The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-09
@attbman 4 Suurnai.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH Q, 1892.
Boarding Around.


my remains above ground since we closed
at Pomfret, February 10. Long-continued
overfeed of early-cut hay" corn" en-
silage" dong or short), cotton-seed,"
bran" coat hay" " booming Vermont "
lin various ways), ETC., ETC., has given ME a
sort of mental dyspepsia. Then the phys
ica man has suffered from a conflict with
cold beds, midnight rides, tough steaks cut
from just under the bowpin, unknown
sausage and mysterious hash. Carefully
tested by the Babcock tester" we should
hardly expect to show a trace OF enjoyable
fat, yet there are many pleasant memories
and some instructive or amusing things
abo%t these later meetings that may be
worth the telling.
AT the good, rich farming town OF Char
lotte we found cordial welcome, voiced
by Representative Byington and kept up by
full attendance to the close. The hall
was hardly big enough to hold the people
comfortably. Here we had much learned
discourse from the scientific men of the
University OF Vermont and Agricultural
College-Professors Hill, Jones and Rich
in their several departments of Milk Test
ing" Potato Blight" and Horses
Feet" The great botanist OF the world, Q.
G.. Prindle, was present, but could not be
persuaded to talk much. One of the pleas
ant features of this meeting was the general
picnic dinner and supper each day from
tables set in Mr.. Foote'S store-a fine social
affair and well managed plenty of good
food served by fair danes and bright-eyed
maidens. Another interesting part was the
bright Irish wit and keen questionings Of
Uncle John Quinlan, who, although in his
eightieth year and living six miles away,
was at every session but one. "When l
came to Charlotte fifty-four years ago."
said he, everything seemed to be against
me. had not a sixpence in my pocket,
was an Irishman, was Catholic, l was
democrat, and drank rum. Yet in spite
of all that, in 1884, they sent me to Mont
peler to represent them, by over one hun
dred majority, when there were not twenty
democrats in town. Charlotte is a good
enough town for me to live in" Good
enough for Quinlan or anybody else; and
may Uncle John last at least twenty years.
Up the branch railroad from NV Haven
to Bristol was our next move. Here we had
probably the largest meeting of the season.
Bristol is a right smart thriving town, and
we got lots of folks from New Haven, Yer
gennes, Panton, Watham, Weybridge
Monkton, Lincoln and other towns. Doug
lass of Shoreham was there, and Hon. Alexis
T. Smith, member of the board in 1875 and
1876, gave us lively talk. That this was
good meeting goes without saying Farmer
Hazelton Representative in 1880 presided
and the programme was carried out in good
shape. While in town we visited the cream
cry that is one OF system managed by A.
d. Evarts. We also walked through the
coffin and casket works of the Bristol Man
ufacturing Company-an extensive AMI
profitable business, using lots of lumber and
help and paying the biggest dividends
for the year 1891 of any business reported to
us in Vermont.
The meeting at Benson was rather a
moderate one. The storm hindered some,
and then Benson is rather a slow town;
fine people, but they have got in the way of
selling thousand to twelve hundred tons
of hay year, and that tends to run a town
out. In 1900, they had 1,164 inhabitants;
after ninety-two years they find less than
that, and there is " a general flavor of mild
decay" all about And yet it is one of the
loveliest and richest valleys in the state.
A warm discussion was had on Mr.. San
ford's Intensive Farming" by DR.. Jones
and others. Benson don't farm that way.
Good papers were read by Mr. Branch of
Orwell on " Fruit Trees; by Mrs. Gibbs of
Fair Haven on Gardening" Mr.. Phelps
Of Orwell read humorous take-off on
Cattle Raising" written by G. e. Abel
of that town. We had fine music, and also
poem read by Miss Ladd of Benson.
The Pittsford meeting was "A success, as it
was bound to be under the management of
r. G. Smith and others. Dan Burdett was
chairman, and good one, too. Ernest
address. Nj. w. Davis, the old war-horse
of the board from 1880 to 1890, was there
and gave some vigorous talk-as also
did our pleasant ex-member, Winslow of
Brandon.
The next meeting, at West Rupert, Feb
ruary and 10, was sort Of a surprise party.
The board expected but handful and got
more than houseful. Where they all
came from | don't know, though many
were from Dorset, Pawet and Rupert and
some maybe, from New York. was sorry
to leave this interesting meeting the first
day in order to get to the next. Stayed
over night at Salem, N. Y, where local
politics seemed warm. They voted that
day under their local option license law.
Some towns voted rum and some no rum
but did not see a man but seemed to have
had at least enough for that day. On our
way to Wilmington, next day, we stopped
off at Wiliamstown, Mass, to view the fine
old college where President Garfield was
taught and where two of his boys are now
schooling. 1t is a fine institution and keeps
to the old classic course strictly. They
have some $50 students at this time
After going through the Hoosac Tunnel
and starting up on the narrow gauge, a Gu
rious thing happened The conductor re-
fused to take my ticket, said he had mile
age for me, and that could get back the
money for my ticket at the office. AS had
never seen this gOlden.haired young man
before, and never asked any favors, l
thought it strange, butinnocently submitted
to this rule. After we had enjoyed good
days meeting at the now booming town of
Wilmington, we sought on the morning of
the 18th to get away; but 10! big
storm had come on in the night and my
clever conductor could not get the car up
only the bobtailed little engines Will
them up tandem, with a snowpow ahead
and started down the grade. IL is an awful
responsibility to run down such steep and
crooked grades when the track is from two
to six feet under snow. This track was laid
hastily last fall, and has a "rock me TO
sleep, mother" motion. that changes to the
tentative and twitchative in spots. But af
ter all that hardship and fear and trembling
the fellow wanted 1 should pay fare
Why" said |, "you would not take any
going up" Then the secret came out. The
dashed creature had taken me for minis
ter, going up to lecture on Rum and
Ruin or something else Great Scott is
not that little hard on the clergy? Well
the state is in so and somebody's out by my
sanctimonious face.
There was fair attendance at the one
session at Pownal, and a very good one al
Stamford. That is but a small line town,
but their best men took hold TO make the
meeting success. Dea. Hall presided, and
the Houghtons, Masons, Wilmarths, Hitch
cocks and others did their best to make II