Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-05-07
WRAT [ 81 w OUT WEST.
BY DAVID HILL.


Detroit was mostly level, and com
posed of soft, black, mucky soil.
There were forests in abundance,
mostly of hard woods, Of which ma
pie and beech seemed to be most
plentiful Corn fields in every direc-
ton. We remembered Detroit by the
number of electric lights hanging high
over the city, a feature of lighting
which, as I learned in Denver, where
the same fad had been adopted, was
never destined to become popular.
The lights are too high up and out of
the way. Between Detroit and chi
cago the country presented better
appearance. The soil was of a lis liter
and dryer mould, the trees were larg-
er and more stately. Hills were few
and far between. We noJiced in par
ticular the almost entire lack of riv-
ers and streams Of water. There were
virtually no small streams or springs,
the farmers relying principally upon
windmills to pump their supplies from
the ground. In fact, windmills were
plenty enough to have satisfied the
ardor of so valorous knight as Don
Quixote, who fought them on the
plain of Monteil. The houses were
chiefly of lines stone colored brick,
small, and many of them inferior
looking. Others were plastered on
the outside with heavy mortar, the
mortar being filed with a coarse grav-
ell, and even small stones, as is COM
mon among many Of the dwellings of
the French Canadians living west of
Montreal. Corn fields, if possible,
were more plentiful west of Detroit
than east of it; thereby showing that
corn was one Of their principal prod
ucts
1t is not my purpose to write about
Chicago or even the Fair. Every
feature of it has been written up, and
probably fis fresh in the minds of ev-
cry reader. I will merely mention
that we stopped there; found every
thing greater than our imaginations
had pictured, wound up with the Mid
way Plaisance and Ferris wheel, and
continued our journey.
Beyond Chicago was more level
country, more cornfelds and more
windm ills; also black pigs by the hun
dreds. 1t was endless tracts of prai-
RE land studded thickly with grass,
which, as we continued to advance
west, began to thin out, and finally,
with the exception of :, well Watered
districts. Terminated ip SAND and sage
brush. Forests, after, leaving Chica-
go, began to disappear, and in their
places were cultivated clumps of
trees in the center of which could be
discerned house with out buildings,
thereby designating some farmers
home. The houses were built of
adobe, principally. Barns began to
disappear, and in their places were
numerous haystacks in the open
fields. Twas, ato, make a. long story
short, conields in Michigan and Hi
nois, cornfields, haystacks, windmills
and black pigs in Iowa, haystacks,
windmills and black pigs throughout
Nebraska, haystacks and black pigs
in Colorado, and black pigs in every
other state to the Pacific coast.
Denver, a city of Arapohoe county,
Colorado, situated on the right bank
of the South Platte, and fifteen miles
east of the Rocky Mountains, is so we'll
known to Vermonters on account of
it's salubrious climate in the case of
consumptives that a detailed descrip-
ton of it is not necessary. 1t is built
upon series of plateaus and COM
mands charming and beautiful view.
The buildings are mostly of brick.
Some of them, especially the ex-
change, State Buildings and Brown
Palace hotel are extremely fine. The
latter building, which is said not to
contain one particle of wood in it's
construction, is one of the finest no.
tells in the West. Its owner at one
time was what was termed Gland
poor" Indeed, he owned SO much
land in and around the little growing
town of Denver that, being unable to
pay the taxes upon it at one time, he
was compelled to skip the place. He
was brought back, however, lodged
in Jail, aud finally was forced to give
up a certain portion to settle the
claim. To-day he is one of the
wealthiest men in the city, having re-
ceived almost fabulous prices for the
land that at one time was burden to
him, and which to-day is known as
Capitol Hill, and which contains some
of the finest residences in the city
The streets are clean and the street
4