Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-26
brandon Farmers cruz
"RRANpoN AS IT IS H--REMARKs OF HON
e. N. BRIGGS.


E. N. BRIGGS.
The regular meeting of the BRANDON
r,,r,,or,' and Mechanics Club, was helu
ct their rooms, in simonds BLOCK, r.ras
evening, May goth, 1870, Col II. H. Mer-
nth President Of the Club, in the chair
Hon. Ezra June, Secretary.
After the transaction of the usual rou-
tine bngino,s, the President announced
Tho subiect for discussion to be Brandon
AZ it rand introduced Hon. +. n. Briggs
as the member selected to open the dis
cussion.
He commenced by saying that at the
last meeting, Judge June, who was proba-
bly, the most competent person, both by
investigation and observation, that could
have been selected, detailed the history
of the settlement and progress OF Bran
don down to 1920, that at that time and
previous thereto, it was almost an unbro-
ken wilderness, with here and there small
cottages.
In 1920, the beds of iron ore, which
had however been known for sometime,
were for the first discovered to be practi-
cable and that they could be worked to
advantage and with profit. Up to this
time, and perhaps for sometime thereafter,
Brandon was behind other towns Of equal
population and facilities, but this discov-
cry, or rather the discovery of the use of
this discovery gave ii start, which in a
few years put a new life into Brandon.
In 1925 he first came to Brandon, but
only remained about five weeks and then
went to Salisbury, in Addison County,
which seemed to be the better town. At
that time, without looking at the future
it was the better town, as with its manu-
featuring and other business there was
then more going on than in Brandon. He
remained there some twelve years and
then came to Brandon, and had ever since
made it his home. Another era or epoch
in the history of Brandon was the build
ing aud completion of the Rutland and
Burlington Railroad in the winter of
$4,000
This gave an additional impetus and
commercial town. From being dull and
almost hfeless, it at once began to put on
life and activity and to take a front rank
in business affairs, and from a small and
paratively insignificant town came
to q front rank, and it now islands among
the foremost in Vermont in business
wealth, population ap7 material prosperi-
ty, it being by official returns the eighth
town, not only in population but in the
amount of grand list, and these are both
constantly increasing. HE alluded in
handsome terms to the prosperity and
growth of Rutland, it being, as he stated
the 1st town in the State both in popula.
ton and grand list. Vermont, as a State
has gone along gradually, slowly, steadi,
ly and prosperously, and SO it has beel
with Brandon; her growth has been slow
but it has been steady, sure and healthy
and there is every reason to believe that
this growth will continue to be the same
1t may be slow, but it will be sure and
permanent
The settlement of Vermont was gov.
erned by an overriding Providence il
was wisely ordered that these bills, noun.
tains and rocks should be first subdued
and settled-that our forefathers should
first visit the Eastern part of the country
instead of the Western II must be OBJ
vious to all that New England, and par.
ticularly Vermont, required to be settled
and subdued by peculiar people Injured
to work and to hardship. If they had
first landed upon and cultivated the
bands and fslds of the west, with the rich
openings plains and prairies of the West
they nevor could, after that, have beer
induced 10 come to Vermont, conquer ou1
mouutain forests, and endeavor TO plow
plant and cultivate our almost barren and
rocky hills and mountains; no, Vernon
would have been left to the birds of thu
air The wild fowls and wild beasts woult
have had dominion over it, surely no
man.
Stephen A. Douglass, who was natiY
of Brandon, said vermont was a gooC
State to be born IN and to emigrate from
This was taken to be an offensive speech
but in the sense that he made it, and as
heard him explain it, it was not offensive
but was complimentary and was meant t.
be so. Vermont Is good State to be borl
in, and also to live in, and what MI
Douglass meant was that having beer
born and brought up thero,it was a good t.
emigrate from because in enigrating iron
it, the manners, habits, customs and NOR
ais were also taken with the person, anc
thus Vermont Iideas, economy and thrift
become implanted. in other sections of on
country.
The present situation of Brandon is par
ticularly interesting to this club, first a
township in its farming interests. /
has been said that as town it was no
favorable for agricultural pursuits. Thi
is not so.
We expect that Brandon will, as here
tofore, excel any other town in the Stat
in the quality and quantity of hay pre-
duced. Ia there any other town that vii
produce hay like the intervals of Otte
Creek, and there is more interval land il
Brandon than in any other town in tn
State. There is also quite large quaint
ty of swamp land in the town, which he
peculiarly rich mouldy soil, which, g
the land is cleared up and the wood take
from it. will furnish the best of gra'
lands that can be found anywhere, an
when we take this into consideration alon
withour great extent of interval land
Otter Creek, are we not justified in say