Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-12-05
VERMONT PH05N1x BRArTLEBoRo, FRIDAY

commissioner of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad, | was given every facility
| under his control to help my examinations,
which extended to Pueblo in Colorado, SOS
miles west of Topeka. Something over 100
miles of that distance was through the val
ley of the Arkansas and in the southern por-
tion of the State. The soil of the rolling
plain is n deep, light loam very fertile, and
in seasons of sufficient rainfall yielding album
dant crops Along the line of the railroad,
at a distance of about every six or ten miles,
are towns of from 300 to 1900 inhabitants.
The towns are mostly built of wood, having
some buildings of brick and stone they are
of good appearance, and are generally well
supplied with church aud school facilities,
shops, stores, mechanics, and lawyers and
doctors.
The plains are dotted over with farm hous-
es at intervals of from half a mile to 10 miles.
The larger portion of these dwellings are
mere shanties or sheds, that at little dis
lance have the appearance of dry-goods box
es standing in the plain without fences, tree
or clubhouse that offers the least cheer or re-
lief to the eye. A near approach reveals
rough wooden box about II or 1G feet
square, of one story and usually one room,
rarely two or more, -unathed, upholstered,
without paint inside or out, with very little
household furniture, and generally with the
pipe of a cook stove projecting through and
n little above the roof These shantes are
often without frames, the boarding being up
right and the cracks battened A residence
more desolate uninvting it is difficult to
imagine But dwellings more uninviting, yet
perhaps comfortable, are only too frequent.
Some are but mere holes in the ground, call
ed dug outs" and are made by digging
what might seem small cellar in the plain,
or in the side of bluff or rising ground, and
covering it with sticks, then with straw, hay
or earth or, it may be, roof of boards and
shingles The appearance is that OF n small
roof standing on the ground, or heap of
straw or earth The only light and ventila-
ton are from the entrance at one end and
perhaps a single window beside the door, and
a little opening or window under the gable at
the other end, if the dug-out has a roof. In
the hole the farmers family finds its home
and the storehouse for all its goods aud chat
tells. Sods are also used for building houses
and may be very comfortable and of good APP
pearance. But the sod houses are quite rare,
the larger number being rough board shan
ties. Barns large or small, are seldom seen.
Kitchen gardens seem generally to have
ended in partial or total failure. Most of the
farmers have one or more cows, with poultry
and pigs, though in some cases they were
found without either. A pillow and harrow
and perhaps a cultivator and some other farm
tool with a yoke of oxen, or one or more
horses rnd generally a wagon or cart, are the
usual forces and tools of husbandry with the
small farmers of the State. In this condition
is much the larger number of those who left
our towns aud cities, where AS mechanics. ar
tisans, clerks small shopkeepers etc, they
had acquired some degree of education. cul-
turo aud refinement They had gathered to-
gether all their means, aud in hope of better
ing the condition of their wives and children
had gone west, and are to be seen in such
homes. - Dccm5,r Itldutic.