Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-04-21
nlisfrllancou5.
Railroads---What they do for a
Country.

We are permitted 10 publish a series OF
extracts from letter written BY nephew
IN Vermont, to his uncle in Illinois We
begin to-day, with the first. We trust it
will serve 10 create, IN the minds of our
readers, more adequate conception Of the
greatly increased advantages which this
country will ENJOY when the system OF rail-
roads is fairly completed aud IN operation.
Having enumerated the various railroads
considering the size ofthe State, which are
IN operation IN Vermont, and given their
several courses and connections, north,
south, east and west, the writer saws:
90 Y on see, at once, by the facilities thus
furnished, Vermont farmer, merchant, or
mechanic, may go, or send to Boston, New
York, Buffalo or'Mon,real or to iuierme-
date points, any day, requires but day.
Now, what is the economical effect of all
these means of cheap aud rapid transport
tatIon, both for passengers and freight, up
on the people of Vermont The vast grain
growing regions of the west, on the one
hand, AID the more inland manufacturing
districts on the other, are, practically,
brought home TO each maus door. Dis
lance, which occasions SO many aud such
very serious drawbacks, Is, ia great de-
gree, done away with. So that what YER
monter wishes to buy from abroad, for his
consumption, he can get, at a greatly redu-
oed cost, aud what he wishes TO sell, he can
get the cash for, at a greatly increased
price. Every thing raised or made brings
the cash at a high figure. How was il, III
this respect, but few years agoi 1t was
barter! The merchant sold his goods with
the expectation of taking barter, in some
form for pay. II nothing vas said at the
time when the goods were delivered, 10 the
contrary, custom, IN certain localities,
would oblige him to take It al nearly, if nol
quite, the current rates. But he could al
low only very lite for it, since IT Cost him
so much to get II to market.
If the blacksmith, the shoemaker, the
tailor, the carpenter, the potter, the lawyer,
the doctor, the colhn-maker, the grdUe-dig-
ger even, proposed to buy anything, each,
of course, wanted to "pay an has hHe. =
The great study and effort was to turn artl-
Giles had in excess, for others more needed
or in more general demand, or which ap-
preached nearer to cash means. So, m
turn, the blacksmith, the clother. the prin-
ter, the wheelwrigh,, the joiner, IN word,
the mechanic of every trade, and the men
of all professions, we're expected by their
several customers, TO take a load of tur-
nips, quarter of veal, tub of maple su-
gar, load of hay, few cords OF wood
(sled length barrel of cider, "a bin OF po-
tatoes, an old COW, or something OF the
kind, in the shape of barter. And when
settled, or great trades negotiated, where
payment must be made in the "superlalive
degree" the standing mode was this -
Merchanta5le cattle, (bulls and stays ex-
cepted.) on the Is, day of October, at the
appraisal of men, or grain al the going rate,
IN the month of January" And how could
1t have been otherwise There was little
or no cash. To think of promising to pay
IN 1t, to any amount, would have been pre-
~ posserous. The cash was at great dis