The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-05-10
CORRESPONDENCE.
ylcroR SHEEP RAScH. fr. FErrEKMAS,
wroxixc. April II. 1883


yIcroR SHEEP RAscH. III. FErrEHMAS
i wroxisc. April u, 1888.
DeU Journal
Iwroie short account once 10 the Bos
ton GioJc. describing two youthful sheer
herders. and 10 less than month received
letters from every New England state. ask
ing for information. Some sent stamps
and one man. 10 Maine. enclosed a dollsl
bin. answered every quesiion. and when
the tide was past found had written over
one hundred letters. vowed then that
would never write another letter about
this country. but / see 40 many Of our
towns boys have caught the Western fever
that am tempted to say word Of warn.
ing. The letter OF william" in the JOIN.
NAL OF April 9th says, III man has no
pluck lie hsd better keep away from Colo
RADIO" Now / have been with stock
thro ugh Colorado, Wyoming and nearly
all the adjoining territories. and when !
say William" is sound, know whereof !
speak; and while it is an undisputed fact
that yerm onters and Missouriaus make
| our best frontiesmen, still any man who
Intends western emigration should look
the ground over thoroughly. and ascertain
either by personal experience or by in
quiry what are the disadvantages as well
as the advantages before he transfers
his household gods 10 the West For
tunes are sometimes made in the West in
q very short time, but really believe that
more people succeed in the East in the
long run than iu the West. There is no
money made in the West except by hard
work accompanied by sobriety and econo :
my. And the hardships nece ssarily ac-
companying frontier life are many and se-
we're. II any adventurous youth has set
bis eyes towards the Western plains, let
me tell him that sleeping out OF doors on
the hard ground and cooking breakfast at
8 o'clock in the morning over sage brush
fire. with snow and rain falling together
aud the wind blowing gale is far differ
ent thing from camping out q night or two
at Stratton or Bourn pond Then again
the breakfast Of baking.powder bread and
bacon. with potatoes. il you are in luck
eaten from tin plates, and poor coffee
drank from tin cup make . painful con-
trast with the old Vermont breakfast to.
BILE, which he will remember very wildly
about this time. Then there is the rattle
snake--an exceedingly sociable fellow. /
recollect now one occasion in August, 81,
when we were in camp at Antelope
Springs, was shaking the sand out of my
blankets and rolling up my bed. and sue
ceeded in shaking out RATHER with nine
rattles and button, who had crept into
bed with me to keep warm. II it is any
consolation, will add that it is fact
that after you have killed your first rattle
snake you never think OF them any more.
But IL is TO the married men more espec-
tally that / intended to write. The towns
in the far West are, and always will be,
crowded. There are the ranches and
farms, scattered here and there, and TO ev-
cry one OF these where there is woman
there are ten where there are none. The
men wash, bake and brew for themselves;
schools are scarce, society scarcer, and
churches out OF the question. In three
years have been to church every chance
I had, and can number it on the fingers
Of one hand. Where am now is an old
settled community, and the nearest doc
tor aud the nearest preacher are 100 miles
away. There are, I presume, one hundred
ranches and at least q hundred families in
our school district, and to get up school
Of twenty-five children We would have to
import sfty per cent OF saloons there is
no lack. nor is there any lack Of patrons
for these road ranches, as they are called.
The country does not swarm With Indians.
bpt the bedbpg Is . native 81 this CLINE,
end o. the pine logs " which the houses
- bsit got q little old. these household
sx4Ra like 2 hive Of bees and cover
este In the summer time the mus
be land. Is,sey pattern fill up the
uitoes New ~ with thejs .sweetest
lilly hours Of NJ. 70 bs sure 'ds .
,usical compositions <gh twenty-five
ealtby climate. | ", Il game here !
ounds more than did wheL >aid have
nd can endure hardships that W Then
'emed impossible Ave years ago. 81
,ere is fascination about the tree lifeN
ad. but ! must confess that while ! c.
ould not be content TO live in the East t.
gain, there are hours when il seems rs II
would give the world to be near my old
ONE, my kinsfolk and old time friends, O
i'd enjoy with them those benefits OF an o
der civilization 70 which / have been q
u years stranger. B.Hc. =
- II
STATE NEWS. 10