Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-09-11
Vermont and Wales.
LETTER OF HON. Donmas n. EATON.

NAfhh~Ouhl0i Whlesi aug. 10, loiZ.
My Dear Father This is our last Sum
day on this old continent. The next will be
passed on the steamer, of the Irish coast, and
that succeeding, still on the ocean, not far
away from New England. You will rejoice
with us that two years sojourn, away from
the cares OF business and among objects of
inexhaustible attractions, enables me to re-
turn substantially as well as ever, and that all
the time my wife has had excellent health.
We are hoping to find you enjoying that hale
and hearty old age of which our home mes
/. sages have assured us.
Having now visited every country in Eu-
rope, except Portugal, l have thought of
writing you, generally, my Impressions, while
they are fresh but on reflection | see that
a volume rather than a letter would be ro-
quired. For anything could write about so
many countries, in the space of letter,
would be so indefinite as to have no interest
| will, therefore, con6ne myself to the last
country have visited, and perhaps to the
portion of it in which we now are.
Wales is in many ways an interesting re-
gion ard especially SO to Vcrmontcr. |
have visited no country which has so often
reminded me Of my native State. The clear,
warm, but not very hot summer skies the
grass, the flowers, the trees, always except
iug the hemlock, which is not found y the
scattered limestone and boulders the slate
ever shooting into sharp ridges and often
. quarried the, frequent ponds the transpar-
! ent little brooks, soon gathering into small
rivers and winding in varied curves from side
e to side Of green, smooth meadows the birds,
fsh aud insects; the deep valleys bordered by
- green, rugged hills, where the sheep and cat
c tic always meet the eye the whole landscape
n parcelled by walls and other fences into small
s farms, and on every farm its owner, indepen-
I dent aud prosperous; patches Of grass, pota'
: toes oats and wheat, but not the corn which
G is never raised; the quiet, orderly, temperate
and industrious habits of the people, who at.
Il tend their frequent churches aud rear theiI
}. children in habits of obedience all these
: remind me every hour of Vermont, and her
}. industry and her people.
: But in the midst of these rcsemblances
r there are great contrasts. Closely as the
a midsummer of Wales resembles that Of Yer
$ mont the remainder of the year is very diff
p ferent and in an economical point of view
e the advantage is largely on the side Of Wales
!. II is, as you know, the most western portion
!, Of England taspopularly designated aud like
y the whole of the southwesterly sea-front o.
e Great Britain, it is swept by the warm wat
ers and winds that move northeasterly acros:
/. the Atlantic, from the Gulf Of Mexico and
C the northeast coast of South America. OF
Y Florida this sea current is called the Gulf.
s stream. This stream, and the winds that at.
Q tend, are the reason why Great Britain is moi
frozen Labrador, to which its latitude cor
= responds Now this influence, taken in con
/ nectiou with the equalizing effects Of thC
;. ocean, relieves this region from the deer
r SHOWS aud severe freeziugs of our winters
!. and there is not so much hot summer sun a,
$ in Vermont and therefore the raising Of corn
= save in favored spots, is not practicable. The
/ winters have so little snow that sleighs are
never used the barns are very small, the
q cattle have only the most scanty covers the
/. sheep feed all winter in the fields, though
G often having to dig for withered grass in a
i foot Of snow for days together.
NJ am assured, land the same was said il
S Seotland5 that the sheep are hardly fed tet
3 days, on 40 average, during the winters
;. they have long been bred in reference to thes,
B. stern winter experiences, and are fine anC
!. hardy. Like bears, they begin winter fla
4 and end it lean 1t seems to me that somt
: of our enterprising farmers should at once
a import some of the large, strong, well-wooled
= black-faced, black-legged sheep of Scotland
Y which are decidedly superior to any have
!. ever seen in Vermont The Welsh sheep ar,
T.. too small but their meat is excellent. No
4 are cattle but little fed in Wales in winter
c probably they do not require more than one
c fourth the hay needed in Vermont. For tn,
a same reasons, the houses are not required t
= be made 50 tight and warm as in Vermont
l.. and the saving in fuel is very great. As
e further result, there is less danger from ex
J.. posure to the violent contrasts of indoor anC
G outdoor temperature in winter. Yet tn,
Welsh are not, physically or mentally, Sc
e vigorous or enterprising people as the Yer
I monters nor do believe them to be Longer
/. lived During the winter there is much
}. more wind and cold rain than in Vermont
8 and indeed this is true Of the whole year, ex
i cepting midsummer The spring and autumn
a are cooler.
. But | will speak of other differences OIL
: more Importance. The Welsh are tame an(
G unaspiring; apparently satisfied to live al
. their fathers, little animated by any high
o aims either Of culture or material prosperity
/. While the old churches are not very Insult
!, cient, new one is rarely seen. 1t is, how
y ever, in the almost entire absence of schoo
houses, that we first detect the vast superior
ity of the spirit aud aims of the Vermontor
Y The poor children here, though always prompt
i to bow to their seniors, and fairly intelligent
have but the least instruction, or none at all
f They know nothing of history or geography,
and enter life unqualified for any labor il
which any knowledge of science is requisite
Yet hero, aud wherever Welsh man or wo.
man may go, they are esteemed for sobriety
81 industry and economy. 1t would be well il
0 some Of our extravagant, unsteady young
men, too proud to work and too empty-headed
to rise by their wits--were blessed with the
simpler virtues of this people. Yet even such
qualities, in some Of our young men, are but