Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-10
THE FARMERS PICNIC ON THE
FOURTH.


Over 1900 persons were in st. Jobnsbury
Saturday to attend the picnic of the farm
ers on the fair ground.
AT about IL, a. NJ, Maj. N. p. Bowman,
president, called the meeting to order and
stated its purposes in a few well chosen re.
marks.
Reading Of the Declaration Of Iudepen.
dence, by L. V. Powers.
Reading of the Declaration Of the Prin.
eiples Of the Order set forth by the Nation.
al Grange, by Y. 4. Jameson.
Walter p. Smith, Esq, who had been en- .
gagged to give an grafton, was taken sick the
evening before and was not able to be pres
ent. The president therefore called upon
the Hon. i. 2. Poland, gentleman whom
he said some Of the audience had probably
seen and whose AK was always sharp.
MIR. Poland said that he was not a farm.
er nor granger, yet he felt at home among
them. Lawyers, doctors, mechanics, man.
ufacturers, and merchants, have their asso.
Citations and he could SEQ no reason why
farmers should not have theirs. Improved
methods of agriculture, and improved means
OF marketing have greatly improved the con-
dition Of the farmers in the last twenty
years. They now live in good houses, wear
good clothes and have all the conveniences
almost their hearts can wish. He voted in
favor OF the cheap transportation bill. BE.
licved it would benefit New England more
than it would the West. Freight from St.
Johnsbury to Boston, 200 miles, is as much
as from st. Louis to Boston, 1900 miles.
Was strongly in favor Of the Oaughnawaga
Canal. The right Of people to govern them.
selves was a new idea to the old world in
l776, but it was the true one and the Uni.
ted States had grown from mere handful
to almost cover the North American cont.
nent. The Americans are progressive. The
art Of war was improved more in the four
years OF the rebellion than it had been be-
fore in 300 years. They had made great
advancement in education and Vermont is
the state in which is the least number and
the smallest proportion Of people who can
neither read nor write. There is no rock
upon which this nation can split except Ig.
norance and corruption and the speaker be-
lieved it was fast receding from both.
A procession was formed at one O'Clock
headed by the st. JOhnsbury band and am.
pie justice was done to dinner that none
but farmers wives know how to prepare.
The tables were loaded with the good things
Of the farm.
Alter dinner the assemblage returned to
their seats, where toasts were offered by
Jonathan Lawrence, Esq, toast master.
The day we celebrate responded to by
Maj. Bowman.
Vermont. the star that never sets by
Rev. d. NJ. TillOtson.
The Vermont SOldiery; by tho "Star
Spanged Banner" by the band in the abb
sence Of the person who had been asked to
respond to that sentiment.
lntemporance the scourge of the nation
by George Il. Drew, of North Danville.
The President and Congress Of the Uni
ted States by Hon; l.. p. Poland.
Caledonia County farmers club by j.
p. Foster.
The Caughnawaga Canal by Col, Frank.
lin Fairbanks. The COL gave some statis-
tics in relation to the canal and its purposes,
showing length of 30 miles and differ
enee OF % feet in elevation, with no rock to
remove and no hill to cross. 1t would cost
S4,OOO,OOO to build 1t. New England
would save over $4,000, OOO,.a year by it.
1t now costs 40 cents bushel to bring corn
and wheat from the West by the canal it
will cost only 10 cents a bushel. Lake