Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-05-28
Letter from Massachusetts,.

Springfield, Mass, May "a.
Coming from Vermont week ago, aud
leaving snow-banks, leaAess trees and brown
fields, find q striking contrast in Southern
Massachusetts,, especially as the last few
days Of very warm weather follow immedi-
ately after the nprecedentedly cold weather
Of the previous week in Vermont Plum
aud cherry trees have been in full bloom for
. week, the groves are clothed in green, and
the grass IN the field is forward enough to
make them appear clothed in the richest
velvet, the green dotted here and there with
dandelions. l should judge the season, as
regards the condition OF grass and the trees,
is about two weeks ahead Of Caledonia
County, but farm work is no further ahead
here than there, owing to the cold, backward
spring. Very little blowing has yet been
done.
Springfield is really a pretty city. Seen
from the top of the United States armory
building the city looks like an immense for :
est, with here and there a building seen
among the dense foliage. The streets are
nearly all lined with large trees which,
while hardly noticed by a person among
them, as the bare trunks run up high, give
the place most beautiful appearance from
q distance.
The past two days have been so Cypress.
lively warm that the shady side OF streets is
sought by pedestrians, and frequently see
men carrying umbrellas. Doubtless the
heat seems more oppressive than it otherwise
would, on account of the remarkably cold
winter and early spring
In some parts OF the state the mining few
er is intense, many people even neglecting
their farms or other business to spend their
time prospecting. Though there has un.
mistakably been some good silver and lead
found, the most Of those who have been
hunting for fortunes will 6ud themselves out
Of pocket by the operations, while shrewd
city spectators will add few thousands to
their pile of ill-gotten gains,
The legislature has adjourned, and the
people are congratulating themselves that
though IL has not done much good il has also
not dene much harm. That "stringent Ii.
cOnse law which the anti-prohibitionists de.
handed and extoled, has been passed. II
was probably the will ola majority of the
people that it should pass, aud be given q
trial, but think it will not be five years
before they will be sick of it. But if the
law is no better enforced in other parts Of
the state than in Springfield it makes little
difference whether there are any liquor laws
on the statute books or not. No licenses
have yet been granted under the new law
but liquor is openly sold all over the city
and the fruits Of the unholy traffic are plen.
ty. Saturday night drunken IrishmaI
living on one Of the back streets between
Main Street aud the Connecticut River went
home aud because his wife had not got sup
per ready he picked up an AK and gave hel
blow on the temple which laid her sense
less aud my informant, who saw her few
minutes later, reported her killed. He saw
her for about five minutes, aud heard tn,
doctor say he thought she would never re
turn TO consciousness. But as the Sunday
Morning Telegram has no notice of the at
fair | conclude she must have revived. Yes
terday in going down Main Street saw Al
Irish WamRR getting drunken maD acros
the street and up Bridge Street He wa
we'll dressed and good looking, but baastll
drunk and poured:fOrth a stream OF profani
ty aud obscenity as she pushed him along
From the tenor of his remarks, so far as
heard them, | judged that he was her hus
band and she had just got him out of th
station house and was taking him home
Such fruits Of free rum are Of frequent &C
eurrence.