Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-02-01
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, JANUARY rs, 1856.
On Resources and their Develop
ment. fs#

Vermont stands In the very nrst RANK
Of agricultural States. Literally COW
cred with mountains and hills, she still
exhibits q larger amount OF agricultural
productions than most OF her sisters,
taking into account her population and
the extent of her territory. s-a--.s
But this il not enough-this alone
will not ensure continued prosperity,
even in her agricultural industry, 1t
win be seen by the official census OF 1850
that the population of Vermont in
creased less, during the preceding ten
years, than that of any other State. 1t
Is not to be expected that the popula-
ton of Vermont can keep pace with
that OF the more fertile and newer West
ern States; but we see no reason why
she should not equal New Hampshire,
q State less fertile In soil, and inferior in
the extent of her territory. And yet, as
little as was the increase in the popula-
ton of New Hampshire, between the
years of 1850 and 1860, it was nearly as
many thousands as that of Vermont
was hundreds.
The cause of this difference is readily
accounted for. New Hampshire gives
employment to large number of her
people by her manutacturing enterprises.
And here, in our humble judgment, our
own people are lamentably at fault. We
certainly have immense manufacturing
facilities, and the skill and industry OF
our people, which, If used to degree
not by any means extraordinary, would
put this little green mountain State OF
ours upon the road to prosperity little
dreamed of in any ones philosophy.
Why, there are two or three points on
the Connecticut river, whose water
power for manufacturing purposes is
unsurpassed in any other State. We
know obstacles are said to exist, that are
claimed to be insurmountable. But we
are inclined to think no small share of
the responsibility of the failure to en-
ploy these facilities rests with persons
who reside in the State, and who consult
their private interests and convenience
on small scale, instead of giving a
broader and more comprehensive consid-
GRAFTON to both private and public
good.
With the beautiful Connecticut bound
ing our entire Eastern border, and the
navigable waters of Lake Champlain
lying along nearly the whole length of
the State on the West,-with inland
streams possessing facilities for count
less manufacturing establishments on a
smaller scale-with natural scenery
and healthfulness of climate known
only to mountainous and interior regions,
no State possesses more natural attrac-
tions to induce her own people to stay
at home and instead of being ia good
state to emigrate FROM" it should and
could be made one Of the very best to
immigrate to.
The remarks we have thus far in
dulged in, are as applicable to the town
and county of Rutland as to the State at
large. The extraordinary railway facil-
tiles which we enjoy, and the extent and
quality of our marble quarries, have
given our town a rapidity Of growth
and prosperity unequalled in the State.
But while the population of our town
was more than doubled between 1850
and 1850, the county, outside of the
town, suffered an actual loss in popula-
tion. Had the State as much manufac-
turing enterprise as even New Hamp-
shire, there can be little doubt that our
population would increase far more rap
idly than that of our Granite neighbor.
With an increased manufacturing popu-
lation-with large addition to our
State Of well paid consumers, home
markets for all kinds Of agricultural
production would be created-the own
ers and cultivators of land would find
additional inducements to spend more
labor and capital on soil that with
ready home market would prove more
remunerative than that ofany New Eng
land State. The enterprising would be
induced to stay at home, while this de-
sirsble element in the population of
neighboring States would be invited to
enter our borders.
Let the active, influential and "well
OF" men of Rutland combine their en-
ergles for creating and putting into OPP
Grafton one or two manufacturing estab-
ments, whose products shall be In active
demand, and the older class of our peo-
pie would live to see one Of the most
and thriving inland cities in
the country. Let the experiment DO
tried. Every town. and every farmer
and mechanic In the county would feel
It's beneficial results.