News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-07-17
An "Echo" From the Centennial
TOPEKA, K AS. July 1900

The rule seems to be ''Once a Yer
monter, always u Vermonter." |
have met multitudes of the sons and
daughters of the State, scattered
through all parts of the country. and
never have / met one who did not
fully share my feeling about the Green
Mountain commonwealth. That feel
inc is thatit is my home. Familiari-
tv with nearly every part of our coun-
trv-from Maine to California. and
from Alaska to the city of Mexico
has shown me no State more worthy
of love and respect, and no place OF.
locality more lovable than the town
of nv NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1t has
always been my habit to make the
State and it's history, and Morrisville
and it's surroundings, in sense stan
dards of measurement and compari-
son. In this process of comparison
Vermont and Morrisville have never
suffered. Other States and places are
larger, more wealthy, and, in certain
directions stronger and more capa-
bic. But that does not necessarily
determine their superiority. Superior
size. strength and wealth does not
make the best man. Other qualities
and possessions are to be counted.
Vermont is the most beautiful State
in the Union, and Lamoille county is
the most beautiful county in the
State. Beauty rules the world, COM
mands a majority following, draws
to itself the most love and the great
est respect-in short ordains itself
the worlds absolute sovereign. Ma
lures beauty in Lamoille county
makes slaves of all who have ever
been familiar with it. have made
most diligent comparison, but have
never yet admitted that Niagara and
the falls of the Yosemite are equal to
the falls below Morrisville l have
looked into the awful chasm of the
Grand Canon of the Colorado, but it
has never seemed to me SO utterly
bottomless as the pit below Pulpit
Rock. | have Investigated every
thing crooked, from Boston streets
to the ways of Kansas politicians,
but have never found anything so de-
serpentine as the winding
Lamoille. | have well-nigh wor-
the giant peaks and ranges
of the Rockies, but they have never
seemed so worthy of my worship, so
perfectly resistless in their charm, as
the glorious circle of mountains
around my native village. l have
been dazzled by the eternal SHOWS of
the Sierras, but they have never
taken on the weird, fantastic, ravish-
ing beauty of a moon-lit winter scene
in Vermont | have listened to the
g mighty music of the pines in Penn
sylvania, Louisiana, Michigan and
the far Northwest, but it has never
seemed half so sweet or halt so grand
as when the Green Mountain zephyrs,
in lakes and rivers, have
walked the full organ of beech and
birch, elm and cedar, maple and
spruce, hemlock and pine. In YER
mont, Nature is delicate as well as
strong. The details are worked out
with infinite care. The full,jeweled
trout; the nesting berries; the in
comparable tapestry of grass and
vines, decked with wild flowers of
countless forms and colors; the
decorations of the frost,
the aurora borealis of ripening and
foliage in the fall, these and
a hundred other forms of beauty are
never forgotten by one who has
known them, Strength, delicacy, va
riety, perfection all correctly ap-
ply to Natures charms in the Green
Mountain State.
But better than the things of YER
mont are the people of Vermont,
They have gone out from among
their native hills in countless num-
bers, in pursuit of health, wealth,
fame, and for all other motives which
inspire men to action, They have
seized on the great opportunities at
tending the physical development of
our country with wonderful aYidity.
They have taken possession of the
west, crossing the prairies las of old
our fathers crossed the sea" They
have taken the lead in everything.
They have been our chief educators;
as for instance. James H. Garfield, of
the University of Kansas, president
of the National Teachers associa-
ton. They have been our chief rail
way builders and managers; as for
instance. VIM. B. Strong, a. A. Rob-
inson and c. c. Wheeler, president.
vice-president and general manager,
of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad. They have
been leading editors; as for instance,
Oscar E. Learnard, 7, j. Norton and
Noble l., Prentis, OF the daily press
of Kansas. They have been promi
nent politicians; as for instance, eX=
Governor Click, Carmi W. Babcock
and j &. Burnett. And besides being
some of the best people of the West,
they have been also some OF the
worst; as for instance, the two YER
monters in Atehison of whom another
Vermonter said recently, Bill would
be the meanest man in Kansas if it
WASH for his brother john" Wher=
ever in the west there is push and az
tiVity Vermopters are sure to be
found, This seems particularly true
of Kansas, though it is natural that
| should know Kansas in this respect
better than any other State, Sena-
tor Edmunds said lately it seemed at
times as if his old constituents were
all in Kansas. A hurried list ofsome
of those Vermonters who live or have
lived in or near Kansas, with or with
out their families, may be of interest
here:
Rev Mr.. Pratt, Professor LoveweH,
James H. Garfield. William B. Strong,