The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-31

was working demanded a change, and
which these few dollars, loaned her by Miss
Folsom, enabled her to make, and but for
which would not have been made. Miss
Folsom writes that her co-worker's life was
apparently saved by this change.
WE have recently taken temporary pos
session of diary kept by our late beloved
townsman, j. NJ. Palmer, on western trip
made more than forty years ago AS one
would suppose, IL contains items of general
interest in these later days of rapid travel.
1t was about the middle Of September, 1843,
that Mr.. Palmer started West with his
young friend, our present townsman, H. ID.
Abbott His first entry Is of leaving here in
full stage for Montpelier, fare fifty cents;
thence by stage, at one o'clock P. M, for
Burlington reaching there after sunset, fare
S2. A nights ride takes him to Whitehall,
n. Y, where wet day prevented the start
ing of canal-boat on the canal-ride to
Buffalo. Eight miles out of Whitehall he
takes a three miles walk, keeping up with
the boat, and regales himself with apples,
blackberries, etc. Each day are recorded
his impressions of town and country-this
slow mode of travel enabling him to see a
good deal. On the sixth day out of
Whitehall he reaches Lyons, and visits the
glass works, etc. 1t was on this day that
he records seeing land that looks like YER
mont and as though it might bear some
thing. OF Rochester, reached the eleventh
uaN AFTER leaving nome, ne TbCOTuS tubt
thirty years before there were but two log
houses there; and the site of the place, now
GSi3) worth millions, could have been
bought for $500" The thirteenth day from
home he reaches Buffalo, and at an expense
of less than twelve dollars. He visits Nj
agra, and it was the same wonder then as
now. At Buffalo he takes steamboat, en-
counters hurricane and delays, and
reaches Milwaukee on the morning of the
sixth day from Buffalo. The same day he
reaches Racine, beautiful little village,
and growing fast, where he had to wait
three days for boat to Chicago, which place
he reached October 3, the twenty-seventh
day from home; and at an expense of about
1913, all told. OF that city he records that
" it is beautiful place, and growing very
fast" He was a guest of the American
Temperance Hotel, to which he went from
the boat in snow squat. With open eyes
Mr.. Palmer went on to st. Louis, via Bur
lington and Keokuk, Iowa, travelling by
canal and river. Thence he started home
ward via the Ohio river to Pittsburgh, Penn
city, he says, that had very black APP
pearance from the smoke of coal. Even the
limbs of the trees are quite black Thence
he went by stage to Philadelphia, where Inc
records his visit to Girard College and the
Paramount Water-works. He records mucl
rum and beer custom at the bar of the Peo
pies Inn Philadelphia" where he stopped
From Philadelphia he goes, on the 9th o
November, 1913, New York-ward The frs
railroad ride he records is in this trip, from
Boydentown to Amboy. The second one il
in his trip from New York to Boston, going
| from Stonington via Providence to Boston
by rail- The time of this journey from st
Louis to Boston was some fifteen days, will
but little delay, apparently, on the way.
| may be an open question whether the bes
to be gained by travel did not come equal,
with the slower mode of years ago as will
| the lightning speed of the present.