Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-11-23
Dome Department.
A VERMoNTER in MISSOURI.
GALLATIN. Mo-, Nov, 10, 1888.


county seat of Davis county, | come
across information relative to the city
which makes it worthy of universal at
tentiou.
1t is the loveliest place l have
seen in Missouri and would hardly need
blush when placed in comparison with
some of Vermont's Eden towns. 1t is
built upon the Grand river, which in it.
self is leading recommendation in
State where decent water is of artificial
gathering, and rivers are as lonely as
jubilant Democrats. 1t has but about
two thousand population, but the COM
mercal interests are great and extremely
active by reason of the surrounding rich
ness of the farms and its situation mid
way between two important railroad
functions, and directly upon the main
line from Chicago to Kansas City.
1t Is par excellence the most cultured
place of its population that it has been
my lot to discover west of Chicago. 1t
abounds in wealthy citizens, who in
themselves and their families display a
most commendable culture, and is the
domestic retreat of number of promi-
nent public men, the most eminent of
whom, A. NJ. Dockery, NJ. c., will now
for brief term undergo the enervating
trial of satisfying a Democratic constit-
uencv in Republican House.
Gallatin is reckoned among the ancient
towns of northwest Missouri, as it was
founded nearly half century ago. 1t
would consume too much space to emu
merate one-half the anecdotes and Incl
dents generated here by the civil war.
Gallatn, in common with every cluster
of houses in this State, is replete with
tales of that woful strife; many of which,
by their altogether humorous character,
enable us now, so remote from the scene,
to laugh with keenest zest over those
trials which were but the grotesque fres-
Goes on the gloomiest of backgrounds.
Missouri, State so nearly uncertain in
the late struggle, so frequently the scene
of party fluctuations and guerrilla war
fare and petty depredations-the formu-
lator of the great and supreme "Ironclad''
oath, can now almost rival Louisiana in
its voluminous compilation of historical
impedimentd.
Jesse James, his brother, and their vas
sal desperadoes had their home but brief
ly from here--and this quiet little city
has been the scenes of their frequent
plunderings. In 1869 they robbed the
leading bank-after killing the cashier
and it is but four years ago that Frank
James here "put himself upon the peo-
ple."
The, to me, most distinctive memoir is
that sometime in the forties the Mormons
made their temporary settlement adjacent
to the town. AS ever the case in Nor
mon communications with laymen, diff.
culties soon arose between the benighted
burghers and the select of God" which re.
suited in the revelation of such direction
from their Omnipotence that Gallatin
even as the doomed Scriptural cities, was
charred to the ground in night by the
vengeful Mormons bearing the destruc.
tive torch, not of God but of lustful
hate Every cloud has its silver lining
however, although sometimes too attenu-
ated for discovery. A couple of months
ago the Mormons sent here committee
of investigation to assert facts for theil
historical information who, as soon as
their sect and intent were discovered, were
unceremoniously bundled, hustled and
rustled from the scene of their ancient
iniquity. Honest and mild revenge is
} sweet. Not the least important jewel in
the crown of Gallatin's Importance is the
amazing asseveration, most strenuously
upheld by the Mormons, that here, in
J deco, that even here where now am
the tragedy of original sin was enacted
Here the fallen angel and the perfect
man and the later woman contrived
} nolens ct uolens, the fatal error which has
ages since made man anguished beneath
the burden of guilt! Here is the Garder
of Eden. Prodigious! !
remain as ever,
Yours sincerely,
MARVIN HJIJ DANA