Year: 1879

Ter from thls remote state-l suppose it
must seem remote to you, though with US
it is Vermont that is remote-may be of
some interest TO you. The habit which l
formed long ago of writing to the FREE
MAN, and which has afforded me } much
l-asure, leaves me without excuse for
this long delay; so | will make no apology
but will endeavor to show my penitence
by better behavior in the future.


Minnesota and Vermont lie in about the
same parallels of latitude. find Vermont
is largely represented here. Somehow,
people don't like to emgrate much north
OF south of the place where they were
born. | do not know what Minnesota
would 10 without the vitalzing energy
and sobrietv she receives from the eastern
states, especially Vermont, in the way of
emigration. The mushroom towns that
spring up on the frontier are often made
up of bummers," and society is apt to
be pretty loose, if, indeed, you can say
there is any society at all. Scandinavian,
Dutch, Irish, and that not of the best
character, is poor stuff to make neigbbor-
hoods Of A little infusion of the New
England type of character gives stability
TO the body, social and polite. l run
across Vermontcrs almost everywhere l
20. | find them on the prairies and in
the cities. Stepping into horse Car the
other day in Minneapolis, l found three
gentlemen beside myself with their wives
who were from Vermont. Two of these
gentlemen were Congregational clergy
men, and the other was live worker in
the Sunday school cause in that part of
the state. There were four others in the
car with US who were strangers, but as
they demeaned themselves in a becoming
manner, it is more than probable that they
were Vermonters also.


To realize the need of this manly ele-
ment of which we are speaking, one needs
to live for while in some of these little
towns that every new railroad calls into
existence where the foreign element pre-
dominates. If he can get used to whisky
and beer drinking and street brawls, and
the entire absence of everything that goes
to make up good society, he may not be
Inconvenience very much, but if he can't
he had better keep away.


The little town of Hartland, six miles
from where am writing this letter, is an
illustration of this. 1t is Il little cluster
of stores and dwellings occupying small
spacc-so small that ] was about TO say
that good smart boy could throw stone
from one boundary TO The other. The
principal buildings in this town are sa-
looms. They have four in full blast, and
they get plenty Of custom in spite of
hard times. 1t is curious that the whisky
trade can flourish when other trades must
languish; but then, this is Il curious world
anyhow, SO they say, and familiarity
with these curious things makes one feel
the danger Of giving way to recklessness
tiles. Harlland and lis immediate neigh,
borhood are almost entirely Norwegians.
They built good school house last year,
but they have practically closed it against
the preaching of the gospel and the meet
ings Of the Good Templars' lodge. They
demand that tho church and the lodge
shall pay a sum into the treasury for rent
sufficient to cancel the interest on the
entire cost of the building. OF course il
would seem like flattery TO say that this
gospel hating and whisky loving spirit is
never known in Vermont, but believe
never saw it Oh this wise. If it occurs al
all there, it is the exception and not the
rule. Here it is the rule and not the ex.
ccption. But this town is only two years
old, and there is hope that it may learn
better. 1t has had one good lesson to
study already. They voted license, in
order, as they said, to get money to fix the
roads. Last winter, one bitter cold night
poor fellow got drunk, so drunk that he
could not find his bel, and when he was
found in the morning both hands and both
feet were badly frozen. Amputation was
necessary, and now he has only the Stuh
of one hand to use. You may Judge il
was no easy task to take care of such Il
case. Volunteers for the service were moi
found, Even the saloon keepers who sold
him the liquor refused to help him in his
emergency, so The town had TO secure the
help and foot the bills. lie came neal
dying, but n strong constitution pulled
him through. Death is never in haste fol
such victims. lInrtland has spent liftcer
hundred dollars on this man already, witt
the prospect Of having q charge to keel
for many years to come. 1t is hard tt
pity either the town or the man, though
both objects are pitifal enough.


The crops through here are very meage,
this year, though better than last. Take
the southern half Of Minnesota, and tho
wheat crop will not average more than
ten bushels to the acre. This -tss crue
disappointment, coming as it does on tht
heels of last years disaster. Had las
season been prosperous one, the shrink
age this year would have been easil!
borne But there was less than half ;
crop last year, and less than half price
for that. A large share of our crop las
wear went into the market rs "rejectet
wheat and brought from twenty-five t.
forty cents er bushel during most of thu
season. OF course paying debts will
wheat ut that price was out Of the ques
ton. These had TO lie over We pity th'
farmers under such circumstances, because
they are more intimately connected will
thu disaster, and seem to be more Closel!
aflucicd by it; bat, after all, it seems tt
b.lrue that other classes Of people ant
,t,,r industries suffer even more than th'
former The farmer can compel hi
creditors to wait better than the merchan


.l.....A