The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-26

and So 1903, 527in Windham county
showing that tie property in the latter
county was worth nearly million of dol
lars more than in the former. All were
then on an equality. Transportation was
done principally by teams, and the only
advantage one county had over the other
was the small transportation business done |
on Lake Champlain which, prior to the |
days of railroads, was rot sufficient to be
taken into corsideration--being hardly
used TO greater extent than to enable
Burlington merchants to obtain their goods
by water rather than land. The large
transportation business which is now car
ried on by means of Lake Champlain
was then in the womb of the future and
hardly even dreamed of. Windham
county, then being on an equality, had
no abandoned farms or vacant farm houses
as now, and hence her prosperity. We
have no basis of population TO go by in
1865 save the census of 1860, and by that
Chittenden county had 20, 1876 inhabitants
and Windham county 26,9S2-the former
having something more than thousand
more than the latter. With this decrease
of population, we should naturally expect
decrease in the value of real estate, but
how is it? The real estate of Chittenden
county is valued at trifle over five mil
lions of dollars being about the same as it
was fifteen years before while Windham
county had valuation of something over
seven millions of dollars, an increase of
over million and a quarter of dollars in
fifteen years. Now in 1865, Chttenden
county had largely increased in population
since 1S6O-we state this as fact, although
there is no census to verify it by-and she
had taken that new lease of life which
counteracted that dry-rot which, at one
time, threatened the decay of her principal
city.
Mark her valuation for 1865. for upon 1t
has been based all Of her claims for cxces-
siye valuation ever since. Does any one be-
lieve that il was true, honest valuation! AT
that time the several transportation lines
had been established and she enjoyed the
same railroad facilities that she does now.
Windham county did not have even the
poor railroad facilities of to-day. Was
there. coul there be such depreciation in
the value of her real estate in fifteen years
fiiteeu years, too, of prosperity, and during
period when nearly every town in hei
borders had been placed in close proximity
to the car or boat? Can any one believe
, does any one believe that the listers of thu
several towns and the county board place.
the real estate of the county In the grant
list at its just and trne valuation in cash
If they do, they are prepared to believe al
most any statement. In 1870, Chittendci
county had population of 36,4S0, an'
Windham county only 26,036, the ohl,
difference in their situations being that
connecting link had been built so that al
outlet was formed for that portion o
Windham county bordering on the river
but still built on the very eastermost edg
of the county. We refer to the population
of 1870, because it is the only basis w
: have to go by in 1874, although the proba
bilitics are that the one county has still
further increased in population, while tn
:, other has in like manner decreased. Nov
look at the grand list as equalized by th
:, respective county boards. The list o
Chittenden county is returned at S7,o33,
y 449 and that of Windham county q
81, 2S3341, being almost at the sam
: figure. 1t is true that the state boar
added ten per cent. to Cbittenden count
and deducted ten per cent. from that q
c Windham county, but that makes no differ
IS ence with the manner in which the lister
u discharged their duties. Can there be an
u doubt in reference to the county in whic
Il there was an honest discharge of duty?
the real estate of county containin
IS thirty-six thousand inhabitants worth Il
e more than one with ten thousand less
a We spoke, Tuesday, of the abandont
q farms and vacant farm houses of VIM
l, ham county, but the picture was only ha
If drawn, and yet the listers of the sever
II towns of Chittenden county, on Their oau'
Of say that their real estate is worth no mo
es than that of Windham county? Does til
" look like an honest discharge of duty? v
I'd must confess that it does not to us. v
y hear of no abandoned farms, vacant tar
he houses, or uusaleable tillable land in Oh
IN tenden county, yet they would endeavor
ne make us believe that their lands are wor
VI no more than those in localities where Il
III state of facts exists and is constant
ne growing worse. Windham county, too,
nj constantly decreasing in population VIII
Iii Chttenden county is as constantly mere
ey ing, yet they would make us believe II
he the value of real estate there is either
. creasing or remains stationary. II SO, II
ed an anomoly in the world, and we are
lat vet prepared TO believe that such
re- anomoly exists.