The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-31
VIRGINIA MINING DISTRICT, N. M. !
pat n.o 2

EdHoF o. the HeyHHer:
The date of our letter reminds us that
the mellow year is drawing to close,
" Announced by all the trumpets of the sky
Arrives the snow; driving DER the fields
Seems nowhere TO alight; the whited air
Hides hills and woods the river and the
heaven
The sled and traveller stopped, the carriers
feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates
sit
Around the radiant fireplace enclosed
In tumultuous privacy of storm.
The Sierra Blanca white mountains)
lying away to the north, are capped with
snow, and the restless winds that come
sweeping over their frosted domes, remind
us that stern winter has come again to
pay his cool respects to the departing
year and welcome in the new. Until
within the last few days we have had
nothing to remind us of the coming new
year. But the sight of snow and the
sting of chilling blasts refreshes our men,
ory and we call to mind many happy
New Years birthday day experience,
cold beyond measure; twenty degrees be-
low zero. Yes! Winter, season of sea-
sons in New England. Snow upon snow
until it overwhelms the expanded picture
of "Whittier's Snow Bound" and buries
the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
Though frigid as an old maid shaking
with the ague, winter inaugurates round
of pleasures, an in door life pleasant to
review in all their cheerful places, though
far away. Long, social evenings, time
for reading, story telling, visits, parties,
meetings and weddings. Then who can
forget, yet who can tell the mysteries of
the cellar in winter. For weeks, during
the autumn, vegetable treasures have been
poured into it until the old house or
mansion is victualed for long siege of
seasons. The extent of New England
cellars is without measure, like a city
omnibus, always room for something
more. Bins, bins of every vegetable that
is kept in bins; piles Of every vegetable
kept in piles; boxes and barrels of ap-
Piles, pippins, greenings, russets, gilly
flowers, seek-no-furthers, golden sweets
and spitzenbcrgs, answering all uses of
apples. A swinging shelf where untouch-
able delicacies are kept; long rows of
bottles, grimly silent as to their contents,
and barrel or two of cider. From the
cellar as from an exhaustless store house,
come day after day and night after night
the necessaries, comforts and luxuries OF
life. What words can tell all that is
conveyed on winter nights by the words,
"down cellar" Then comes down bag
of nuts from the attic chamber, thcn the
hammer and block, the cracking and
chatting music still ringing in our ears.
But we must disappoint our inclination
and turn from those happy snow bound
realms to where the thermometer contra.
diets our sensations, to this more soft and
genial, mild and sunny, quiet and dreamy
section of Uncle Sans domain. We
hate to do it, but then we must for to
write whole letter dwelling upon the
comforts, pleasures, luxuries and things
far away, without once alluding to OBJ.
jects, aspects and phases more near would
be an absent.minded blunder, unpardon-
BILE.
We once knew young gentleman who
called upon young lady with the avowed
purpose of winning favor, but so far for.
got himself as to discourse the whole eve-
ming upon the beauties and charms of an
other residing at a distance. The next
time he called the young lady was OUT,
of course.
Begging your pardon for pretacing our
communication with things so foreign to
our surroundings We will proceed to the
passing notice of affairs on the 32d par.
allel AS soon as it became known that
extensive and promising silver mines ex-
listed in this locality, surrounded by large
and fertile valleys of vacant lands, gov.
ernment having an eye to business, Or
ganized and sent out surveying party
which is engaged at the present time
sectionizing the adjacent country and all
the lands bordering on the Gila river.
Until within the last year no public
lands in New Mexico have been in mar
ket; but in view of the recent mineral
developments and the prospects of q
Southern Pacific Railroad, large immi.
grafton is anticipated at an early period
hence this timely preparation BY the
mother government. Looking to the
same probable result, delegates from ev.
cry part of the Territory met in conven.
tion on the Sd inst. at Santa Fee, and or.
ganized society called the New Mexico
Immigration Society. Branch societies
are being established throughout the Ter
rtory, to establish and maintain a regu.
lar correspondence with the central orga-
nization at Santa Fee. 1t is the avowed
object Of this society and its branches to
provide means for gathering reliable in.
formation in regard to the various indus.
trial interests of the Territory and te
make such use Of the same as will serve
to correct the erroneous impressions now
generally prevalent in the east, and place
New Mexico in true light before the
people of the entire country.
Congress doubtless convened as usu
ual on the 10Th, though we have received
as yet no news to that effect except the
Presidents Message. AS soon as pre-,
liminary matters are disposed of, it is ex.
pected that the 32d parallel Railroad
Bill will come up, and the result is look
ed for with much anxiety by the inhabi-
tants along the line. A railroad through
Northern Mexico from Guaymas, on thu
Pacific coast, to FL Paso,is surveyed, anc
the work is to commence Immediately
This line passes about seventy-five miles
south of this place, through fine country
and will be an important branch to shs
trans-continental road.
But long before any great change is
experienced in consequence Of the build
ing Of these roads, the inhabitants ol
Ralston expect to hear the neigh of the
iron horse, and see long trains loaded with
silver ore whirling across the valley te
the Gils river for reduction. 1t is an