Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-03-06
LETTER FROM ILLINOIS.
TURNER JUNCTION, Feb. 20

MONITOR ON the occasion of its tenth
birthday and its enlargement and new
dress; but the days-full of work
and plans-passed until it seemed
untimely. So passing that, / will
simply call attention to what is with
out doubt appreciated by all the
MONITORS readers: that they are
served with a paper that for moral
tone, purity of matter, variety, good
clear print, excellence of proof read
ing and general make up, deserves a
leading position as family paper.
1t advocates the great reforms of the
day, civil service, temperance, and
anti-polygamy; devotes a column
each to agriculture, the ladies', relig-
ion and temperance the local de-
partment is rich and racy; a good
story and choice selections of poetry
occupy the chief portion of the first
page; it's fun corner will drive the
blues from any freside, and the edi-
torials are often worthy of a metro
politan press. All this is intended
for the readers only, and / trust the
editor may not be told what a really
good paper he furnishes, for it might
''puff him up" and injure his spirit,
the same as it would your minister,
to tell him when he had preached a
sermon that had been especially bless
ed to your soul. But lest he be dis
couraged in his work, think I'll send
him a sample of the county papers
published within an hours ride of
Americas great-not to say "est' =
city. And when he sees it, / think
he'll rejoice that he hasn't "patent
inside" and could you see it, you
would rejoice with him. There is
only one respect in which the MoNI-
TOR resembles these patent inside pa
pers, but in this respect it is also
like the great metropolitan dailies,
and that is, they all contain a por-
trait of ''Mrs. Lydia E. Pinkham.
What of the weather? The last
we knew the Chicago Herald had bid
den farewell to Messrs. Vennor, Tice
& Co., on account of failure to full
fill their contracts. Not but we have
had plenty of weather, and of a good
quality, too; but when it regards the
weather there is a general disposition
to require at the clerks hand the con-
ditions of the bond, though it take
the ''pound of flesh from the holder
thereof. Whether it rains or SHOWS,
is fair or murky, before its cheerful
acceptance, we desire to know each
morn if it was $50 nominated in the
bond,' and if not, every Shylock be-
I gins TO whet his knife, as he casts an
angry glance at the weather prophet
But regardless of prophecy we have
had most remarkable winter. Only
one week that sleighs could be used
at all, and that because the roads
were smooth and frozen. Coco
roads for Illinois, most of the time
only twice has zero been indicated
while the grazing has been good al
winter. Not but cattle required feed
ing, but they have run out, founC
much to nibble, and been better fo
it. The twenty days of Februar,
have been more like October, and th'
clear warm sunshine has afforded al
occasion to rejoice that we were no
, having repetition of last winter
with its ''blizzards'' and blockades o
snow.
Farmers are happy. Corn ha
ruled at big price-from 60 to q
cents; butter from 50 to 80 cents
pork from Sc to 81 per hundred; pc
, tatoes from 81 to $1.25 per bushel
and beef steak is now selling at L
cents per pound.
During recent daylight trip dow
through the central part of this stat
to Springfield, your correspondent
1t who has lived in Illinois nearly tie
IS years, was surprised and forced t
is confess that hitherto he had know
but little about the corn growing il
d terests of the state. Moving owe
I'd the level prairie at thirty-five miles a
c hour, with the eye resting for thirt
q or forty minutes upon an unbroke
4 cornield, offered an entirely ne
: idea of that industry. No bacl
ground, no foreground, corn-stalE
: everywhere. In the vicinity of tt
stations, or about farm houses woul
v appear villages, nay, even cities {
:. corn-cribs, filled to their full, unit
- the question would come again al
70 again, "What can this world do wit
,s SO much corn?" Well, this solutiC
o. is sufficient, this is considerable of
N world, take it altogether.
A. Who would go to Springfield, al
g not visit Lincoln monument? n
o- your correspondent, if his visits we
n subject to his control. The hOr
Il cars run to the monument-for tn
,o is of more interest than the sta
70 house or any other object about Il
o- city. The cemetery is about Oh
+ mile from the city. The tomb
III Lincoln occupies little hill-tl
70 largest | ever saw in Illinois-cut {
p from the main part of the cemete
- by ravine. The cite may conta
70 from seven to ten acres. The mon
ment faces the south and lacks on
ls two groups of statuary, cavalry al
IL artillery, of completion. Vermo
~ has the honor of furnishing the scul