Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-12
Facts about the West.
SrAcYrILLE. low. AnriI 3.


winter in Northern Iowa, am better pre-
pared to give the information which is s.
anxously sought by those intending to settle
in the West 1 have passed many winters
in Vermont, but never have | seen one SO
mild and pleasant as the present one has been
here. There have been few days so cold
that il was very uncomfortable riding across
the prairie, for this is no paradise, where
there are no extremes Of heat and cold but
there have been fewer cold days than have
ever seen in any previous winter. lnregard
to these prairie winds, they are bld enough,
but no more than on the hilltop, and if any
one wishes to avoid such things in any coun-
try he must stay at home.
Ia discussing matters pertaining to the
West, I will notice a few points in the SHARP
letter Of y. W. c." published in the
FREEMAN few weeks since [ was much
pleased with the manner in which he pre-
-ented his side Of the case, and in my opn-
ion there is no danger Of publishing too
many such letters Thousands come here and
~ hack in disgust because they were expect
ing to find cyerythin. to their liking 1t is
far better to know the difficulties to be en-
c0uutered, before you decide to sell your
present comfortable homes
In the frs, place, 50 y ". c." says the
face Of the country is too level to suit him.
Very likely, suit the :. face IF the country -
in Vermont is too billy to suit me, and If /
must choose between tie two, prefer the
level country, I am aware, however. in
making Jhi- choice, that I am obi 5ed to live
ia country where stones are exceedingly
scarce, and there is no chance to dig stones
and build wall for recreation, " hen tired Of
the ordinary farm work
Again .' The streams are all sluggish
and dirty. and the scenery So monOtonous
that when You have travelled fifty miles
almost anywhere in the West. you have
quite an intelligent idea Of the whole coun-
trv." No. sir, the streams are not All slug
.i-h and dirty, for there is one within forty
rods that / know Is neither. 1t is large
enough to run "a Lrist mill. and the natural
inclination Of the land j. enough so that they
obtain a good head Of water. presume the
streams that be .w are as NE describes them.
tac II III never saw anything Of the kind at
homo he never travelled from Montpelier to
Orange. where I believe there is q stream cz-
ceeam-Iy dirty if not sluggish. In regard
~ thc -cenery's being monotonous. nobody
can deny that and if YOU are going SOME
where for a pleasure trip, to enjoy romantic
scenery. by all means 20 to Switzerllnd or
Montana IT, On the other hand, you wish
% find a region where. in the language of
III. C Coffin. q Were it not for streams the
farmer might turn a furrow across the field
as far aa from Boston to Concord. Az H.
without hiIiocs, hollow OF stone 81 break
it- course" yJI must lind it in the " est
and nasmucb Us when you have Travelled
fifty miles you have such an intelligent ides
of the whole country, - YOU can, before start
ine from home. decide within fifty miles
where You viii locate
Ghcre is = scarcity ri timber almost
everywhere. This IS serious draw
hut there is an nczIau-ti5le supply ot
ooaI which does very well ior fuel II wood
cannot De obtained Wood is plenty on the
large streams Ia large village twelve
miles from here the best maple wood has
been sold during the winter for three dollars
a cord. winch j. cheaper than il can be
bought IN most of the villages of the same
size in Vermont, Fences and buildings cost
more on account ot the high price ~ lum-
ber. BY building homes much smaller taau
Eastern people, i nos only reduces the ex-
pen-e below thtt oi 1unI.oS there. buc it
raves all the trouble Ui GustInZ parlOTs and