Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-23
Jonas Goes West.

DEAR FREEMAN: N:-Remembering that |
promised you letter, l will at this late
date attempt to give you description OF
my Journey from Montpelier to the back
bone of the continent. | started from
Montpelier on the morning of The 18th OF
NAV, arriving at Montreal in season to
connect with the train over the Grand
Trunk Canada is IL great country. and
if any one is skeptical on that point, e
him ride from Montreal to Detroit in n
second class car; think that be will find
the last half of the journey exceedingly
monotonous. and not altogether interest.
ing. At Detroit we were visited by the
custom house officers, who were very
familiar with our travelling bags, thor
oughly examining their contents and
marking the outside with piece of white
chalk, leaving character resembling
letter from the Chinese alphabet.
remember Michigan as long success
sion of apple orchards in full bloom, which
gave to the atmosphere that aromatic
fragrance which is so delightful to the
sense of smell, and reminded us of our
childhood days, when we picked the apple
blossoms on our way to school.
The close of the second day brings us
to Chicago. Chicago is acknowledged by
everybody to be big town. 1t has in
creased in size and put on good deal OF
style since the first settler erected his hum
BILE cabin and at eventide gazed out upon
the waters of Lake Michigan, rs it reflect
ed the rays of the setting sun. and Won
dered to himself if there would ever be a
post office within dozen miles of him.
We left Chicago at 9:5 p. NJ, over the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad.
AT Burlington, Iowa, we crossed the Mis-
sissppi river, and | vainly tried to solve
this paradoxical conundrum, how this
river, which is acknowledged to be miss,
should be called the father of waters.
From the Mississippi river to Omaha we
passed through what seemed t. be an ex-
cellcnt farming country, abundantly sup.
piled with timber land and muddy water.
Saturday, at 12 10 p. NJ, we took the
California express train for ride through
Nebraska and part of Wyoming Terrific
nv. Eastern Nebraska is without question
an excellent agricultural country, and us
large and handsome fields of wheat and
corn are seen here as can be seen any
where. | saw Il man driving over piece
of plowed ground with two horses and
what supposed to be moving machine.
Says to man that sat next seat to me,
"What's that man doing with that mow-
ing machne?" Says he, That amt a
moving machine, that's n corn planter"
and he gazed at me with such Il look oil
pity that felt hatter than a sheet of fried
sandpaper. would not have been any
more surprised if he had told me that il
was "a feather bed renovator. did moi
feel like asking any more questions just
then, SO | gazed out Of the window and
watched the shades of twilight rs they set
ted down upon the earth. AS we passed
field af cr field of corn just springing from
tine rich looking soil, my mind went bach
year ago, when Deacon Smith and
were planting corn on the Waterman lot
we had got out of pumpkin seed and hat
sent Levi over to Haskell's after fresf
supply, and rs we sat in tie shade of thu
great elm tree, waiting for his return. WI
had quite talk about the foolishness Of 81
many of the young men leaving tho fertile
bills and valleys of New England snt
going to The wilderness Of the far west.
Sunday morning, and the fifth day from
Montpelier, we reached Julesburgh, whicl
is in corner of Colorado upon the Soutl
Platte river, which at this point is entirel,
destitute of water and is nothing but a be,
of sand Nearly all the water in the Soutl
Platte river is used for rrigating purposes
and the prospect is that in few years th