Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-04-03

road could wind around through the /
valley between, but so each individ- I
ual mountain had to be climbed over.
We drove up one steep side of the
mountain only to go down on the 9TH
er, until it seemed as if we must have
lost our way, and be travelling in a
circle. When at last we did emerge
from the cluster of mountains we
came upon a road which ought to be
abated as nuisance. Tt was anoth-
er bit of Natures unique handiwork,
and job not to be proud of. 1t was
actually shingled with slate rock, and
the humping process we were SUBJ
jected to was anything but an agree
able pastime. There were miles of
such road, where we could only walk
the horses, and feel that we ought to
be thankful that we didn't break down
going at that pace.
One would suppose that such a
road could only be found in some
''lost nation portion of the country,
but, on the contrary, after we ''came
down from the mountain there were
good farms, occasional stores, and
now and then cluster of dwellings,
scattered all along. The trouble with
the roads is that up to the spring of
1881 there was no law which compell-
ed the people to take care of them,
so they were left to gully and wash
at their own pleasure. The legisla-
ture passed a law in 1881 which pro-
vides for some attention to the high
ways. There is not, however, any
provision by which the man who gets
his neck broken or his horse killed
can recover damages for loss of life
OF property. At some points we
found the citizens working the roads,
under the new law. The implements
used would have been an attraction if
exhibited at your county fair. The
pillow was usually some old broken
pillow point, fastened to beam made
from a sapling, and the hoes and
spades were as unwieldy and old-time
as the pillow. The only scrapers we
saw were ''home made"-a piece of
plank with boards nailed on for ham
dies, and either chains or poles for
thills. 1t usually requires man at
each of the handles to hold the thing
down. Work does not progress very
rapidly, and the small tax is exhaust
ed long before the road is put il
order.
Our objective point was Carthage
Smith county, one of the good agri-
cultural and fruit counties of the
state. We felt as if we had reached
a new civilization when we saw the
tidy streets and well-kept appearance
of the buildings at the "county-seat. ,
The courthouse is a modern bricE
building, and the churches are nea
and commodious. Our hotel was +;
curiosity. 1t is kept by Mrs. Nc
Donald, a woman who was endowed
by nature with fine mind, a gener
Gus heart, and the power to make 70
herself place in the world. Sh
has sacrificed all her ambitions TO
her children, and has steadily laborec
to earn the means to lift them to tn
plane to which she should have at
tanned. Old age is fast approaching
and many of her hopes are dead, 70
all save two of her children have gon
Un before her, and of the two left
one is far away with his regiment il
Montana, the other an invalid.
My readers would have found
abundant amusement watching tn
{ negro woman who waited at table
She was dressed in white muslin, ruff
fed and iuted, bit of gay ribbon a
her throat and in her kinky hair, ant
went spanking about barefooted, bu
with an air of contentment with he
lot that was delightfully."- refreshing
l had seen no cold light bread sine
leaving McMinnville, but l hoped TO
something besides biscuits and corr
bread at Carthage. Imagine my SUI
prise, when, in reply to my reques
for cold bread, Mrs. Mcdonald in
, formed me that she should have som
, when the stage arrived; that sh
bought all her light bread in Nash
{ vile, about sixty miles distant, an
traversed all the way, except eight
cen miles, by stage. En- passant,
may as well remark that when tn
, stage arrived the driver announce,
, that the bundle of bread was lost Of
. e., route.
, A meal without hot bread would b
? poor fare indeed for southerne1
| cold bread not being considere
; healthy or wholesome.
) Perhaps the meal of our trip wa
4 found at Rome, our next point afte
t leaving Carthage. The hotel was
3 large, clean, roomy one, and a delic
f ious bed wooed me to a long noon
day nap. felt sure the dinner woul
e be tempting, but / am afraid m
e countenance fell when the dining
: room doors were thrown open. Their
e was boiled cabbage and potatoes
: some fat pork, plate of cold cor
q pone (made of corn meal, water an
SALTY and tiny chicken fried.
/ asked for cup of tea; it was brought
Y but had been made of water in whic
cabbage had been boiled; setting
n aside, / called for milk; it came, bu
}, If waS SOur thnn T cont for NV fro r