The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-10-14

old country to me. Everywhere in
mountains | saw what seemed to
be virgin forests and sometimes we
were long out of sight of human
habitations. A trip through Snug
glers' Notch, for example, will re-
mind one of the widest part of
| Colorado. The climb to the summit
is like the trip up Pixies Peak; and
when we started down the other side
were reminded by huge signs to
brake with compression. Refining
brakes of automobiles is an import
ant industry, and all garages make
speciality of it. l have never seen
wilder or more rugged scenery
than in Smugglers' Notch, but when
we reached the valley encountered a
fine road again, and the usual we'll
kept farms and villages.
Nor are New England towns al
ways old. Barre, Vermont, noted
for its granite industry, is forty
years younger than the town in
which l live in Kansas. At Barre,
also, may be heard the big stories
common in such boom towns as
Kimberley, johannesburg, Chicago,
Kansas City or Seattle. A man
he said he could have bought once
for 5000. 1t is now worth several
millions.
A summer trip through New
England is more remarkable than a
winter trip through Florida. The
country is usually mountainous and
beautiful, whereas Florida is usual
ly fiat and monotonous The Hotel
Poinciana, at Palm Beach, is larger
than anything of the kind in New
England, but it is of wooden con-
struction, whereas Hotel Mount
Washington in Breton Woods, New
Hampshire, is of more enduring ma
terial and more elaborate in every
way. l shall always think of Hotel
Mount Washington as the aristocrat
of resort hotels. The view from its
verandahs is very wonderful; and
away is a cog railway to the top of
the mountain; and this again sug-
gests Switzerland. l do not recall
seeing in Florida last winter such
crowds as l saw in New England
this summer. The vicinity of Mt.
Washington seems a city of hotels;
one town, Bethlehem, boasts, by
means of road side signs, Of thirty.
We passed through one large and
beautiful town devoted entirely to
homes of summer visitors. In win
ter it is deserted
New England must be pretty cold
in winter, with good deal of snow.
| soon observed that at all the
farms, barns and sheds are con-
nected with the residence. Attached |
to the kitchen is the wood shed:
then comes the implement shed,
and then the barns. This is done to
enable the owner to get fuel, and
feed his stock without going out
into the snow. Most houses in the
towns are built in the same way;
this is one of the characteristic
sights in New England a stranger
always observes.
And a display is made of fire.
wood; the wood shed is open at one
side, and the fuel piled neatly and
IN abundance, that passers may see
The owner is thrifty. Usually the
)wner has so much wood cut and
-acked up for the winter that he
loes not find it necessary to use
he last tier. 1t is related of one
wood has not been reached in n
,ears. Many of the farmers were
already putting in their firewood
ate in August of this year, and gos- :
iping about shiftless neighbors who !
we're not. Thrift in rural Vermont
S indicated by ricks of firewood,
covered with sheds, and the ends of 7
he ricks arranged as straight as
he side of the adjoining house. And {
What piles Of wood the farmers pre- I
are for winter! The winter SHOWS
ay on the ground in Vermont so
ong and steadily that secretaries of
Commercial clubs and other live
yires now have a scheme to popu- S
ariZe toboganing and coaSting on ,
he hills so common there, and thus +
tract tourists throughout the year. G
These notes are mere careless and
urried impressions, and should not
e regarded as a history; but it h
eemed to me the corn | saw was
mall, and the fields not very num- o
lOus. we saw WdSbilS anu
rucks hauling sweet corn to can
ing establishments, and / formed
ne impression that most of the
orn fields were devoted to sweet
1rn. / have read somewhere that
he sweet corn of New England is
lie best in the world, and after ex-
erience with it, believe the story.
also concluded that after the corn 4
hrs are gathered the stalks are used I
II silage. | recall seeing no wheat
the valleys; only many grazing -
lstures, many fine cows, and an Il
.casional field of what seemed to
: sweet corn. | admit, however, / -
as looking mainly at the scenery,
Id enjoying myself, and not at
mpting to gather material for an
yricultural report.
Another impression was that New
ngland is particularly favorable for
Ie production of the gladiola. One
~ we called at a home in Ben
ngton, Vermont. Our host said
re Hawks living next door was