The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-04-28
Editorial Correspondence.
TopKKA. Kansas. Apr.

lists IN New England win reference u
the character Of the western people and
the western cou,try. We may have re.
ceived our ideas OF this country from the
newspaper reports of the ante-war border
ruff anism of Missouri, the pro.slavery
struggles and outrages of territorial es.
tablishmont twenty years ago, the Pome-
roy. ork corruption exposures OF the
Kansas senatorial contest, the Bender
murders and other similar unfortunate de-
velopments of this pioneer civilization
The fact is these are the exceptions and
not the rule. Like other new countries
it has attracted class Of adventurers
with class of good people, and no doubt
all phases Of human nature are here il-
lustrated From the stand point of the
Capital city--and some of the other
towns Of the eastern and southern parts of
this state there are abundant evidences
that the foundations of future society are
well laid and thet the development Of a
high civilization and culture must be rap
id. The population is largely New Eng.
land stock with prevailing characteristics
intensified or modified by the infusion Of
a more reckless energy from the clrcum-
stances of surroundings.
One Of tho first impressions a Yer
monter receives, upon visit to this state,
is a sense of the vastness and variety Of
nature. lie has seen the grand and the
beautiful in the varied forms OF hill and
valley, and mountain and plain, and water
and rock and village and compact city, in
his own land There the valleys are pent
up in small enclosures among the hills,
the broad acres of the farm are are
tilted up on end like the rock strata upon
which they rest, the water flows down the
mountain side in bright, pearling stream.
let's or dashipg cascades, or rests in rock
clad basins among the hills like crystal
: fountain, the villages are neat, compact
= collections of white cottages or more pre-.
tensions mansions with their painted front
fences, and nice barns, and other attrac.
tive outdoor conveniences. Here are
broad prairies rolling or stretching away
as far as the eye Ecan reach, with only
; here aud there fence, or ledge of rocks
scarcely cropping out Of tho ground, and
but few scrubby trees in the bottoms and
along the streams, with broad rivers OF
muddy water which loiter aud toll along
their banks in their onward flow to the
sea- Then thera arc occasional plowed
fields, or springing wheat in immense
|, tracts which constitute the evidence to
the senses that the soil is under cultiva.
tion, large villages, or as they are ambi
tiously called cities, with their unpainted
and unattractive houses struggling of
!. over the prairies, farm houses, or huts
with no barns, but windmill and stack
D of straw, and other stupid or monotonoui
phenomena only seen in the west. But
the references to unattractive houses and
d no barns, is not to be applied to Topeka
and Lawrence and Atchison and Leaven
> worth and some of the older and larger
places. These have many very nice build
ings and attractive streets, and the schOo
buildings are even superior to those o.
cities Of equal size in the east.
As a farming country this state presents
many advantages. Its soil is fertile, ,somt
= portions of it scarcely having an equa
outside Of northern Illinois. The climate
is delightful, the seasons giving every va
riety Of crop and fruit ample time fol
maturity The surface is level or gently
railing aud easily cultivated, There il
y nc question that the same energy and pa
'ienco and economy which secures thu
competence on the New England farm
will bring greater success, il the enter
l. prise is rightly conducted, here. And
Z set it is not all lairweathcr here. There
u are enemies to successful cultivation
: Of the soil here which must b,
> encountered and overcome. AM
J., one who comes here with the expect
alton of becoming speedily rich without
work, will meet with crushing disappoint
Il ment The seasons are not, perhaps, 81
\ uniform in their Installations of moistur,
I as in sections farther east The product
. may be abundant for several years ant
7 then will com, a year of failure. Whel
Z that failure II To come cannot be pre-
di,ted. Dunn. the abundant years price
} are down aud sometimes the farmer
= grumble thai ihcy have no market anC
{ burn their corn Tor fuel The next yea
: may be one O.! failure and tho corr
y which was worth H. cents per Dushe
when they brfn.l it, is now worth 7,
u cents and they hiyc no money with whicl
g to purchase seed. Considering these fail
II nres and the fact that when the compare
e lively thin though rich soil is worn out
, there will be no high hills from whicl
. they can be replcnished without the ali
OF mans industry or a long season Of resi
Il it must he confessed that the country is
IT. little oyerestimated And yet there nee,
J. be no lear Of the result. for what is tru
in that respect of this land, is also tru
Of all lands and soils. The materials @
:, which nature manufactures her rich pro
ducts for the use OF man, must, after use
;, be returned for use again, if we desire t
u secure the highest results, The cmigran
> shonld not take too much stock in tn
s. rose. tinted descriptions Of soil or cimat
81 or the natural advantages to be expecte
N in settlement here, which are given b
real estate agents having lands for dispo
'e sal, although so far as we have observed
% they are mainly correct, in the langus .
u used. The error in the description, lie
? in the fact that only the advantages ar
pointed out The difficulties to be en-
y countercd are not told SO when the i'm
j. migrant arrives and meets obstacles i
" the way Of success and enjoyment whic
u are inevitable in pioneer life, he often be
- - comes dissatisfied aud unhappy, and Gnall
y returns to the east only to find new di:
4, appointment awaiting him there, The
% d perhaps second emigration with NOR
correct views Of the situation may leu
3 to happy results.
= But one of the most frequent causes c
> d. appointment aud failure is the msap
'a prehensiou which leads men of littl
means, or Tor that matter. of much mean'
= to expend all they have in the purchase c