The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-01
A VISIT To THE SCENES OF DEWEY'S CHILDHOOD
Training in the Primitive Yankee StatePranks of Dewey the
and Heroism of Dewey New Stories of His
Youthful Lfe--Preparing to Welcome Her Hero.

Montpelier, VT, Sept. 27.-After
week spent in the atmosphere of Adj
miral Dewey's home town, I find
it genuine pleasure to write my i'm
pressions of the beautiful place.
The glories of the Green Mountain
state should be known to every Ameri-
can. The range which gave it it's
name is singularly grand, while on the
eastern edge runs the Connecticut
river, through land of great beauty
and fertility At one time the state
: was covered by magnificent forests
like that found on the other side of
Lake Champlain in the Adirondack dis
trict. Small parts of it survive here
and there and impart rare charm to
the landscape. The thrifty population
has cultivated a second growth. of
which the maple Is the chief factor.
These noble trees form groves at ev-
cry turn, and to the unitarian are the
most attractive forest featLls of the
territory.
Montpelier, the capital, might have
been located by an artist, SO beautiful
is the place and it's surroundings. The
country about 1T is billy, and in clear
weather the majestic outlines of the
Green mountains are visible, and at
times even the shadoWy contour OF the
White mountains in the adjoining state
of New Hampshire. Well-kept roads,
old-fashioned houses, highly cultivated
farms, romantic groves, picturesque
orchards and graceful winding streams
combine to form picture of great love-
Illness. No better habitat for children
could be possibly found, What marshes
there We're there We're drained years
ago and transformed into rich meadow
land. There is mo decaying organic
matter to offend the senses or to In
feet the air with disease germs.
In summer it is never extremely hot,
and though in winter the temperature
is at times very low. the weather is
never so bitter and disagreeable as in
the great cities of the Atlantic sea-
borad The bird and animal world are
well represented, excepting those that
are inimical to human beings. In the
thirties and forties bears We're not un-
common, but they We're of that good
naturad and peaceful variety which
provoke laughter rather than tears Oc-
casionally in hard winters wolves came
down from the north and the northeast
but they were welcome from the pleas
ure the hunters derived from their
presence Poisonous snakes are al
most unknown, so that little folks can
wander along the streams and through
the forests in perfect security. the
records of the state from the earliest
times show a wonderful number OF
brave, ambitious and successful men
whose youth and early manhood were
passed within the borders of the com
monweath Even before the revolution
the Green mountain boys were noted
for their bravery forest lore and skill
at arms, and every war, from the revo-
luton UP TO the late zconfiict with
Spain, has shown the superb military
quality of it's citizens The Dewey
family alone has contributed soldiers
and sailors to nearly every martial al
fair between the United States and It's
enemies. There was a fighting Parson
Dewey in the war of independence ana
fighting Deweys in 1912 and in the
Mexican, Indian, japanese and civil
conflicts.
Montpelier is an old-fashioned place
and most of its citizens possess more
than normal share of the old-fash-
toned virtues. 1t may be true that they
are slightly behind the times in their
habits and provincial in their notions,
but they preserve high moral stand
ards and lead lives which are an honor
to themselves and a credit to the ma
ton.
These conditions influenced the early
life of the great admiral and have col
ored his career up to the present time.
They made him strong foe to all ex-
cesses, and above all the inebriety on
shipboard In his manage ment of sail
ors and government officers he has
never interfered with the liberty of the
individual, but also has never neglected
to punish those who yielded to temp
tation and violated the laws of tenn
perance.
The neatness and cleanliness that
are a feature of Vermont life seem to