Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-04-04
The Vermont Farmers In their Homes.

: EniQrate and seek the larger 10WnS.-
The hard and dry side Of AlgrieuLfurai sfe'
Holc shall ice brighten and 'Diprore =
Editor Of the Free Press and Times;
like Vermont; it seems as II her pas
lures were greener, her brooks and rivers
clearer and more sparkling, her mountains
handsomer in color and outline, than those
of any other country in the world. Ike
her people too; find them honest, as the
world reckons honesty; independent, IN
dustrious, and, after a sort, eOntented.
But, riding through the country, through
scenery almost enchanting, grow sad and
depressed in spirits, for | observe that while
the larger towns are fresh and pOpulous.
with all the indications of growth and pros
perity. the rural towns and the farming
districts have a desolate, tumble-down
look. with evidences of decay about the
dwellings and the public blildings. Nature
seems to have done her work wonderfully
well: man to have made miserable failure
of his, half dozen miles away from the
cities.
1 Once in 4 while we come across a great
house with extensive out-buildings, and the
stir about it, the click of the moving
machines, and reapers, the number of men
at work, and the cattle thickly dotting the
| far off pastures, give evidence Of thrift, and
we readily believe the enthusiastic remark
/ Of our driver. There's a man that's max
ing money" But as we 90 along we find
that this great farm has eaten up all the
smaller ones. and We may ride miles before
we pass house which has the respectable .
look Of proprietorshIp about it.
Now. we remember that in school we
learned that monopolies were bad for the .
country-that the great plantation was .
source of injustice not only to the small .
farmer hut to the monopolizing planter
himself; and We remember that our teacher,
a staunch Vermonter, used to instance his
native State with some show of PRIDE as
country that was divided up properly
among the people, most ofwhom were right
full ''lor,ls Of the soil
81 don't know what We should do, our
driver, an intelligent native, responds in
answer to some such reflections. ' if there
want some man like Jones here. TO buy mp
all the land Everybody almost wants to
sell
Sc Bat why does everybody want to ~ell2'' .
He whi-tled and said mysteriously
- You tell" Then after a minute or two
- 1t t. mostly the boys that 90 away where
they canimake money faster and not work
50 hard. Some Of them are sent to college.
and then of course they can't work on the d
farm. So the father and mother get along
the best way they can for while, and then
sell TO 90 andliye with their children"
Do You think the young people who 60
away get rich, generally.-and With very
little trouble?"
Another long, low whistle followed again
by profound silence, and he gave us the
calculation that them that 9, away
nay handle more money in the course of a
year than them that stay. butthey don't get 7,
my more t. sfiot." You see he went 4
IN, emphaticauy There's no speeu- b
alton about one Of our rocky farms y
mans anything of q man Il
ger and hi~ wife at all handy and p
aying, he's pretty sure Of having butter 90 q
his bread And then. as to work. well.
work is work most anywhere / gue-~. \ o
nan that makes anything at any trade has a
got TO be pretty much busy from sunrise y
III sundown. Talk about eight hours, I.
o)ody thar owns anything or ever calcu- W
lte~ to, would ever settle down on that. q
lat then there is a choice Of work some g..
Ike it bot and damp in an underground fr
-hce with mu~ty paper and stamp Of a Ga
en-; some ike it in q factory - noisy and l4
.rty You can't hardly think. nor see nor fsi
nell. ike it where can get breath VI
fresh air, amt anyhow eramped. and 90
here | can get sight Of the mountains and "a
lie sky" H.
respected his taste. have been ac- wa
tainted with these Vermont farmer, long FIRE
ne, and know that his statements con- -.
rning their facilities for getting living tea
n be corroborated. 1t is presumed that me me
ere are fewer poor people among them. w
cording to population, than in the large fat
WIS and do not believe it is the love of Sto'
'ney that 50 steadily drains our farming wa
Of its best young men. '-
Be Vermont Is good State to be born in. mol
one should emigrate early. said one Of Of
famous sons, and one, am glad to say. -.
whom she never felt very proud but it alta
ms a. if all her children were irving to the
upon his suggestion. We hear Of Yer com e.,
nterS everywhere, and their reputationis M ~ :,
1d,-only in their native State they are STAT
nting. man
Inter one Of these rural churches. The "a "a
aching j., by no means entertaining m 4
the people ca faint. homesiek feel Atk
comes over You as you look into the who
d old faces under the faded old bonnets. 49,
q the pardon Of every one of these dear par
pie, but it j. true that fresh. bright. W
'py-looking. well-dressed person among NE
grown-up men and women Of country enen
rich. isa noticeable exception. Will
here arc some bright-looking boys and 9eSS
=; they sing in the choir. perhaps. reaJ
hey won't stay with Us long. " You are been
identity assured. and they will talk of cCour'
fine young people who We're in the choir .il.,'
lty, thirty years ago. the /
Where are they now" Oh. here Is a Falls
ID record. You find that this sleepy old the II
has furnished its quota of eminent feij
- missionaries, ministers. teachers. flrth
lcians, statesmen, TO the great world. had
raj of their own boys eloquently speak SAN q
The words Of life in a. many pulpit> 60 NOT nj
: and sinners in far-off towns. while meut
re drowsily listening to a drow>y. com
place homily from mo doubt)
by preacher who supplies the pulpit. -,
IN the parsonage and does the pastoral /" fA
NJ Tor $500 year, and donation At
Sn IN. You can take your choice in and o,
me There are FIVE or six similar lake
utlons IN this town Baptist. Netho- of y
Congresationalist, perhaps Univer- GIG m
church, each with it, pastor and York
mage, its weekly service and it, hand II ant
attendants. those
IT these people at their homes. You Chica.
IND them not necessarily living in the figure
en- at the back Of the house, with ton h'
up best room. such as we often than I
about. You viii find many comforts The
lxurles IN these iarm-houses. and be the tor
med heartily at tables laden with good Ontari
f; but you Will not stay very long throw,
ut coming to the conclusion that life hands
N prose here, and not poetry You enlarg,
lrdly tell what makes the difference will op
'u feel you are losing the Jingle. the propel
ness, the sparkle, of lite, and ifyou Freigh
all enthusiastic, if YOU believe in then n
alton and the millennium, You can than n
resist the temptation to tell thes, made II
people what You believe to be " the stood,
way They meet your pretty 600 bu,
Is Enthusiastically, with-there Is IS. 700