Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-02-02
MASSACHUSETTS WINTER
Stevens Writes of Winter at the
Hub, Billy Sunday, High Cost
of Living, and Wants to Know
About the Change of Island
Pond to Brighton Lake.

Editor of THE HERALD:
Just a few lines in the mid-winter
so you will know | still live. 1t has
been a good winter so far; on one
or two mornings it has been near
the zero mark; for a few days we
had six inches of snow. but it all
went away; we have, perhaps, two
inches just now. This is an ideal
winter afternoon, temperature %,
wind northwest, sun shining. Ice
crop is ab,ut cut in nearby ponds, at
a thickness of about nine inches,
am told.
Billy Sunday has gone. There is
a great diversity of opinions as to
his methods and language, and it is
a matter of question as to lasting
effects. Nearly one and one-half
million people attended the meet
ings, ,and if the one missing lamb has
been brought into the fold well may
Angels echo around the throne
Rejoice for the Lord brings back His own. )"
/ didn't go to the meetings; Sunday
said the doctrine of the Fatherhood
of God and brotherhood of man is an
internal lie'', which was too much
for me. Jesus said: after this
manner, therefore. pray ye: Our
Father, Who art in Heaven" better
authority than Sunday.
| There is great activity in all sorts
of social affairs; in spite of high
prices of everything people seem to
have lots of money. There is more
money than ever before. A member
of concern that makes jewelry
cases, ring boxes, razor cases, most
'0f which are used to hold Injuries,
told me his house has just declared a
ID per cent semi-annual dividend, a
repetition of an act Of July l, 1916,
and thatSthe previous fiscal year they
paid l8 per cent. Speaking of prices,
here are some Boston figures --pota-
toes 65 cents peck, cabbage 10 cents
a pound, beets eight cents, turnips
four cents, strictly fresh eggs 60
cents; meats are high, but there are
too many grades to specify much;
lard is 20 cents, substitutes for lard
II cents, butter 40 to 46, oleomarga-
rine 26 to 30 cents. Beans-my
goodnessl Costs more to eat baked
beans. or boiled dinner than to eat
turkey! Yellow eyes 25 cents quart,
pea beans 25 to % cents. The cheap
est thing I've seen lately was quart
of whiskey 70 cents, warranted
sound, kind and gentle! Yet some
people live cheaply. | can look out
of my window in Boston on to the
Charles river. A man, his wife and
a child about three years old, have
lived all winter in a sailboat anchor
ed to the bridge. The boat is not
over 25 feet long and has cabin
about 7 fit by IL tt.-May be all right,
wouldn't suit the most of US.
What's become of the furry tc
change Island Pond to Brighton
Lake, etc? Getting along toward
town meeting, and if you are going
to do it, you ought to be getting VI
stream. You know that's a public
) body of water and you have % get
the consent of the legislature. afte1
vote of the town, before you can
make any change that will be perma
nent or have weight. Of course, I've
, gone on record in opposition, but In
; not worried, | don't have to use the
; word much and | presume like every
) body else, if the name is changed m!
; recollections will always be of Islant
Pond.
Seems to be hard work to find ma
terial to write about, and | presum
: your readers feel about it something
s as the boy in Sunday school. Th
\ superintendent brought in a dry
e looking man and told the children h
! would make some remarks. So tn
C man said. Children, what shall
n talk about?" and little Willie said
"Talk about minute!"
WENDELL p. STEVENS.