Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-01-02
VERMONT FRIDAY, JANUARY 1891
AGRICULTURAL.
An Os,side view.

IN DuAahmf NNeNs
The following extracts are made from a
letter To the Vermont Waterman from Dan.
ie Perry. Esq Of Maysville, DeKab coun
ty. No Mr. Perry is a native of West
Wardsboro, where he lived until past his
majority He did service in the war stud
led law at the Albany law school, and has
been a successful lawyer and business man
in the West He has always had a great
affection for his native state and just ap
probation Of the opportunities here for
founding more desirable homes than are TO
be found in most localities at the West He
was intending to return to Vermont to es-
tablish his home here, and may yet if his
disgust at the act Of the legislature in re
pealing the measures for promoting the
growth Of the state in wealth and popula-
ton so successfully inaugurated under
Commissioner Valentine does not deter him
Vermont should welcome such sons as he,
and Mr.. Perry may be assured that the
narrow view of this matter taken by the
legislature of 1890 is not shared by any
considerable portion Of the intelligence Of
Vermont
"A New Highlander died in little western
city few DAYS ago His name No mat
ter about that The metropolitan papers
did not mention it The associated press
took no notice of his exit The busy New
England people at home and abroad never
paused to regret that one of their number
had fallen by the wavside and laid down
the cares burdens and disappoiutments of
life. The man who died was but an atom
] 81. &c
swarm. Yet he was man of good educa
zion and fair talent, and he had a history.
sad and pathetic, which ought to be written
and published as a warning to thousands of
/ young men who leave comfortable homes
aud bright prospects among the New Eng
land hills and valleys to seek fortunes in the
| far West
"A brief outline of this unfortunate mans
struggle, failure and death must suffice
| The reader can supply the omissions, not
overlooking the hope renewed each day
/ the torture of anxiety, the disappointment
| which finally extlnguished expectation. and
| left nothing in life for which to struggle on
| This man twenty-five years ago wa, "a
| pupil OF the writer in Il large school among
the green hills of Vermont. He was then
a bright, active, industrious boy Of sixteen.
/ the son of a small but prosperous farmer
: u
/ young farmer, and was making fair start
/ for a competency Then We lost sight of
| him like hundreds Of other old pupils who
had scattered and gone, but 1t Is said that
! five years later this young man had become
potent and influential factor IN the local
affairs Of his native town. aud had accumu-
lated considerable property But, like many
others, he became dscontented and wanted
| TO see more Of the world He caught the
western fever. He sold his property IN Yer
mont and removed his wife and babies To-
Dakota where he took up a government
c.aimof one hundred and sixty acres of land
erected farm buildings and commenced the
improvement of his new farm Then ms
misfortunes began The first year cy-
clone came and carried away all Of ms
buildings and fences and killed his eldest
child. Having expended his ready money
he built sod house and barn. During ms
second. third and fourth years IN Dakota
his crops were failure, by reason Of han
storms and drouth Then he mortgaged
his homestead for what he could get uu It,
used the amount To pay debts, and 10 the
spring of 1855 removed To Iowa, and com
menced TO rent land ON shares But bad
luck followed him. and the fall Of $50 found
him with only team and one COW His
farm IN Dakota mad long since been fore
closed by the mortgagee for interest, prlurl
pal and taxes Too proud TO return 70 err
mont. even if he had possessed the means
TO pay the fare there for himself and family
he struck out IN an open wagon for Mis-
souri, He only reached the north line of
this state when the exposure of his trip aua
other privations gave him severe cold
which resulted III a congestlve chill and
his death They buried him In beauti
- i - i.
the snowtiakes of approaching winter were
falling His heart broken widow knew
not what 70 do She had no money and
few friends. The kind people Of the neigh
borhood were about to raise funds to send
the family back to Vermont hut at the last
moment brother of the widow arrived
from Colorado and took the sad family
away with him
1t is true that thousands of deluded NOR
tals that have settled in western Kansas
and Nebraska come back from there each
fall and seek food and shelter for the winter
among the generous and kind hearted Ms
sourians who live IN Gods country A
hungry hansan never appeals in vain to a
= prosperous well-fed Missourian As we
write these lines we can name nearly q
dozen families in this county who left Kan
= sas rather than remain and run the risk OF
starving
After this recital which will hard teul
to tempt Vermont farmers away from theil
homes, Mr. Perry adds And what il
$ Vermont doing to keep her people at home
r where they belong Are the people DOM
anything TO restrict emigration, to equahz'
taxation, to restrain the constant out flow
. of capital, and to educate and encourage
d her Young farmers p
b He sums up, rather caustically. We mus
confess, the work of our last Legislative
u session and then declare, that 1t j, tn,
: species Of Legislative wisdom that contribute
to the decline Of the state, and stamps on
n enterprise, that discourages investment
i that drives away the industrious, energeti
u young men, and keeps Vermonters tina
=, have accumulated fortunes elsewhere from
II returning there.
10 MAKE No MISTAKE If you have made up you