St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-28

AONhN hON'c" w
But in addition to this, Ration is lOcat.
ed on the border of beautiful plain
or valley, from fifteen to thirty miles
across, which is said to be the best
grazing land in all the territories
The immense ranches in which NJ. NJ
Chase, formerly of Newbury, and
Stephen Folsom, late of Lyndon, are
interested, are located in this valley.
Another important feeder to Ration
miles away, lately discovered, but be-
ing rapidly developed. Thirty i've
car loads of coal are now being taken
out daily, and when there is demand,
it can as well be quadrupled. The
pay roll of the railroad company and
the coal mining company combined
now amounts to S47 900 month, and
when the new shops are completed, it
will be much larger. Add to this the
supplies needed for the ranches for
fifty miles around, and it will be seen
how much business must be thrown in
to this new town.
OF course everything is "bOOming."
The whole plateau for perhaps IA mile
square is laid off into city lots, and
these are rapidly being taken up and
us rapidly advancing i'll price. They
are being sold to-day for from 500 to
$1,000 lot, according to location.
The costlier lots are i'll the business
centre, the cheaper on the very out
skirts. The 'Iots" are the enormous
size of p feet front by 40 feet deep.
A Yankee would want from four to a
dozen lots to build a house on, but
most people here use but one, putting
up little board houses about twelve
feet by twenty, and generally no out
buildings. The nabObs of course have
two lots or more, and build according
ly; but it is astonishing what small
accommodations Western family will
put up with. They probably get ac-
NhCtolhN'l w iltlNOl
ing West in covered wagon or sleep
ing car.
The view from the high land west
of Ration is one of the finest imagin-
able. The broad plateau fringed with
white and glistening mountains, the
clear and stimulating atmosphere, and
the strange wildness of the scene, all
combine to impress one.
What do | think of the West as far
as | have gone? | will tell you. The
laboring man East does not want to
come west of central Kansas. Do
not day labOrers, carpenters, masons,
etc, get SI.75 to $3.50 day in Ration ?
| presume they do; but board is from
seven to ten dollars Il week, and ev-
erything else in proportion. There is
not an exception ; therefore mechan-
Ic or day labOrer cannot save as much
of his wages in New Mexico as he
can in New England. OF course no
farmer would think of going west of
central Kansas, as the rainfall grows
less and less, until here in New MeXi-
60 nothing is raised whatever, except
in rare instances where there is water
enough for irrigation; and this meth
cd is Il costly way of raising crop.
All the supplies OF the place, meats,
vegetables, and provisions of all kinds,
come from Kansas City, Il thousand
miles away, and over a railroad, too,
which charges more for freight than
the original article costs at the base of
supplies.
Then you would not advise people
to go West ? Yes, and no. A place
like Ration offers great inducements to
certain classes. A shrewd man with a
little capital and Il level head can here
double his money very quickly.
Young men and women school teach
ers, physicians, tradesmen, can find
plenty to do and good remuneration.
But one should have the missionary
spun "Nii uCNtiOB u NhO ChIi - dl'H
to the far West. While there are
many noble men and women in nearly
every town, goodbye to New England
society, privileges and restraints,
when you touch the border land. One
should think of these things before he
exiles his family on the frontier. OF
these matters | will say more when
see more.
Our party was heartily received at
Ration by Mr.. George F. Dunklee, for
merly of Lyndon, who came West two
months ago and dropped down at this
place. He is young man of educa-
ton and refinement, and considerable
experience in teaching, having taught
at st. Johnsbury Centre, Wells River
and elsewhere with marked success
Although he has been here but five
weeks he has nice school establish
ed of some thirty five scholars, and is
taking hold with enthusiasm and pluck
He will do well here, and will leave
his mark in many valuable ways. Sue.
| cess to him. c. VI. 5.
The Engineers story.