Connecticut western news., 1875-10-08
Sheffield No. 2.


 In the New York Tunes of September 28th we read an interesting article from the pen of Alexander Hyde; his subject was. The Rural Districts the cause of their de- population and the remedies He clearly showed that while our large towns and cit ies were increasing in population, the towns remote and in the agricultural dis tricts were fast becoming depopulated. Speaking particularly of the county of Berkshire, he says In this county, con- taining mixture of agricultural and man ufacturing towns-thirty-one in all-the census shows an increase of population in eleven, and decrease in twenty. The de- crease is not confined to the mountainous and rough towns, as some suppose. Shef- field, situated in the valley of the Housa- tonic, and containing the best farming lands in the county, has lost 225 in it's emu meration in the last five years. This is an alarming and melancholy condition of things and calls for the serious considera- ton of farmers and statesmen Mir. Hyde thus goes on to show the nature of the evil, it's cause and it's remedy. We coincide with his views exactly, but feel that one of Shef1eld's citizens has the right to speak in Der defense. Sheffield is not remarkably fruitful town'We grant, but that she has gone back in the census reports we are not membered that within four years past Shef- field has given to the town of New Marlbo. TO a large slice of her territory, including many families, which if numbered would account for the 226 which the census re = ports as lost. Give Sheffield then her due, for though slow, she is sure to make good her own. The divine command which was issued to Adam-'Be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth,' is still echoiug down the ages, needed by some very dutifully 'tis true, but others have grown hard of hear ing and turn deaf ear. One old gentle man we heard the other day bemoaning the fact that there were no large families now a-days as honored the town when he was youpg-then, he said, a family of twelve was the average number-and he concluded with sigh over the frailty of woman! We have heard much boosting of what our grandmothers did, and many reflections up. on the weakness of the women of the 18th century. When we seriously consider what our maternal ancestors were required to do in caring foS these great families, and while raising their young, doing incredible amounts of work at the same time, we con. clude that it is no wonder the children oi to-day are weak, for had those great and excellent grandmothers done less then we are fain to believe the constitutions of the present generation would be capable of much greater endurance. This we believe to be one cause of depopulation Sheffield has few attractions for the enterprising business man, and so our sons must emi- grate. If our wise creator deemed it unfit for man to be alone, we conclude it is not good for woman to live so either, and per haps this is one reason why Sheffield lacks life, for within the limits of mile along our village street can be counted 40 widows and single women. Do you wonder that we believe in woman's rights? Let the census report as it will, we will still assert that, considering the circumstances, Shef- field has done nobly in the struggle to keeI up appearances and replenish her ranks.
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