Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-29
Letter from Iowa.

Letter from Iowa.
EDITOR FREEMAN Through tho cour-
tesy of friend received u copy of the
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN; and open
ing the sheet l find an editorial heavily
underscored in pencil. 1t goes withom
saying that my friend is Vermonter.
All now. Mr.. Editorial, I've bone to
pick with you! And knowing my ground,
have the advantage, for have spent
dozen wears in Iowa, the land of my adop-
tion.
There is a homely old saying that one
must summer and winter friend before
they know them" so, too, one must
summer and winter" locality before
they can quito say as 10 the ins and outs
of all its possibilities.
Mr.. Editorial says that ho surmiscs that
4 level surface of country will make the
people ilas mentally, and that it is glori-
ous to stand on the mountain tops. Now
as to the guess on sameness-the very
west itself proves the contrary. If one
wishes 10 learn the effects of the sun on
flower thcy must look at the glossy leaves
ana vivid coloring, and not at the sun. If
the effect of the "lay of the land on
the inhabitants, is 10 be observed, one
must look at the people, not the land. And
there arc no people in the length and
breadth OF our country with the enter.
prise, the push, the width OF conception
and tho power Of putting their thought
into execution like these same people on
the prairics Of the great northwest.
As to the mountain tops, grant you.
1t is grand thing TO stand on the heights
for a little while; but even our Mr. Ed
itor could not live there; no more could
we. though VIC love their grandeur; but
as for living in the valleys below, or on
the uneasy hillsidcs Of their slopins sides,
deliver us.
From the twenty years spent under the
frowning brows Of tho Green Mountain
monarchs, wo have vivid remembrance
Of tho feeling of being crushed and con-
quercd and held down. Down always.
Always the same granite crcsts above us,
toe same grim shadow rising up and shut
ting out our sunlight before the day was
gone; the game great shadow TO creep cut
and rest on and envolop rs,
All tcmporamcnts may not bo alike
susceptible TO the influence Of place and
surrounding country. If they were, if to
sll people tho mountains wero, as they are
to me. latcS immoyablc, memorable and
ptiless then would lwcliers at thoir
rocky feet sit down with folded hands in
hopeless subiectiUn.
In a land Of prarics ono has always a
feeling of living on the highlands. There
are no gaunt forms above ones head,
where ono must turn their face skywarj
if they wish prospective; no winding
roads leading up, up. above them that
they must climb if they would feel the
grand sense Of all things possible, as one
does when tho heights arc indeed gained.
Beside, will venture guess that
greater per cent Of western people have
stood on the top Of Mount Washington
than of people of your own New England.
The enterprise of the west is not all
due to the surface of the country, although
that has q great influence, but new
country draws largely on the enterprising
Y,Ortfan IF tho o1f,or forritorr
Vermont. as well as all the eastern
states, sends US her best men-at least a
good share of them-and the Garden Of
the World, stocked with such life and
spirit, what less than grand harvest
could be expected AS an instance, let
me refer you TO the Dalrymple wheat
farm ut Fargo, Dakota, the largest in the
world. 1t has an area of forty. five square
miles From it six hundred thousand
bushels were harvested last summer. II
is managed by its owner with the precis.
ion of military tactics, the workmen en-
ployel being divided into brigades and
companies, 10 each Of which is given the
SultlFdtlOl VI NlNl lSlOHS ullu SUI ulVlSlOllS
OF territory.
wish could give you the exact figures
on Iowa exports of pork and creamery
butter; but enough that our pork-raising
Hawkcyes grow oppulcnt, and our butter
ranks first all over the country.
am glad to hear the editor of the
FREEMAN let ont a good rousng shout for
his native state. like people TO be loyal
above all things else; loyal even to gran
ite mountain topsa and rocky back pastures
but for me, give nc the land where the
world 'can spread itself. was never
made for narrow grooves and compressed
spaces. like the broad prairics that hold
such infinite possibilities. whose probabili-
tiles are so far outrun " fact ms to be ono
of the quantities VIC no longer use in our
speculations.
The FREEMAN's agricultural editor must
not condemn Iowa for brown subblc
fields in February, but must give the state
visit in the heart Of June.
MAupE MEREDITH.
Lnu ANrT-E EITrTNIrtp<,.rr rLa 90,