Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-11-22
A SoUTHERNER IN ST. JOHNS
BURY.

D. Wyatt Aiken, Esq, one of the propri-
etors of the Rural CarOlinian published at
Charleston, s. c., who was present at the
last W. State Fair, gives in that useful and
well conducted monthly for November an
account of st. Johnsbury and the Scale
Works We have space for only brief ex-
tracts from the opening and the close Of
his article, which is written in an excellent
spirit.
Away up in northwestern Vermont, nest
led among the hills which crop out from the
base of the Green Mountains, is the thriving
little town of st. Johnsbury which though
now containing three thousand inhabitants,
was fifty years ago scarcely II hamlet, noted
even then, however, rs the valley in which
Governor Fairbanks and his brothers pro-
jectcd theirmanulactory of ploughs. In 1890
these mechanical geniuses conceived the
idea of establishing upon the banks of ''Sleep-
er's River chow inappropriateiy named,) u
mandatory for scales, which Mt first II nu-
ceus, has been the means of building up this
beautiful village, and has erected for tn G pro-
prietors monument more durable than the
finest marble.
The wealth acquired by the Messrs. Fair
banks has been lavishly expended upon the
pretty little town of st. Johnsbury. Indeed,
their success has built up the town, and but
for these scale works there would have been
no village there. Recently ono of the firm
has erected an AthcnPum, u magnificent
structure costing $4,000, supplied it with
| nearly 10000 choice volumes, and donated il
| to the village. The first floor is the Library,
| with its Librarian and published rules and
4 Ill l.Nlz
any citizen of st. Johnsbury can enjoy, free
of cost, thorough course ofgeneral reading,
and have the privilege of perusing all the
most valuable periodicals published in the
United States or IN England. As | walked
into one of the alcoves of this beautiful hall
'The Water Power OF Maine" was the title OF
the first octave that caught my eye. feel
ing of sadness crept over me rs | read it.
| How incomparably superior, thought |, is the
water power of almost every Southern State
where frost and ice never stop the water
wheels from January till January; and yei
where can one procure such geographical in
| formation? The little State Of South Car
DINA has sufficient water power TO drive
| spndlcs enough TO twist up annually the cot
ton crop of the United States, IL properly
| utilized, But rs mt present wasted, IL NIGH
us well be numbered among the arcana o
| nature,
The Messrs Fairbanks are men Of sterling
integrity. and they, with their surroundings
are sort of social and political epitome o
the citizens of st Johnsbury They dca
promptly, squarely, and generously with the
employees, and exact of them work of tn,
very best quality. They have never beef
harassed with strikes, mouldcrs' unions, ant
the like. In reply to II question on thi
| subject, was told, occasionally new han,
was employed who made inquiry whether
moulders' union or league of any sort was il
the establishment? Such an one was Away
told, "You can take the next train, for W,
have no use for such help
1t was II knotty question with me, how
these proprietors could be so Independent
| have never seen tEe two antagonistic force
labor and capital-so beautifully harmo
niZed, and the only solution of the problem
think, is their isolation, their lack of com
petition, and their liberality.
Most of these employees are men of family
and many of them own considerable prop
erty, accumulated from the liberal wage
paid them by their employers, with who's
respective families social visits are Often eX
changed.