Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-05
Che 3reemau.
MONTPELIER. VT.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1882.
Red River Valley.

mise. Let's see. l balieve you wanted l
should tell you something of the route over
which nv "second-class limited" ticket |
brought me.-but my hand trembles so
eYery time think of it, that can hardly |
write. Why? Simply because Travelled
q hours longer than there was any need
of: and by the time a man has been tear |
ING across the continent day and night for |
four or five days, he begins to want to |
"cut 'cross lots" ifpossible. bought my |
tickets for Fargo via Rock Island road
which means about the same as going to
Boston from Montpelier via Burlington.
When arrived at Davenport. Iowa, tfelt
somewhat like the doctor in Mark Fwain's
"Rouching It." who got out Of the stage
coach in the dark, and in attempting to
find the road he fell into hole twelve feet
deep; looking up, he yelled at the driver
"don't come here!" As l said. | wanted
10 shout that back across prairie, lake,
mountain and stream to my Green Noun
tain friends who talk of coming to the
Northwestern Garden of Eden. "Plunging
into Iowa as far as West Liberty, we turn
north and away we went over wild un-
broken prairie toward Minneapolis-th the
Chicago of the north.west.) Our journey
through the southern portion of Mime
sofa was very monotonous, and this mono
tony was broken only by y couple of
''smash ups" which resulted in the up
setting of a carload of mules and the
angering of humanity. "Smashup No.
resulted in the rather free distribution of
about half dozen freight cars Of cattle
and eight moro of first and second class
profanity.
Prom Minneapolis we took the Northern
Pacific railroad for Fargo. This part of
The Journey was passed. over under cover
of nigh, and was spont in observing the
different phases of humanity which were
crowded into every portion ofthe car where
man could find either standing or sitting
room. Here to the left stood couple of
sturdy Norwegian youths, dressed in their
leathern jackets, and jabbering away at
4: 20 rate at Il couple of young "bloods,"
who had in some manner talked 'em out
o their seats"and coolly taken their places.
Here to the right is n whole family, father,
mother, cat, dog, and their children, (thc
cat and dog were OF more consequence than
the children, as they had the spare room
in the seat, while the children were OBJ
liged to stand.) Down the car sat a
"bloated bondholdcr, "who has coolly spread
himself over the whole seat and was trying
to steal little sleep. BY his side, in the
aisle, stands middle.agcd woman with q
child in her arms, and there she stood
until the train reached Fargo. Crouching
here and there on the floor are women
gotten all their troubles in the swee. dream
Of home and friends in the far-away east.
You can form no idea Of the great mass
of humanity which is drifting this way.
Next Sunday morning train OF eleven
ears of Canadians will arrive in this city
Every train is crowded. Our hotels are
all filed to r-ilowing,- in fact, beds are
made up in the halls of our hotels, and il
will cost the man who occupies it 50 for
the night. The traveller finds no little
difficulty in ,curing place to sleep upon
his arrival.
Fargo has three hotels larger than the
Pavilion, and you cannot find spare bed
in any Of them. Board in any of these no.
tells, if you are fortunate enough to ge
regular board, will cost you Sl4 a week
Fargo,as city,is situated in the midst of
broad prairie. Look which way you may
and not hill or knoll is in sght-one
broad, vast sea of land, specked here and
there with the humble cottage the home
stealer and squatter How different from
rock-ribbed, snow crested Vermont. The
weather here is as variable as any you eve
saw; one day cold, dreary, snowy; the
next, bright, warm and bllmy as May
day. The average tender foot" catches
severe cold inside of twenty-four hour
after his arrival. Typhod-pneumoni'
reigns supreme.
Regarding life here, hardly know wha
TO say. However, few note taken in m
ramblings, as city reporter, may prove Q
interest to you Our population is mixe
one; mixed with what ?-well. with nearl,
every nation un Ter the sun, from the "al
mond,cyed rat-catcher," as Kearney play
fully called the celeStials Of San Francisco
TO the Intelligent iinancicr of Chicago ant
New York Women are scarce, ther,
being but one woman to every II men, ac
cording to this mornings ArguS. Of cours
oar society is mixed; we have the goot
and the bad, Christian and sinner. higl
and low. Christian churches Of all dc
nominations are here and their member
arc m my; but while tho servants of Go
arc discussing the wickednes5 of tho land
the saloons arc all open ami king whisl,
holds his own. Between my office an
my boarding place are twenty-five saloon
II distance Of no. m Jrc thtn one.eightl
OF mile.
You hear much Of tho way that me
'hCuSy hoiOs IsbJulJuS SLOIlGS ut
told of mon who wG}beG into town yes
ago and now ride out in palace cars; but
want to call your attention to the fact ths
the men who role in on palace cars yea
ago and are now stealing u ride back ca
on the brake irons underneath the san
cars, receive bat ltto notice in the CO
umns Of the papers.
Many Of my friends have written me
asking me TO secure positions for them
To these have this to say: This oouutr
Is overrun with laborlug mon ofalI classe
Wages here, for day l.horers, are ,S1. 81
When man earns $l.5) day and pay
81 Of it for board, tho question: When wi
he be able to buy OUT Vanderbilt, or eve
get back east is a sumner" to tho averao
nathan aticiau IN thogotho,