Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-09
Rev. J. Copeland's Letter.

WEBSTER, N Y, April 4, 1879.
Wessrs. Editors We have glided into Spring
without anything yet to remind us that Spring
has come Last month gave us more signs Of an
early season than the four days we have had this
month Then many days were bright and warm
and robins aud other birds were out in large num-
bers, greeting the early morning with their songs
and singing hymn Of praise with the setting sun
but now we have as bleak winds as during any
part OF Winter, the frozen earth IL covered with
snow land snow is falling while write) and not a
bird-song has been heard since April set in The
recent Winter has been remarkable one for this
region. It has been continually cold, n large
body OF snow has fallen, drifts have been large
and numerous q might as well say continuously
travelling has been difficult, and the uninterrupted
season OF sleighing has been long-nearly one
hundred days. Our railroad has had formidable
difficulties TO encounter For six days after
Christmas II was closely blockaded. Then, after
being open for a couple OF days, the snow again
piled along its track, in some places near Oswego
to the depth Of fifteen feet and we heard neither
whistle nor saw any cars for twelve days Then
the blockade was raised but from that time on
until the middle Of last month, not week passed
without more or less interruptions 10 travel along
its line So common were these that II obtained
the name Of 1.-THE tri-weekly road, to say moth
ing Of more sneerng epithets. We are beginning,
however, to see better times in regard to travel,
and hope soon to see better weather
Twenty thousand OF more barrels Of apples were
bought here at our depot last Fall, the average
price being dollar barrel, the barrel included
Or these, ten thousand barrels were Wntered over
and have come out in good condition. Many car
loads have been sent away, bringing in market
one dollar and seventy-fve cents barrel. The
price has just come down to one dollar and fifty
cents. These apples have all been packed in
tightly-headed barrels in places where the tenn
perature has been kept down to a uniform point,
little below freezing. Last year at this time
more than half the trees from the various nur-
series were dug, preparatory to shipping; now not
tree has been dug, and the prospect is dubious
for many days to come A very large amount Of
this business is done in this town
The past Winter has been one Of unusual re-
ligious interest in all our churches 1t began
with the Week of Prayer and has continued al
most until the present time. In both the Baptist
and Methodist churches daily meetings were held
for ten weeks. Our town has at last, after long
| and hard struggle, become no-license town, and
as our present commissioners are the right men, it
will continue so for the next three years. A re-
cent lecturer who addressed our people said that
during an experience Of thirty years as a public
| speaker, this was the first no-license town In
which he had ever had the honor of addressing an
| audience. Our hotel-keeper has been convicted
| and fined for selling without a license and sew
| eral more indictments are hanging over him, so
that there is fair prospect Of stopping his neiari-