davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
Sheep in Massachusetts,.

In 1888 Massachusetts had 1884, GA
sheep, and in 18SS-fifty years later
she had only 81 $50. The decrease is
alleged to have been caused by various
things, including increased importa-
tons of foreign woods, importation of
Canadian and Western sheep, increas ed
dairy industry and destruction by dogs.
In 1890 this same state had Sc, 900
dogs and about 10000 sheep-three
dogs to two sheep. 1t is not to be
wondered at that the sheep industry is
depressed" in the old Bay state.
An essayist to the agricultural board
aforesaid laments the situation in the
following vigorous language; " 1t is no
use, dogs and doy owners have the
mastery, and double barreled shot
gun, with eleven buckshot, or a few
grains of strycbnine, placed in a beef
hide judiciously located, as preventive
of losses (by foxes) is our only guard.
1t is a pitiable sight-2,5OO men con-
tending for the right to enjoy a peace
able, legitimate and profitable industry
against $4,000 holders of generally uan-
gerous, savage and worthless non.
producing brutes,"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

and that historic bird, "Job's turkey"
am quite sure the wealth of the mem
bers will compare favorably with that
of any other organization Of similar
nature, and that it is not all kept in
their pockets is shown by the fact that
there are ten or twelve good grange
halls in this state owned by the mem.
bers, aud fitted up in good shape, some
of them being carpeted and all of them
being provided with organs or pianos;
and with but two or three exceptions
the other oranges rent good halls where
they meet, and all pay their bills like
men. You have said many good things
about the grange, for which l am pleased
to give you due credit. really cannot
think that you desire to do the grange
any positive injury, but in justice to
myself and the order, | have felt it my
duty to make the above brief reply.
ALPHA MEssER.
Rochester, January 80, 1892
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
The Witch-grass Problem.

Agricultural Editor:-I have been
looking for some time for an ans yer to
the inquiry of J. p. S., Corinth, VT,
for killing witch-grass, and now Cox
bow" tells us his method, which is
doubtless all right in his case; but is it
practicable on strong hill-land to plow
TWO and one-half or three inches deep2 l
have tried several methods to subdue
witch-grass, but usually the outlay has
been too great for the good accom-
plished. One fall my blowing was done
just before winter set in, an open win.
ter followed, and Jack Frost killed so
many of the roots that they clogged the
harrow badly. l took hint from this,
and do all my blowing, breaking and
old ground, late, turning the same
depth as usual. l could not afford to
have my blowing done in August if a
person would do it for nothing. Two
years ago, when my land was ready to
seed, l put the horse-rake on and
raked the dead vito l-grass roots into
windrows and carled them off. On
witch. grass land in tillage there is quite
choice in crops. / have found Swede
turnips or fodder-corn the best TO keep
it down. Of grain crops, prefer oats
sown thick enough to fully occupy the
ground. How would Hungarian gras:
sown thicklv do on such land? If po
tatoes are planted on witch-grass land
they should be dug as soon as the tops
die; every day after this increases the
labor OF digging "A. M. F., Cabot, VT
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

selvess There never was in any coun-
try or any age, 80 far as history reveals,
large class of intelligent people that
were 80 destitute of class sympathy,
class intelligence, or class spirit, as the
American farmers. They make us
think of the patient person who said to
his antagonist, "You have kicked me
everywhere your legs could reach; you
have pulled out all my hair; BACKED
my eyes; bloodied my nose, pulled my
ears, and male ne swallow half my
teeth! Now, say unto you, Bewarel
or you will rouse the sleeping lionl"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
Improving the Quality of the Milk.

Can richness be fed into the milk?
asks the Jersey Bulletin. 1t then sums
up its views on the question as follows |:
I'VE regard the question as exactly
parallel with: Can speed be fed and
trai led into horse2 Until the full
limit of the horses powers are reached,
judicious feeding and training will in
crease his speed. So until the full
limit of a cows butter capacity is
reached, judicious feeding will increase
her yield; in other words, will increase
the richness of her milk. If this were
not so there could be no such thing as a
systematic Improvement of the butter
capacity of a breed" We guess this is
about the size of the whole controversy,
when simmered down. Any effort at a
practical test will give result accord
ing to conditions - nothing more. -
Mirror and Farmer.
1t may be properly claimed that the
rich milking breeds have been made
rich by rich feeding. This is partially
true, though we think wise selection
had more to do with it. But it has re-
quired great many years of good feed
ing, wise selection and careful keeping
to make these breeds, and no man will
wisely start out to make breed in his
day, even though he had some good
exports in the right direction to start
with. Such animals are liable to 6" bark
back " to their original condition with
their offspring. The man who thinks
he can take native COW and feed her
into the capacity to produce Jersey
milk, is badly mistaken. Long years
of work in this direction may accom-
plish something, but the chances greatly
are that the labor will be lost.-Hol.
stein FrieSidn Register.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
Master Messer's Protest.

Speaking in round numbers, Mr..
Messer's letter of protest at some of our
pleasantly in recent issue is worth
a thousand dollars to The Agricultural
Editor. All he wants is to fire the
hearts of the farmers in regard to the
situation of agriculture and agricultural
interests; and if the first sparks struck
from the steel coruscate about his own
head, that won't scare him bit. Mr..
Messer is wholly right in expressing
his belief that we love the grange.
We attended its birth in Vermont pro-
fessionally-as an editor, we mean
and for a con siderable time we were
the only writer for the press in New
England that would give 1t good
word. While our contemporaries of
the agricultural press in Maine and
Massachusetts, were abiding to it in
three-line paragraphs, as a trifing
Western notion Tin fact Mr.. Thompson,
one of its founders, was Vermonter
by birth, and the first grange took form
con the Potomac ", we were giving
four-column accounts of its plan and
organization in our Vermont Farmer;
and the first grange in Vermont was
formed from the St. Johnsbury Farm
ers' Club, nearly every member of
which was a subscriber to the only
paper (ours) that was in the habit of
giving full reports of the meetings of
farmers clubs. From that day to this
we have done what we could; and
though we have sorrowed to see de-
cadence in the order, we knew it was
because the honest farmers in it were
no match for the men incautiously ad-
mitted to village oranges who aimed,
too successfully in Vermont, to "pull
the critters teeth" As re-organized,
under Mr.. Messer's administration, we
are glad to note the evidence of revived
prosperity; and there is no reason why
it may not make itself strong here in
Vermont for every purpose for which
it was designed, AMI for which Mr..
Chaplin so earnestly praised it in his
speech at Brattleboro, and we protest
that it must not mistake little tickling
in the ribs, with the point of an edito-
rial pencil, for "stab in the back"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
THE GRANGE is AROUSED.

To the Agricultural Editor: l no.
ticed in recent issue that you took &C.
casion to criticise the grange in this
state, and to draw some comparisons
which in my judgment are unjust and
unreasonable. You speak of the action
of the state grange at its first meeting
twenty years ago, and say that you
g saw the order was knocked in the
head in less than half an hour" by be-
ing captured and controlled by those
who were working for railroad and
other corporation interests, and init
mate that it has never recovered from
the fatal mistakes made at that time.
l was not present at the meeting re-
ferred to, but learn from others who
were there that they do not by any
means understand the matter in the
light in which you present it.
But this matters little either way.
The grange to-day is not responsible
for the action of the body twenty years
ago, provided it does not accept that
action as part of its policy at the pres
ent time. l do not think that any one
has any grounds whatever for claiming
that the state grange has been domin-
ated by corporation influences of any
kind for the past fifteen years (and l
do not think it ever was), and no fur
ther reply is needed in this direction
Later in this article you say that the
oranges in Vermont remind you very
much more of the scattered remnants
of the old Indian tribes, than of living,
forceful organization of men who mean
business. And why? Because they are
poorer than Jobs turkey" etc.
1t pains me to see so good friend as
you try to score point by holding the
grange and It's members up to ridicule
in such an unjust and unreasonable
way, because no one knows better than
yourself that the grange to-day is com.
posed of active, intelligent, earnest
men and women who are striving to
make themselves and the world better
for having lived in it, and the general
verdict is that they are very successful
in their efforts. 1t is true that the mem
bership of the order in this state is mo-
as large as it was in 1876; but it is nearly
twenty-five per cent larger than it was
one year ago. We have many oranges
in the state numbering from fifty to on,
hundred and fifty members each, com
posed of the most active and progress
sive farming element in the severa
towns where they are located.
Again for some good reason, NJ
doubt, you seem to think that the or
ganizalion is composed of men who d.
not a" mean business" but it would b.
hard to make the University authorize
at Burlington believe that the member
of the grange didn't mean business
in their efforts for separate agricultu
raj college during the late regular SEES
sion of the legislature. They spare
neither time nor efforts to accomplish
the end in view, neither was none
wanting for all legitimate purposes dur
ing the controversy.
Surely, these plain facts do not ind
I cate much similarity between the OIL
r ganization and "Poor Los" unfol
, tunate condition on our Western plain
at the present time. Neither do thin
that there is much similarity betwee
D the financial condition of the member
: of the grange, or the grange as body
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

SPECIMEN CAsEs.-S. H. Clifford
New Cassel, Wis, was troubled with
neuralgia and rheumatism, his stomach
was disordered, his liver was affected
to an alarming degree, appetite fell
away, and he was terribly reduced id
flesh and strength. Three bottles OF
Electric Btters cured him. Edward
Shepard, Harrisburg, ILL.,, had a rum
ming sore on his leg of eight years.
standing. Used three bottles of Elect
trio Bitters and seven boxes of Buck
lens Arnica Salve, and his leg is sound
and WELL John Speaker, CatawabaI
Ohio, had five large fever sores on hi
leg. Doctors said he was incurable|
One bottle of Electric Bitters and onl
box of Bucklen's Arnica Salve cured
him entirely. Sold at g. Blakely'
drugstore, Montpelier, Vt.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
IMPROVE YOUR PENMANSHIP!

For years GAsKELL's COMPENDIUM has been the
standard publication for home instruction and its
has secured hundreds of people good situations
and started them on the road to success. The Com.
pepdium has never been sold for less than 81 but
a special inducement We will send 1t postpaid for
only rs Cents. Address HOME PUBLlsHlNG
CO.,aBurington, Vt.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
farm ano Garoen.

Address oil inquiries or communications in relation
TO agriculture to DIR. I. II. HosKINs, Newport, W.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
Mail Lettings!
Notice TO Contractors.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

WASHINGTON, d. c., January 10, 1892
tract Office of this Department until four
P. M. of March "A, 1892, for carrying the
mails of the United States upon the routes,
and according to the schedule of arrival
and departure specified by the Department,
in the state Of Vermont, from July /, 1892,
to June 30, 1893 Lists of routes, with
schedules of arrivals and departures, in
structions to bidders, with forms for con-
tracts and bonds, and all other necessary
information will be furnished upon applica-
ton 10 the Second Assistant Postmaster
general. JOHN WANAMAKER,
Postmaster-Genera
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

CHILDREN Cry for Pitchers Castoria|
CHILDREN Cry for Pitchers Cast0ria|
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

MRS. LETTIB HUNTLEY
Is the wife of Mr.. w. S. Huntey of
Cortland, N. Y, a we'll known car
penter and builder. Her frank state
ment below gives only the absolute
truth concerning her illness and mar
Vicious recovery by the aid of Hoods
Sarsaparilla. She says;
&C I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass:
Dear Sir: Twelve years ago ! began to
have hemorrhages and four years ago became
so low that the physicians told me
There Was No Hope
and should soon die. could not be moved
from my bed Under my face were napkins
continually redeemed with blood from my
mouth. could eat nothing and had no
action of the bowels for a week The doctors
SAID the cause was ulcers in the stomach. AT
this time my mother said she wanted to make
one more trial, and asked If ! would take
Hoods Sarsaparlla. told her it would be
A Waste Of Money
but finding 1t would comfort her, began taxi
ing 1t. In few days the bloating began to
subside seemed to feel a little stronger, but
thought it only fancy / was so weak could
In two weeks was able to sit up few min
utes every day. In month ! could walk
across the room. One day asked what
they were to have for dinner, and said
wanted something hearty. My mother was
so happy she cried. 1t was the
First Time I had Felt Hun
cry for Two Years
kept on with Hoods Sarsaparilla and in six
months was as well as ever in my life. 1t is
now four years since recovered, and have
not had days sickness since, nor any hemor-
rhage. II ever human being thanked the
that Hoods Sarsaparilla, and that alone,
unquestonably Saved my Life"
Meesrs. Sawyer & Jennings. the well known
druggists of Cortland, say that Mrs. Huntley "is
highly respected lady; her statement Of what
Hoods SarsapariIIa
Has done for her is worthy the highest coma
dence' Hoods Pills cure Liver Ills
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

WE cut the above from the Springfield
Republican, a paper not at all notable for
any acute sympathy with farmers as a
class. But why should any of the great
journals sympathize with people who
apparently have no sympathy for them
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10

HERE is piece of news that ought
TO waken the attention of five or three
farmers, even in Vermont; "The Min
nesota farmers have been baked again
in their contest with the cordage trust.
They thought to rid themselves of its
exactions by having the legislature au-
thorize the state-prison to undertake
the manufacture of binding Irvine. But
the prison authorities find they can buy
no machinery, the trust having control
of these plants as well, and the patents
covering all the most improved and
effective machines. No wonder the
farmers want to smash things gener-
ally. These tyrannous trust conspira,
ces are becoming serious menace to
the public peace"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-10
Editorial NOtings.

A CONTEMPORARY compliments us
on the freshness " of our style"
We are looking at that compliment in
somewhat the state of mind of small
chicken over rather large-sized polly
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27

Strange rs 1t may seem many pco-
pie imagine that rattan and willow
furniture are the same. Rattan is
the Chinese importation, brought
direct from Singapore, and is reed
susceptible Of bending double with
orr even cracking 1t possesses, be-
sides this, great tirmness and strength,
and a chair OF rattan could be thrown
from IN express train and picked up
intact. Rattan is therefore used for
such articles us baskets and lighter
ornamental furniture. Each has its
use, the rattan, however, being bet
ten adapted for working up into in
tHicate designs, so eagerly sought in
modern artistic furniture. New Or
leans Picaytmc
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27

There is IL general agreement a'N
the fact that for large number o.
our people Overwork is the bane o.
existence, Itnot only eXhaustS thei
vitality, prematurely cutting slAl
their lives, but it seriously interiors
with their success. renders tAel
services less valuable ana spoils lH'
happiness of their lives. II does Il"
even end here. 1t affects otle!'
also i'll proportion to their ncarleS'
for the family and friends Of an over
worked man always suffer. Jadu
and worn he cannot fulfill his dulS
to them, nor afford them the conll0l'
and happiness which he owes 'itn
and which they have a right tO~
pect. He is. in truth, but hall d
man while he lives and is proOan!
preparing to live out but hall Af
days. philadelphia Ledger.
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27

have known a touching instance
Of gentlemanly behavior in u ghost.
A country house was full, for some
testivity, and one of the guests, a
nervous young lady was sheltered
by neighbors who inhabited a prodi-
giously old castle. She was put in
tho haunted room, but was not dis
turbed. The next guest was cap
tain or colonel or knight-at arms, "
accompanied by his wife. They
were frightened out of the place by
the ghost Probably he said, "A sol
dier, and afraid!' and exhibited in
his best manner, but he was scorned
10 scare a nervous spinster.-London
Illustrated News.
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27
II UscN Him Tn.

The man of the house took to he
sofa in the sitting room with a negs
paper directly after breakfast. while
his wife went on with the house.
cleaning.
She was dismantling the front
room, and while he pursued tlt
sporting column she carried gI
him i'll turn seven chairs, TIL
tables, u desk. four fOot&toOls, all d
the pictures, u piano stool, a bcs|
case and the rest of the furniture
Then she lugged in a pair cf step
and a big pail of water and begar
clean.
Maria, do you want any ass,
ance!' said the man just thcn, lisl-.
and folding his newspaper.
Not just yet, dear said Maria
"Well, then, | think III leaJ
you, said he and he started for tn
office.
On the way down he told tina
men that if there was anything Tia
wore him to the skin and boleI
was that confOunded houscclcanlng
Said he, we are i'll the midst Of
now and | tell you I'm about u~
up."-St. Louis Post Dispatch.
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27

JclSon Eai married his wife for
no rru#n!: IN thr world cXcCpt that
sh" had money. though he lied to
her like Il pirate, and sh" thought it
W;,, Il love match. Naturally welded
lie wa, not sweet. and Jcpson was
%rrting the bittelrst end of it. One
day he met Il friend.
By GrOrge' he exclaimed, that
wife of mine will drive me crazy"
What $ the matter now inquired
the friend consOlinGly.
You know my wife has $50, 900,
and you know | married her for it
and got it. There is no use lying
about that any further" ."
The friend bowed in acquiescence.
We'll, do you know that she has
divided the whole thing up into sums
Of 800 each and proposes to have
me arrested / 800 times for obtaining
money under false pretenscs! Think
of that, will You! Did you ever hear
of such Il woman" And JepsOn went
into a spasm, Detroit Free Press.
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27

At his home in Alabama General
Wheeler loves to hoe in his garden.
Mrs. Wheeler says he will be working
away with his hoe, striking about eighty
clips to the minute and destroying a
weed with every stroke, when some idea
will come into his mind concerning pub
lie affairs. He drops the hoe, runs at the
top Of his speed into the house, picks ur
a pen. dashes off a dozen words or SO at
an incredible rate and then rushes back
to his hoe. Perhaps this process will be
repeated half dozen times an hour.
That is the way this peculiar little man,
who was one of the bravest and most
brilliant cavalry officers of the confed-
eracy prepares his speeches.
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27
LARGELY ARTIFICIAL
The Original Portion Of Him, R,
Preserves It's Cheerfu,n.,

The Original Portion Of Him. H.,
Preserves It's Cheerfuines, "ea
The clerks of the Grand Cav ,
the most cheerful man that ". ua
staid there was M. Bowling of Mt ,Et1
neapolis, and he had 5000 worth y
wooden legs and wooden arms W
wore them all himself. With.
them he would not, to all ann" Op1
ances, have made much of a sbonp;s rptai1
Set up on his high cork legs ba s
ever, and with his arms pieced o"1
with the same material, he woU,9 Us9
burst into the hotel like a raw J "
light on dark, cloudy day NJ
was the victim of one of the n,.v,7 sJ
blizzards of Minnesota. Wbm " "
was over and he was gathered ~
from the snow it was difficult 70 ~ NJ
what pieces would withstand tba J,
lurements of the gravedigger.
Some of him survived, hower.,
and then he set about to see what n
could do. Both legs were off closo,
the body. His left forearm was cms
and all he had remaining was n
smallest stump of the thumb on 4.
right hand. He practiced for awE,|
walking with the heavy leatbs
boots which everybody has seem
less men wear. Finally he rail
enough money to buy cork extpNI
tiles.
Mr.. Downing likes a Joke s,|
when stopped on the street here anal
importuned for aims by men wrS1
one leg or arm, or both legs or arm,
gone, would Immediately take them
to restaurants and load them IN wifi
a big dinner, all the time listening IA
their tale of misfortune with ths
greatest interest.
When it was all over his facs
would tighten, and much to their a,
tonishment he would begin shuckin,
his legs and arms, exposing the hvpO
critical material of which they war
made. At the same time he woul1
tell how glad he would be if he wa;
only as well supplied with legs and
arms as they were. He would ney
tell them to brace up, take heart and
begin to learn something useful b
support themselves.
Mr.. Bowling cannot use cane be
cause he cannot hold one. TherefNq
without aid he is forced to make nj,
way. He has learned to do it %
well that he can outrun any abe
bodied man, however skillful he mar
be, who will hop while he runs Hs
has learned to grasp pen or pencil
with the small stump Of a thumb
and he writes a beautiful hand very
rapidly. San Francisco Examiner
The weekly tribune., 1892-08-27
4 ParadOxical Amin al.

One of the most peculiar creatures
known to the student of oddities III
natural history is the ornithorhyn
chus of Australia, that land of in
verted order" 1t lays eggs like 4
bird, suckles its young like other
mammals, and in general appear
ance and habits resembles the beaver
of this country and Europe. One
variety of the ornithorhynchus is
covered with hair, has webbed feet
and a bill like duck. Another anG
/, larger species has Il large hooked
bill like Il clIllew. but in all other re
spectH except its peculiar egg laying
habits is Il perfect porcupiue, quills
and all
The first specimens of this curious
creature sent to the United States
We're consigned to the American Mu
scum of Natural History, New York
ii 1881 \ year later Professor II
A. Ward, the great Rochester On. Y,
naturalist, secured thirty :ine speci
mems OF little ornithOrhynchi, which
he says are the most paradoXica
products Of Il paladoXical country.
st Louis Republic