The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-28


The decrease in population among
the country townsof Massachusetts Is
quito startling. The same may be
said of Connecticuf, New Hampshire
and Vermont. Railroads and facto-
rics have changed tho ancient order
ofthings. The population Of the bills
has slid into the valleys, and with it
the wealth also. Farms can now be
bought for less than what the build
ings are worth, ana several farms are
often merged into one, and briars and
brambles spring up where once was
the garden and the rose. Rev. DIR.
Gale, of Lee, in recent sermon, drew
a gloomy picture of this decrease Of
population in the hill towns Of sBerk-
shire county. He stated that tour
towns now contain half the popula-
ton and wealth of that county. OF
the remaining twenty-scycn towns.
fourteen have less than ath0Hsand in
habitants. There are thirty-three
Congregational churches in this coun-
ty, and only fourteen. settled pastors.
Five of these churches have no regu-
lar service, and fourteen hire clergy
men for stated time. In 1923 there
were twenty six Congregational
churches, and twenty three pastors
The membership in these churches
has increased only thirty -four in the
last forty years, being 4,5A in 1929,
and 4.57S in 1869. In ten OF the
churches the membership is less than
fifty each, and in these ten churches
the number Of male members only
average ten. In most of these noun
tain towns were once large churches,
and the sanctuaries on the Sabbath'
were flied with devout worshippers.
Now, i'm some five places the people
have forsaken assembling themselves
together on the Sabbath, and in many.
towns the ministers preach to avery
lean congregation. We can add our
testimony to that of DR.. Gale, and APP.
ply tlsessame~s t0a=other.. counties in
Western Massachusetts,. In the last
four years we have Travelled thousands
of mi es among the hill and mountain
towns, treading their back-roads and
by-ways, whercver,th remnant OF
once prosperous population fingers.
One is surprised at the indication OF
decay witnessed at almost every mile.
For long distances there are no hui
man habitations. You pass the wreck
of once elegant mansions, or the foun-
dations where they stood. Others
arc crumbling back to dust the out
side covering hardly keeping the ele-
ments from reaching the inmates
within. There are scraggy remains
of large and once fruitful orchards,
now moss-grown and chOked with
underbrush. Occasionally, at the
crossroads, may be seen difapidated
school-house, long since deserted by
children and teacher, and oftentimes
we have travelled half day without
seeing a solitary human being, eX-
cept as we entered a dwelling. A
thicklv tenanted, but sadly neglected
burial place, here and there, is evil
dence that there once dwelt among
the hills and mountains more nu-
merous population. (
The signs of desolatiOn and decay
suggest an inquiry as to the cause, and
the answer comes in the conclusion
that they have ben brought about by
extravaganza and fashion. 1t has be-
come the fashion to have, fewer chill.
dren, and the farmer who once raised
a dozen boys who helped carry OH the
farm prosperously, is succeeded by
another who hires his help outdoor
and in. and finds at the end of the
year that he has scarcely made enough
to pay his employees. If he has one
O: two SONS OF daughters, they cannot
be content with humble fare at home,
but must ape the fashions of the city
or village, and force the cold folks at
home" into more styles in living than
they can afford. The result is soon
reached. The farm runs down and is
ultimately sold, the proprietor NOV
ing away 10 seek his fortune where
money is easier to be got, and his
family can move in more fashionable
society. DR.. Allen, of Lowell, has
shown by reliable statistics, that the
Yankee race of New England is runa
ming out, and the reasons for it are
those We have given above. Extrav-
agance and fashion are eXterminators
more potent than all the ills that
flesh is heir to-" Unless reform is
commenced i'm this regard, the hill and
mountain towns in this and other
States will soon become a wilderness.
Every year they decrease i'll pOpula-
ton and valuation, and every sue
ceeding generation, will have a Trailer
hold upon life. While all are urging
reforms OF other kinds, what a pity it
is We cannot reform the fashions and
habits of men and women, wherein
les the only hope of perpetuation
of our name and race.-Pdlmer
(Mass.) Journal.