The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-14


good deal, and seen much of farming in dlf.
ferent states. A feature of his method OF
work. as shown by his exhibit is the cross
ing of different varieties. Thisis best Illus
trated in the exhibit of potatoes, cucum-
bers and corn. The potatoes are for the
most part seedlings and show careful Guilt
walton. Farmers who looked over the ex-
hibit appeared much interested In the eX,
plantations given by Mr.. Etz OF his metnou
of crossing different varieties When asked
how he regarded farming in vermont as
compared with other states, ne saiu tnaI
there was no difficulty in getting along well
on Vermont farm II a man studied now TO
produce the best results. They could raise
bigger crops in the West, and had better
equipment for carrying ON farm WORK.
",But" said Mr.. Etz, can raise more to
the acre on nv farm" He said he did not
have such advantages as farmers in the
neiphborhood of Rutland and other towns
had especially in the facilities for getting
!, manure. He made some manure on his
] farm and used some fertilizer, but he de-
pended for his results mainly on careful
cultivation He liked the work and took
n pleasure in il. He did not claim to be get
ting rich, but he said he was getting along
very comfortably.
VERMONT PEOPLE.
If the natural beauties, county fairs and
farming matters of Vermont are interesting
/ as a study the people themselves are not
less So No one state in the Union has had
more influence upon the country than has
Vermont, in silent but potent way. Yer
mont influence has shaped the legislation of
Michigan. Vermont teachers and preach
ers are in the schools and churches all over
the West, and in all the professions and in
dustries Vermont vigor and enterprise are
influential In single congress there were
twenty-one native born Vermonters. In
the next senate there will be six born in
this little state, and eight men in cabinet
and other high federal positions. AS
fighting state Vermont is without rival IN
IT,,ta In ord ranntQtinn
struggle for existence has an independent
state is a record of heroism worthy OF the
proudest pages of history. The child OF
battle, blood and revolution, she has prop
erly valued and sacredly preserved the
privileges she wrested from oppressors.
That truth made them grave and thought
full people, jealous of their political rights,
full of public spirit but devoted to
common cause and quick as flash in re-
sentiment of aggression or defense of right.
Their experience made them ideal citizens
of a free republic, ready to defend with
their lives rights they had won with their
blood. Even hundred years ago to-day
Vermont's militia consisted of twenty regi-
ments of infantry, fifteen companies of cav
airy and six companies of artillery, which
included almost every male lnhabitant cap
able of bearing arms. In the war OF the re-
bellion the record made by the state was a
glorious one. She furnished more than her
quota of troops, bore more than her share
of the expense, and the Vermont Brigade
became the most famous marching and
fighting organization of the war. Vermont
alone, of the free states, sent to the war ten
men for every one hundred of its population,
and out of total enrolment of 81, 900 men
liable for military service stood credited at
last with nearly "a 900 volunteers. No Ver-
mont regiment lost its colors in battle. The
soldiers of no other state took so many South
ern flags in proportion. No other Northern
state had anything like so high percentage
of killed and wounded. Says Heaton: Dur
thah Of m A lies wa nf
its sons so bore themselves on many holly
contested fields that the troops OF no other
state can challenge comparison, number
for number, with them. They had been
men of peace for more than a generation,
but the blood of fighting forefathers ran in
their veins, and patriotism was the earliest
lesson they had learned" Those who talk
of purtanical conservatism and bigOtry OF
VermOnters are not familiar with history.
If they were they would observe that i'm
mediately after the admission of Vermont
to the Union, test oaths prescribed for
members of general assemblies were even
abolished and the new constitution pro-
vided that ono religious test should be re-
quired of any member of the assembly,
This was progress with vengeance at that
time. Furthermore, the foot of slave
never pressed the soil of Vermont. In No.
vember, 1777, Captain Ethan Allen, with a
party of Green Mountain boys took posses
sion of Ticonderoga, a nd among his prisoners
was Dinah Morris, the colored slave of q
British officer, and her child. Allen, being
as he wrote, " conscientious that IL is moi
right to keep slaves" gave the woman q
written certificate of freedom and the
unique document was duly recorded in the
office of the town clerk at Bennington
Slavery was legal in New York, of which
Vermont was nominally a part, but with
the first declaration of their independence
went the prohibition of human servitude
When slave-owner sought for his property
on Vermont soil, the Justice demanded
pf FRI mi tp
ownership. In 1858 the legislature declared
that every person who had been a slave il
another state should be free upon coming
to Vermont when the government OF
judiciary of the United States refuses t.
protect citizens when ia another state OF
territory" declared these sturdy freemen
h" it becomes the duty of the states to pro
tect their own citizens at whatever hazart
or cost" These words closed a record o
twenty years of legislation and agitation fo
freedom, and then Vermont stood ready tt
take up arms. These are some of the in
stances of Vermont " bigotry and conserva
tism." 1t will not do to charge with stu
pd conservatism and dense old-fogyism
community in which there has away
been free thought and aggressive assertion
and defence of opinion, free and cas-,
dealing with old forms, customs and con
ventionalities and ready attack upon any
of them if they could be shown to be un
wise. There has been freedom of though
and action that originated Mormonsm an'
various communisic experiments, patron
lied Spiritualism and boomers, stuck NJ
the spires of Unversalism alongside 0
those of eternal torment, and not only fur
nished preachers of the doctrines of FREE
love, but some practicers of it as well. Yer
monters readers, thinkers, tenacious o
satisfactorily proven theories and disputa
tions. They have few worldly diversions
to distract their consideration of specula
tive problems, and they are liable TO let thu
sugar bile B." over while they con abtrus
essays or argufy " with a neighbor. Thei
conservatism is of the kind that does no
change until it is sure it is right and the
it goes ahead with vengeance Said on
gentleman to me: " Vermonters are natu
rally readers and thinkers. They have lot
of time and quiet, and they think out al
sorts of things, most of them good and som
OF them darned queer"
DIR. Cages Great WOrk-.-Cure or