il
erected to their memory a fine monument
of Rutland marble in Tho cen ter of the
lot. Around the outer edge of the lot are
tablets of different representations
There are many representations of tent,
about three feet high and two feet and
half wide at the base, cut Ill white mar
BILE We see drum, gun, sword, KNAPP
sack and blanket. all in a block of mar
BILE. Do you, in Mount Auburn or
Green wood, see eny meuentos to point
earth? Go with me to this Few made
grave. Ask that lsborer whose rem ain,
lie here. With scaling tears stre4mirg
from his eyes, he ill tell you "the poor
mans fri,nd ;" man who had lived If
this town seventy-two years; who by fru-
gality, iL3u try and honesty had ANA sec
fortune; one who never allowed tn.
worthy bu. unfortunate poor 10 sufft r for
any of the comforts of life that none,
would buy. As the poor m N, almeat
heart brokon, louks up to YOU and says.
"Sir, this man will be remembered by IL
as the poor mans friend as lou3 as time
al all last, We will strew hi4 grave with !
flowers and bedew it w ith tears from our
eyes," will you rot thiDk that a gond |
man has passed from earth to his re ward
in heeven2 But we bave tarried with TIE
dead long enough. They speak ouly ~
their past deeds. They are fall of adj
vice to the living.
We see another hill and ask boy
what that is. He replies, That is Pros
pect Hill" We also learn that u daugh
ter of the good man whose remains we
have just left at the cemetery, lives there.
We are tired and hungry, az We wend
our way to the summit, and before we
nave been 10 the house one minute. we
ire satisfied that we have not made a
mistake il seeking Il temporary home.
Beyond another hill is large building.
rhither we wend our way and fac that {
We are at the academy, and here find fonr a
Iermon ters as teachers. Il will stimulate c
ur pride, as we learn that Vermont fur. c
FISHES 80 many teachers for our sister r
states; aud upon inquiry we find the .
cademy is full. We feel elated. Soon
ne of the Vermont teachers comes along
nj says, 1--WE soen expect to be fuller"
3 we return to our homes we will nat n
rally say, then, Dutch settlers from Hol- O.
nd are good men. VERMONT. .,