July, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



109 



A Imnel of flour weiv'lis 300 imiitids iicurlv, find 

 3000 liiiiiL-ls of flour iiiav I.e .«et down at oiih 



I Irnd tons. 'J'lie tr.ins|joit of this weijilit aii<l 



I.iilk iroMi Boston to GreenlMisli dnriMff the last 



war at filiy dollars a (and at that lime the 



cost was nearer one hnndreil than filty dollars a 

 ton hetween tliose two points) would have heeii 

 five Ihou-and dollars: in the hest of travelling.' 

 teams of horses or oxen could not have accoin- 

 ]ilislied the joiirnej' one way in less than a fort- 

 ninht. 



These " private" concerns, the railroads, ju- 

 diciously adapted to the wants of hiisiness, can- 

 not tail to Hglit their way into the tavor of the 



transport of 1000 liantis of flom- lieyoiul the in- 

 vestiuenl in the road and carriage, is a few cords 

 of fuel with half a dozen persons lo attend the 



of I 



the I 



•riage, is 



■rsoiis n 



i-ars. We have none 



piufr dead of horses 



u : these are left at 



more pro(lucti\e In- 

 1 the land. The ce- 

 I consideration to the 

 liner: the two first 



the time that one 

 ml u whole city of 

 iider the slow move- 

 isions two hnndred 



and transporied in 



lerity too 



seller, purchaser and 

 mav make three pioti 

 uoiil.l have heeii ma 

 hread-eaters mi;;ht slai 



miles .V m'iVlTt I.e'lei 

 two days, a less lime tl 

 to live between meals. 



As matlers tijr nalio' nl defence, railroads rmi- 

 ning alouR our coast and towards the rronti«:r 

 lire of more value lo the countiy than all the 

 forts or other military preparations that ever have 

 been set on foot in time of peace. We want our 

 government to build no raihoads: we had miicli 

 rather these great pulilic aceummodalions shoiilil 

 go along with the business of the country. 

 Where this will warrant their consii uclion, in- 

 dividual enterprise, under the fostering care of 

 the government which consulls the best good of 

 the greatest nuinher, will he siifficieiit lo make 

 all our necessary railroads. These will he our 

 best protection iit all points: they will at once 

 carry the whole military streni-'th necessary for 

 defence or offence to the desirable point : they 

 will cany the means of sustenance to the army — 

 at the moment they are the ready mode of con- 



veyance to whatever point an enemy shall i 



From the New H iven Herald. 

 Sociability of Birds— Beautiful Incidents. 



[Letter frou) a Voung Luiy ti> the Rev. Mr. Lindsle^, 

 Stratforii.J 

 Dear Sir: Having often heard that yourself 

 and family were very fond (jf birds, and some- 

 ihiiig of a very inteiesliiig nature coiiceriiiug 

 them having come directly under my own ob- 

 servation, indeed, entirely in connection with my- 

 eelf, I thought an aceoiiut of it might not prove 

 uiiiuieresiiiig to you. Early in the summer of 

 1840, as I Was one morning reclining on my 

 couch, in the back room, the doors being open, a 

 very small bird came bopping in, and ran about 

 the floor, apparently in quest of something to 

 eat. 1 happened to have a soda biscuit about 

 nifi, and instantly threw it some crumb.*, which 

 it ran to eat, as if v^'i-y hungry. In a few min- 

 utes it flew out. I>el()re long it returned, bring- 

 ing another with it. 1 fed them both plentifully, 

 and tliey flew out. In a short time one returned, 

 and partook again ; alter a while the other; so 

 they continued through the day. 1 did not think 

 of seeing them any more, but I had no sooiK-r 

 taken my accustomed place on my conch the 

 next morning, when in i-aine one of my lillle 

 visitors, (piite tame, and (piite at home ; it ran 

 near me, took a Inisly biraklast and ran onl. 

 Soon its inatu came, and took his in <|nite as 

 friemllv a manner. Thus they conlinued coui- 



to til 



tun 



IV, 



be. 



■hostess th: 



■y»( 



ing irom 



came so attached to th 



seldom take their me: 



paper by I he door, but would run close to my 



couch, and look n|) to me, to have me drop it le 



Iheui at my side; which iliey would take, per- 



fectly lUfoncerned. They appeared t'm- a liiiic 



quite afraid of strangers, particularly children 



ask, i.s it safe? riow'ever, lliey soon lost Ilieii 

 fears of them, and would come in when lliree oi 

 tour wefB present. Ai'ter a. lew week* they be- 



gan to carry away large pieces every time they 

 came, after satislyiiig their hunger, which cmi- 

 vinced me they had little ones lo feed; and I 

 was asloiiislied lo I'ee what a little load they 

 would cany, ol'teniiiiies three pieces at once, as 

 large as h.-iif a larje pea. Thus they cnntii.ued 

 visiting me for months, unlil some time in the 

 last of Sepleiiiber, just alter tea, at the edge of a 

 delightful evening, I heard such a chirping and 

 chattering as almost dealeneil me. In uti instant 

 the little mother appeareil, enlicing along her 

 dear liltle ones, which weie almost splitting their 

 little throats with their chaitering ; and soon 

 their lather appeared. They ran up the steps 

 into the room, and stopped just at the door, per- 

 fectly still, except the nioiher, who ran to me, 

 very hastily, stopped at my side, looked in my 

 liice, and began to talk, she Iboiight as intelli- 

 gently as any person would, conversing with me. 

 I never was more aslouisbed. I supposed that 

 she was asking nie to protect her little ones. 

 She stood in this manner a few moments, talk 

 ing as fast as she could, when she ran back to 

 her children, and they all commenced eating 

 their abundant meal, which had been prepared 

 lor them. When tiiiished they flew out, and vis- 

 ited me no more. I was then convinced thai 

 the mother was expressing her gralitude, instead 

 of asking protection. 



I mourned the loss of my dear little family, 

 not expecting I'ver to see them again ; when. 6, 

 how was I delighted, as silting at my bedroom 

 window one Sunday morning, early in llie month 

 of the next June, the dear little creature who 

 first made its appearance came rnmiing up the 

 walk direcily lo the door. Feeling very ill, and 

 the mornin'r being rainy, I could not go to let il 

 in, (the liimily being at church) and was obliged 

 to let it go away (which it did very broken hearf- 

 edly, after waiting for some time) without giving 

 it a welcome. I reconciled n yself, thinking it 

 would return the next (l;:y : but I wailed Rir it 

 and it did not come, and I had entirely given up 

 the idea of seeing it any more; when, how was 

 I overjoved one morning, to see it fly into the 



■n door, they, when fiiuliiig it closed, 

 would coiue to the window and flutter, beg, 

 to come in. 



I would open the door a liltle space, just large 

 enough for them to press through ; they would 

 immediately fly on lo the scraper, and crowd 

 through, evideiilly dcligliled, and try to show 

 tli(-ir graiilndc. Ader lakiiig their iiieal, totally 

 unconcerned at hciii^' shut in, ihey would amuse 

 themselves awhile, then croud out again to the 



s eariynig away 

 {hed, when one 



minute I I 

 d of the (III 



u-dly lo know what to 

 rge mess of crnmlis, win 



so happ; 



' ran to me, 

 eiLed chihl 

 L'ain aiirl ag;i 

 ilHcienlly fe 

 ed to come. 



ir togetlii 

 ming roi 



iirents instant- 

 and took lliem to their liltle jiisi 

 en, put it in ilu'ir mouths am 

 II, for some minute.s, after bein^ 

 I, all flew out. Thus they comin- 

 it times all together, sometimes llit 

 e or two at once, sometimes oin 

 eral days, but tteiienillv three oi 

 and liaidly leaviie.' me alone at all 

 I my feel when at table and pick- 

 es us they fell, and trying to amuse 



have written give* but litile idea of ths interest 



they excited. Should they return again the com- 

 ing summer, as they probably will, 1 shall give 

 you a liirther history. 



In the meaniime, believe me, Sir, 



•Most n-speetfullv yours, C. C. 



Sirntfoi-d, Feb. 4, iSi'-i. 



The above mentioned bird is the chipping 

 sparrow, (Friiigilla Socialis of WilMin.) She 

 and lier mate have again returned to visit tlitir 

 hostess. If yon deem the above worthy uii in- 

 sertion in your daily, it is at your service. It 

 (nrnishes good evidence of what kindness and 

 gentleness to the feathered race, at the hands of 

 a young lady, can accomplish. 



Yours, &c. 



J. H. LINDSLEY. 



If men and boys did not exercise that unkind- 

 ne.ss which is characteristic of both beasts and 

 biids in their worst estate, we might more fre- 

 quently witness acts of docility and gratitude 

 similar to those exiiibited by the chip-birds to- 

 wards the Connecticut lady. The lohin, kindly 

 treated, returns in successive years and perches 

 its nest where it has received the protection of 

 the friendly roof: stirring the ground in the 

 garden or the field, this binl who charms ii.s 

 with its notes in iis most happy estate in the cool 

 of the alternoon, alights near us and hops all 

 about us and sometimes so close as to be reach- 

 ed by the iiisfr nt in our hand.s, ready to lay 



hold of the worms and bugs lliat have' by our 

 work be( n exposed to the surface. The robin, 

 if he had not Ibnnil mankind more his enemy 

 ilian his friend — if the disposition of the most 

 friendly to entrap and encage him had not bi^eii 

 always observed — might and probably v\onld 

 come and perch upon our fingers when we 

 should give him the "grand masonic sign"' that 

 the intimacy would be agreeable and acceptable. 



The cnunteraction of good and evil, the agree- 

 able and disagreeable, is fixed upon man and 

 upon all sublunary things. The large elms and 

 sjcaiiiores hang over our oiunlry dwellings, and 

 the nursing care of good taste Ibsters the nu- 

 merous trees and shrubbery about us. afl^ording 

 places of retreat for nuujheis of the feathered 

 irihe: some of these are beaiitilul in colors us 

 the varied shilling knleidoscupe — others churni 

 us with their musical notes. The smaller luit- 

 terers build their nests iiiioliscrved almost before 

 our eyes whore we can easily lay hands upon 

 tlK'ni : others hang their nests high upon some 

 limb overhead so fi agile that no preying maian- 

 der may approach them. But, as w'illi man, so 

 with the binls, the worhl to them affonls not 

 unvaiying pleasure. Eiiemies are round about 

 them, retiily lo devour them and lender their 

 habitations a desolation. 'J'be domesiic cat, n.-e- 

 fiil as the destroyer of destiuctive mice and rats, 

 discriminates not between the mischievous tmd 

 the innocent; and the chirping Muuig of the 

 robin, the blue-bird, the sparrow and the swal- 

 low, aftord but a (hlieious morsel tor the vora- 

 cious inslinct of the animal who lives in the 



Refining still farther, we go to the innocent 

 birds as liie wicked dcslro\er of uiMisds of in- 

 .sects which flutter their day in the air, or the 

 worms in the field : and they in their turn llie 

 depredators li|ioii the firmer's or gardener's 

 hopes. It is thus that animals, beasts, birds and 

 insects prey upon each other, or interfere to 

 mar the arrangements of man. All are for the 

 use of man ; and humaniiy shrinks not at the 

 taking the life oi the iiioflluisive brute when- 

 ever the food or elotbing w liich it supplies can 

 be useful. 



vhich 



With 



not readily to be forgiven, 

 an instinctive knosvledge that man takes life as 

 a mere tict of wanton pleasure, it will not be 



iiiireasiui.ible llii;n the respuiisible " lords of the 

 soil" if he makes use o!' ils w inged fjiciillv to 

 keep beyond his reach. If mankind had airtlie 

 simplicity and Iba iiinocc:ic8 of ibe Cotiuecii- 



