The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-10-21
MIR. HOWE in NEW ENGLAND
Continued From Last Week.


At several places we encountered
camps where young girls seemed to
devote a good deal of time to recre-
alton, and a little to study. These
girls wore outing uniforms, and we
saw them hiking along the roads, or
riding horseback in groups; appar-
emily submitting to cavalry drill
from an instructor. / recall seeing
many of these girls near the Pro
file House in the White Mountains.
Some of them carried Alpen stocks,
as is done in the mountains of
Switzerland, and in both places it
occurred to me that those carrying
Alpen stocks were not real noun
tain climbers, but amateurs, and
that the long sticks were not need
ed for the climbing they did.
New England IS SO old that every
part of it has history. My guides
four of them, all very clever-were
constantly pointing out venerable
things. | saw the birthplace of the
man who invented red flannel under
wear In the next town Admiral
Dewey was born The Parker-Young
company, in which my companions
were interested, is the largest pro-
Queer of sounding boards for pianos
in the world You have often heard
of the Arm and Hammer brand Of
Soda The man who originally made
it was born in Vermont, and the
house is pointed out. Both Chase &
Sanborn, the coffee men, came from
New England. Joseph Smith, founder
of Mormonism, originated at Sharon,
Vermont; George Harvey, ambassador
to England, at Peacham. If you
travel through New England with
capable guides, as we did, every
village, almost every turn in the
road, suggests history. The first
carpenters square was made in a
house pointed out to us, and car
penter's squares are still made there;
nearly everything in America traces
back to New England one way or
another Admiral Clark, who sailed
the "Oregon" on it's famous hurry-up
trip to get into the fight at Santiago,
was born at Bradford, Vermont; in
deed. our hosts lately entertained the
old veteran, and showed him around,
as they did us.
When away up in the hills, one
day, where even the roads are poor
we passed a tumble-down house where
was said to live a man who had not
even heard of the war with Germany
A tourist questioned him, and, dis
covering that he had not heard OF
the world-war, said: well, for
heavens sake Ever hear of the
Ford car ?" mo" the man replied,
nothing, except a couple of old
/ Jokes"
There are plenty of rural commun-
tiles in Vermont, but the inhabitants
of them are Yankees, and naturally
smart.
We passed through a village where
preacher once lived who objected
violently to people staying away
from church. Every Monday morning
the pastor went on the streets look
ing for those who had been absent
from services the day before, and UNI
less they had reasonable excuse, ne
beat them with his cane.
The linotype operator who got
this ready for print probably earned
$50 during the week. My hosts point
ed out a town in their vicinity where
a linotype operator works for 81 a
day.
The place where the originator of
Spears Gum comes from looked ex-
ceedingly humble for so great a man,
and when l so remarked to my com
panion, a native, he said: "Huh ! You
ought to see the place Abe Lincoln
comes from !"
Abe has them beaten when Vt
comes to humble origin.
In one place | saw this sign on a
house: Overnight Porches." Mem
bers of our party talked about the
sign, and concluded that it meant
that the house was full, and that
tourists would be permitted to sleep
on the porches overnight, for a con-
sideration.
I was told that the clerk of a viii
lage through which we passed was
ninety years old, and has occupied
his present position sixty years. He
was Colonel Of a Vermont regiment
during the Civil war. Had he moved