Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-09-27
Watohman 6 Jnurnal.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1871.
rERss-s2.oO per year strictly in advance or f2to
ifnot paid within three months
The Business of Montpelier.

Yet it is not difficult to approximate the
amount 1t certainly was not much more
than half that it is now probably less than
half Twenty years since our streets were
full of mud at every storm not rod Of
brick sidewalk was built the post.ofiice was
dilapidated shell tho hotels had not re-
iuyenated; the price Of butter was shilling
Of beef five cents a pound Of mutton, two
cents Of potatoes twenty cents a bushe Of
oats, twenty-five cents and the farmers were
nearly all mortgaged or in debt to the mer.
chants.
\ great change has come over ms since that
time. The agriculture Of the country has
met an adequate reward, and the town has
felt the stimulus Of the increased prices. Not
only has the gross amount Of business doubled,
but the profits Of it have more than doubled.
In fact, in most things Of country produce
the profit now equals the price which the
same article bore twenty-five years ago. The
railroad has brought the market to our DOORS
and changed largely the character of our
business. The reports of the Vermont Cen
trail show a steady increase Of business at this
point. We have not been able to obtain the
exact annual receipts Of tine road twenty
years ago They could not, however, have
been far from fifty thousand dollars at this
station Ten years ago from Sept. lst, 1860
to Sept lst, 1851, they were sS9,343.44
The passenger department returned to the
Treasurcrs Office sls,0sT 80, and the freight
81 ,255.sj. The gain Of ten years in the
receipts Of the railroad, at this station, will
give some indication of the increase Of the
business Of the town. From Sept. LIST, 1870,
to Sept LIST, 1871, the receipts here at the
railroad Offices were sl6g.5G349. The pas.
scngcr receipts were s4S,s2S.7S, and the
freight sl20,7347l II our recollection is
correct, this is very nearly one twelfth Of the
business of the road The receipts here are
larger than at any other station on the line of
the road, and while the tunnoge Of Burling.
ton is greater, the receipts Of this office are
the largest, showing that this is the most
profitable office on the line and it must re.
main so while Washington county continues
TO be the best agricultural region in the state.
The schools that center at this point have, |
passenger receipts, The Legislature is a fixed
quantity, and its sessions bring certain
amount OF business annually or biennially to
the road but the developments Of agricul- |
ture, Of schools, and OF local business, is, by
all Odds the largest factor in the prosperity
Of the railroad We trust the time is not far
distant when the accomplished and sagacious
managers Of the road will furnish to our town
better facilities for the use of passengers and
the accommodation OF freight.
The postoffce is of course an exponent of
the business of place The change in the
rates Of postage makes any comparison for
long period oil time quite difficult, but with
the exception of Burlington, the largest re.
ceipts Of any office in the State are to be
credited to this, and if the box rent of this
Office was $500 as at Burlington, instead of
sixty cents per annum. the receipts here would
be the largest. The stamps sold at our Office
in 1868 amounted to sS,s42 The increase
over that in 1870, was fifteen per cent, or
sl0,l03. The number of letters received
and delivered here, was for the year 1870,
1873, 433, an average of nearly one hundred
to each inhabitant of the place.
There are four newspaper offices in town
where weekly papers are published and one
of them publishes a daily during the ses-
sion. The circulation of these weekly papers
is II 500 per annum, and of the daily 1000
But these Offices do very large job work
and support large number Of hands. The
work amounted last year to $50, SIG. We
are confident that no offices in the State do
an equal amount of printing, and we are sure
that none surpass these in the style and quail
rlty of their work. There are two binderies
in town connected with these offices that also
cannot be surpassed by any in Vermont.
There are two banks Of discount in this
place, with capital and surplus of $780,
900. Twenty years since the banking cap
ital did not exceed two hundred thousand
dollars. There is a Savings Bank recently
chartered, which went into operation on the
first Of August 1t has n capital of $4,000,
with power to Increase to 100000. The de-
posts in this bank in the first six weeks after
its books were opened, were over twenty
thousand dollars
There are two Fire Insurance Companies
here. Since its organization in 1928, the
Vermont Mutual has issued 1853 1914 policies,
and received 81 ,9S7 6l5.45 The company
has now at risk S37,0l3,4S4, and has fund
in force for the payment Of losses Of $685..
1908 This year it has issued to the LIST
of August $3.50 policies. The Farmers Mu.
tual has issued since its organization 90, 9s3
policies. The present value Of property in.
sured by it is s25, 2,66l. Amount Of
funds now in force for the payment of risks is
81 ,095, 499,0l. The National Life Insurance
Company, one of the safest aud best in the
country, has 1926 policies in force, insuring
So 09,32G.29, with assets of 81 OH ,972l7.
The two last companies have both been estab.
lished within twenty years These companies
are all too well known to need any commend.
alton. Their reports show that they receive
as well as deserve, the public confidence.
The manufacturing interests of Montpelier
have been behind, far behind the times
Even the little manufacturing that is done
here is of greater service to our business and
people than any other cause. Lane, Pitkiu
a Brock have recently begun the manufac.
ture of circular saw.mlls and in the few
years they have been at work have laid the
, foundation of prosperous business. Last
year their sales were 100000. They em.
ploy large number Of hands and their bust.