Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-03
Honesty in Wood.

II is a good thing to be "honest in grain "
and in wood, and in fact it still remains true,
in spite of all defalcation and fraud in high
and low places, that Gan honest mans the
noblest work of God" A correspondent
writes to us rather long letter on the sub
ject, taking for his text an item he found in
this paper about I" an honest woodchopper."
He thinks it would take more than column
TO do Justice to the subject, and then other
articles "to infinity" might follow with ad-
vantage. Continuing, he says A cord Of
wood is just one hundred and twenty-eight
cubic feet Thus it is laid down in all our
school arithmetics hence boys grow into
men not ignorant of this rule established
by law.
First, we will examine the wood in the
forest, and as we examine it it will fall be-
low the woodchopper's measure quite often.
Next go to the yards where the wood is
drawn and packed. Some of it may measure
four feet from tip to tip where the slant is
pretty long, but large portion of it will
fall short. Thirdly, examine the packing
much of it is loosely packed-hence short
measure. The rich who have plenty of
money and are in thriving business do
not feel this encroachment, but the poor man
feels it, and also feels that he is wronged.
az have seen thrifty young farmer who
had nice home and all the conveniences
within that home that could be desired,
roomy apartments for sleeping, bathing,
cooking, dining and pleasurable enjoyment,
and not involved in debt, draw wood and
pack it, how So loosely that the wind
might blow bat through, if it blew in the
right direction and this before the door of
widow bowed with the ipfrmities of years,
and living in poor bleak apartment, almost
entirely dependent upon the charities of her
friends and neighbors. Did he receive short
pay-scanty dollars and cents, for this pile of
wood No, full pay; but when he left her
shelter, he left sorrowful heart, and, me-
thinks, tear or two coursed her wrinkled
face, and imagine an angel saw that tear
and recorded it in the great book of re-
membrance, where it will be found written
in the last day. Woe to that man in that
day, and to all who have wronged the widow
and orphan.
~ have seen farmer, too, who engaged
like wood TO different customers, and drew
the good wood where there was some one to
look out for him, and the poor refuse wood
into the widows yard. l have known farm
ers engage good birch and maple wood, and
then mix in beach wood and bass wood
Our friend, in his honest indignation, goes
on from the wood subject to speak of the
general rascality of the times, a subject so
alarming that moralists and religious teach
ers, from the exhorter in the prayer-meeting
to the college president in his baccalaureate,
are moved to speak of it as the most emf.
nent of dangers to both state and society.
The words of President Buckham to the
young men of his college at the recent com
mencement, from the text, "If thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments y
was powerful and convincing exposition Of
both the evil and the remedy. We wish it.
and similar enunciates of truth apt for the
time, could reach every ear and enter into
every heart. We must all begin to consider
"What shall it profit man if he gain the
whole world and lose his own SOUL"