Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-15
Che freeman
Letter from Minnesota.
JANEsvILLE, Waseca Co. ;. Mimi,
January 9th, 1879.

Letter IRON Minnesota.
JANEsvILLE, Waseca Co.,. Mimi, !
January 9th, 1879.
MR.. EDIToR:-The advent of the New
Year and the regular receipt Of the FREE
MAN admonishes us that we should cores
pond with you; and so we pen few lines,
and first we send Greeting, and wish a
happy New Year to all connected with the
paper, and congratulate you on the COM
pletion of your XXNV. volume, and ex-
press the hope that its journalistic life will
be continued for many years to come.
We have always regarded the FREEMAN
office as our alma mater, for there we
were taught the mysteries OF the art of
all arts" and have ever kept in mind the
paper that battled for anti-slavery and the
emancipation of the colored race, which
was finally accomplished by such means
us were used by the FREEMAN.
In the early days of the FREEMAN we
did not sympathize Or act with the party
supporting yolr paper; but ut the present
time we cannot find fault in any particular,
lnd without designing flattery, we con-
slider it one Of the Gerry best papers pub
lished in the east. We have nothing of
moment to write from this locality, but
will speak of our western
WINTER WEATHER.
The weather has been quite cold during
the weeks of Christmas and New Years,
the thermometer on some days sinking as
low us twenty degrees below zero. We
have had two or three hurries Of snow,
but not enough to cause sleighing, and
consequently all business of the carrying
nature is done on wheels, and we are not
looking for snow Of any amount during
the winter. The wheat crop in southern
Mime sofa iprovcd Il failure last season,
and in consequence the times became
hard, money somewhat scarce, and wages
and products low. We give 4 few of the
PRICES OF PRODUCTS, &c.
Wheat is worth from twenty-five to
forty-fve cents per bushel, according to
the quality, there being none of No. 1
grade in market; that is, wheat that will
weigh sixty pounds per bushel. Oats sell
from fifteen to twenty-five cents II bushel
and corn is worth about the same as oats.
We had good crops of corn and oats.
Beans bring 90 and potatoes twenty
five cents per bushel. Beef and pork
are of the some prce-from three to FIVE
cents per pound, dressed. Hay sells for
$4.00 per ton, and good wood at So 90 per
cord Wages are very low-good hands
are easily obtained for $500 per month,
and day laborers receive from 81 90 to
S1.25 per day, and board themselves.
ADJUSTMENTS, &c.
There is no dcarth of amuSements in
this town-mostly in the form of church
festivals aud entertainments, though we
have occasionally travelling theater or
sleight-of-hand performance. The church
gatherings seem TO be composed of the
elements of tirst-class restaurants or mag
niticent lottery schemes; but the proceeds
90 TO the church or its pastor, and we sup
pose that they claim that q" the end justi-
tcs the means" The writer thinks that
these festivals and lotteries are but step
ping-stones to skepticism, from which it is
an easy grade to inlidclity. We may be
wrong, but we are not afraid OF ashamed
to express our honest convictions on the
subject and, though believing in Il liberal
Christianity, we do not think it safe to OBJ
litcrate all the old landmarks of Christian.
ity, nor to annhilnte the Bible together
with the whole system Of religion and
morality.
TEMPERANCE.
The cause OF temperance is moving
with rapid strides in this region, and the
time is soon coming when rum and its
consequent evils will be among the thing;
that were. The Woman's Christian Tenn
perancc Union with the Sons of Temper
ancc and the Good Templar5 are the
means by which these glorious results are
to be accomplished. Heaven speed th'
dav when we can see these anticipations
realized.
POLITICS.
To use vulgar phrase, politics ar,
about "playel out '.in this state; that is
purity ties are very weak, and old party
issues have become obsolete, and ther,
seems to be determination among oul
citizens that our best men shall be eecte,
to office, as shown in II strong republican
county, where some of the democratic
candidates were elected by six hundred
majority while the republican state ticke
received ut least three hundred majority
1t is to be hoped that the day is not dis
tant when honest officers and just law
will be the rule instead of the exception.
Yours respectfully,
L. ID. C.
A REMARKABLE FEAT OF MEMORY
One of the most remarkable feats of mem
ory known is not recorded in books, thoug
it came before the public in singula
manner in January, 1917. A Sydney
Australia, prisoner set up rs his defence OF
trial an alibi, claiming that at the time tn
complainant was robbed he was ut home
in his own hut, listening to the recital c
Horace Walpole's novel, The Old Bar
on which man named Lane had, witt
other works, committed to memory, tn
matter of time being disposed of by tn
declaration that Lanes recitation tool
two hours and half The attorney-gen
Cral declared that this was incredible