Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-07-01
Letter from DR.. A. A. DOtx
iHARrLAND. Wis, June Is, 1876.

hear from me when reached TIT
WcrteIn world: am now here il
this far famed State of Wisconsin
nestled down for a time in the little
village of Hartland among the mos
beautiful lakes of which the worl(
can boast.
The first thing of interest to MT
in connection with my trip, and
which caused my heart to swell vi
with the most pleasing emotions
was the good cheer and kind wishes
for our safe return by the people O.
Bradford.
am yet to be made to believe
that the world produces any warm
err hearted people or a more delight
full and picturesque scenery than is
to be found in the Connecticut val
lev. Indeed, from what we know
all of our trip has been through the
most beautiful part of the Western
world AZ least.
Passing by rail down through the
Connecticut valley to Springfield,
the villages are fine and the conn
try delightful; arriving at Spring.
field at six o'clock we found good
hotel with everything in readiness
to please the inner man.
After stopping three and y hall
hours for supper and rest we took
the express train for Buffalo, and
soon found ourselves laid away be-
hind the curtains of one Of those
sleeping cars of which we hear Sc
much said. 10 me they are not a
luxury, as l like a bed that will
stand still. However, we were tax
en- safely over that rough and brok-
en- country from Springfield to Uti'
ca without knowing it.
From there on, passing through
the beautiful cities of Syracuse and
Rochester the country was delight
full, arriving at 1890 o'clock in Buf.
lalo. The first man that attracted
our attention was u pleasant, warm
hearted looking man who came up
and asked if my name was Doty;
being answered in the affirmative,
as l did not recognize him, said his
name was Fl. d. Farwell. He had
the advantage of me, as when we
last met he was two years of age,
while | was but six months. Tie,
like myself, being born in a log
house up among the Green Noun,
tains of Vermont, and up to the ear
ly age of which l speak, living near
neighbors, Of course we were very
glad to meet, and being invited to
his house we were made very hap
py by his better half and three ac,
complished daughters, all of whom
seemed to vie with each other to
see who should do the most to make
our stay pleasant.
The ladies having always lived
in the city could not appreciate the
comfort we men had in talking
about the old houses in which we
were born, and farms where we liv-
ed, the trees, the brooks, the spring s,
the old log barn in which our older
brothers and sisters attended school,
the log school house which was af-
forwards built in the town, and an
swered for both school house and
and many other matters of
our native town, interesting to us
both.
What surprised me was the APP
pearance of wealth which was to be
seen about his fine house in the
heart of the city, while his business,
that of undertaken, followed so close
upon the tracks of the doctor who
always is obliged to observe the
strictest economy to live but the
truth soon flashed across my mind,
the undertaken is always paid be-
fore the doctor.
Buffalo is a much more rapidly
growing city than l had supposed !;
it must soon be one of the leading
cities Of the world. Its fine build
ings are unsurpassed by any city !;
they have in these hard times just
completed a city hall at an expense
of a million and half dollars, which
is as fine specimen of architecture
as l ever saw. There are some pri.
vate residences which cost in the
of a million; their public
parks, which nearly surround the
city are very fine, their grain trade
is immense, their shipments last
month amounting to ten millions Of
bushels, the scenery from the lakes
and the river are very fine. The
farming country around is poor, the
land being wet and heavy. From
Buffalo to Chicago over the route
which we came there was nothing of
particular to interest, except the
scenery along the lake shores.
The towns or villages are none Of
them excepting Cleveland, Ohio, as
beautiful as our New England vii
lagos. The farming country is most
Of it wet and heavy, aud especially
so this season.
We find Wisconsin a beautiful
State to look at. 1t may be deScrib-
ed as an elevated rolling prairie; it
has no mountains, the whole sur
face is one vast plain. Its climate
IS severe, and the winter long, but
IN the southern part of the State it
S a fine agricultural region, though
asst year the season was so cold and
wet that the corn crop was an en-.
ire failure, and now it is so wet
md cold tLat the farmers think there
s very little prospect for corn.
1t was so wet when they were
working their land in the spring, it
las baked down very hard.
There has been but three really
rot days since l left Vermont, and
am now writing over a warm fire.
The people here are from almost
very land, very few New England