River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-08-12
CLOVERDELL HOME,
Maple Grove place.

Maple Grove place.
WEST PAwLET Post Office, VI, Aug. G, 1897.
EDITOR JOURNAL
Since you are a native VermonteT perhaps
you would enjoy letter from your native
state even if it be dated at place that is cover
the mountains" as it is called from your former
home in Bethel
The wet weather which you have prevails
here, and accentuates the beauty of unrivaled
scenery which greets one at every turn in the
road Haying and harvesting is late, but the
hay crop except upon a few farms situated in
the very narrow river valleys, is very large
Hay is the main crop, yet the western part of
the state is. at the southern end, in the great
potato belt which embraces the east central
part of New York. The late unlamented
German tariff lowered the price of potatoes so
much that for year or two the crop was not
paying one. Milk the chief market product
brings about sixty cents per hundred at the
cheese factory. Corn retails at fifty cents per
bushel, oats thiTty-fve. Veal on foot sells for
five cents, hogs, live ga cents, beef cattle about
cts. dressed. Horses are very low, sixty-hye
dollars buying a good horse. Farming is well
diversified. My brother-in-law, Mr.. Loran f.
Sheldon, at this place, while deyOtng a large
portion of his farm OF four hundred acres to
dairy purposes, usually raising from twelve
hund red to two thousand bushels of potatoes
the same amount of oats and some hundreds of
bushels of apples His apiary produces one or
two thousand pounds Of honey and his maple
trees about two thousand pounds of sugar and
syrup.
The social life of New England varies with
the place. In general there is more reserve
and less visiting. the latter fact being an ex-
eeedingly unfortunate one. 1t takes longer TO
get acquainted here, but perhaps friendship
once formed is more lasting than in the West.
An experience of four summers at CLAIR,
University summer courses OF lectures in which
~. G. Stanley Hall is the central figure. HIS
given me right and knowledge to say that
v o~c ester in its best social circles more nearly
reese. bles the Western cities in the unaffected
cordiality with which strangers are received.
u. S. Senator George f. Hoar and wife and
Gen. lockwood Hoar and wife are delightful
figures at social functions. To be their guests
or to be royalty entertained with them at suen
a historic house as that of the old Lincoln
family, and touch elbows with such people as
Dr.. Mendenhall, and the authOresses, Mrs.
Chynoweth and Miss Sarah Wiltse, and in a
most genial atmosphere are pleasures as deep
as any city can ofier. Among the large hearted
sity summer lectures was Prof. C. u. Keys. now
of California, but formerly well known as a
teacher in River Fails.
The present business depression was not felt
in this state as soon as in the West, but the
present low prices of farm products is quite as
marked as in your state. Real estate is worth
less than half what it was IN the early seventies
although the chief depression in its value has
come within the last ten or twelve years. The
people are now hopeful at least.
Politically Vermont is very decidedly Re
publican. The only question is in regard to the
majority which varies with the interest In the
election. The ten thousand Democrats, how
ever, go through the forms of nominations each
year, but without the least hope of success, il
must seem. 1t harms no Republican and
perhaps is a very pleasant play for the Demo-
Gratis.
Rellgiously the state is very quiet. In the
rural communities the church finds one or
more persons from each family in its pews
The pay of pastors is much less than in the
West There is probably less open disIespeet
Of Christianity than in the same number Of
people in any other state. Within seven miles
Of me is an old church of the Campbellite or
Disciples faith in which Garfield preached
during his college course on a summer vacation
There are farms which have come down ia
some families since Revolutionary times One
man i'm West Hampshire has the original deed
given by the noted colonial governor. Baumig
Wentworth about 176o-of the farm on which he
now lives. The people are Of larger size than
in most other states. Perhaps the Kentuekians
are as large. At the risk Of being unwiseiy
patriotic may say that the state challenges
the world to produce as good maple sugar,
sheep. butter and cheese and to beat its marble,
horses, granite and in general, the boys and
girls. Its scenery is the wonder and delight OF
all travellers, and three villages near have been
the summer resorts OF artists who sketch their
rare beauties.
The dialects of the TeOple on different sides
Of the mountain range are quite different East
of the mountain the letter is spoken broadly
but on the western side one may hear in
sauce pronounced like a in at. But there is
much less slang used than in the West, and
fewer ''euss words. ="
Vermont soldiers made good record in the
Civil War. The second brigade helped as
much as any to Tepel Plcket's charge at Gettys-
burg and the first brigade was with the Army
of the Potomac, and In most of the tight places
3 brigade which went il to the Wilderness with
six thousand men and came out Of Spottsylavnia
something besides run. It e related that when
in the midst Of the awful butchery in the
Wilderness an aid told Gen, raj Grant that the
sixth corps was broken and in Wild flight he
replied, 81 do believe it. The Vermont brigade
is there" Be that as Il may the brigade was st
the point Of the wedge o. he echelon formation
that pierced the rebel lines at Petersburg.
The West is sprinkled with VeTmonters, the
Twin Cities have their full share, and as you
know vermont Society" nolds annual meet |
ings in Minneapolis. Like the Swiss in relation |
to their own rocky rugged hons, the Vermonters |
are said 20 be more loyal TO their native state /
wherever they may wsnier, than the natives Of
any other state It i not often recalled that for I
twenty years before 1871 she maintained herself /
as an independent state or republic in spite Of /
Indians, British and Workers the latter con-
SANITY scheming to absorb their territory
With the possib Ie exception of apples the efcps !
promise very well, and with the probable al
vent Of favorable 'times. few states VIII con-
Jain as much happiness 70 the square mile as the
state which owns Eathsn Allen as its George /
HExRY :. BkKEf'