Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-14
Shall we Have Manufactures ?

railroads giving facilities for transporta-
tion to and from the great markets, 1T Is
evident from the condition of business
that our dependence as people upon rail-
roads to furnish activity to our people Is
at its height. No measures are being
takan 70 extend the facilities for trade to
the north or east, ard this, too, by the
action of our own citizens, the question is
very forcbly arising on all hands, What
il to be our future? 1t is probably
settled that our commercial limits are cir
oumscribed in the boundaries now occu-
pied, because the people of the town have
refused TO extend them. 1t is not neces-
sary TO discuss the reasons or influences
that have put us in this position. Let
them be for the time as past issues, and
look for our future, and not sit idly in
the market place with our hands folded
until business stagnation shall overcome
all desire or ambition for prosperity.
Therefore let us make the inquiry, shall
we have manufactures? Rutland is a
with activities, town as large as any OF
the country towns of New England. With
all its facilities of traffic and transporta-
tion there is no reason why the invest
ment Of capital in manufactures will not
prove a profitable investment,-givee EN-.
ployment to thousands more and adding
materially to the population and substan-
tial influences that will place our com.
muuity again on the road to prosperity
1t will enable us to make articles of daily
use at home. A people that adopt the
policy of buying articles Of every day con.
sumption from abroad will remain station
airy. Civilization in communities is indi-
Gated by their drawing manufactures in
their midst, and giving employment to
labor and skill.
The day is not far distant when de-
mand will be made for more manufactu-
ries to work the cotton coming direct
from the Sandwich Islands and the South
ern cotton States to New England to be
woven. There should be wooden mills
and other manufacturing establishments,
representing millions of dollars, doing a
brisk and profitable trade, which will
increase year by year into the field that
must forever remain the exclusive terri
tory of Eastern manufactures. The fact
alone that manufactures are to spring up
at this point, would be thousands of dol
lars to the farmers of Rutland county, in
making the sending their produce to for
eign markets thing of the past, a better
market and higher prices having been pro-
vided at home. Manufactures, when once
started in a community fitted to receive
them, experience has proved, will con-
stantly increase, and for the next succeed
ing ten years are accelerated in a geo.
metrioal ratio, attracting, as it is sure to
do, a fair proportion of the skilled labor
OF Europe. Heretofore, our progress has
been by the introduction of railroads, and
digging from the earth its material re-
sources, and we are now fully prepared
and need the development which the age
of manufactures will bring to US.
The population probable to be introduce
ed by the business of manufacture alone
would support another population at least
two-thirds as large as our present one.
There is capital which could be proftably
invested here in manufacturing estab-
lishments. A hundred thousand dollars
invested in an insurance company, is well
and proper TO provide place for a few, but
the same capital invested in manufacture
ing would give employment to hundreds
and perhaps thousands If it were so in
vested a better home market would be
created for the products of the farm, In
stead of having an uncertain foreign mar
ket there would be steadily increasing
ing abroad what our farmers have for
sale. Many of our citizens, business men
and farmers who have money to invest,
would secure to themselves much better
income from investing their money III
manufacturing than it now produces in
moneyed corporations. We have good
facilities for manufacturing by steam in
our village and splendid water power
at Center Rutland. Some say capitalists
from abroad should come here first. The
day has past when capitalists from abroad
invest money in a community until inc
people have done something in the me
direction for themselves.
But why should resident capitalists
wait for strangers to reap adv antages
they might secure for themsel ses. Let
the business men, capitalists, farmers,
mechanics aud professions, eac N according
to their ability, put their shoulder to the
wheel take hold of the wo rl1 for ourselves
and trust neither to strangers or to luck
and our labors will be am ply rewarded with
an income of DIVIDENDS, increase of popu
lation, doubled Business in the commu.
nifty, and the hum of busy industry in oul
midst.
We throw Or It these suggestions for tn,
consideration of our people, that they may
be stirred Co activity in providing addi
tionai F,usiness, and revive the uow-evi.
IDENTIFY waning energies of our town.