The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-07-18
HYDE PARK. JULY 10, 1877.
OUR MERCHANTS.

The dam has given way and the
pond has flown down the valley. For
several years Lamoille county has
been the terminus of the p. & o. rail-
road, and as terminal point it could
not well help being benefited by the
road. Now, however, that the road
is through, what will be its influence
ON our county? There is one class OF
men for whom we feel disposed to put
in a plea, namely, our merchants.
II seems to be the impression with
many people that, if they get their
goods in a large place, they must oil
necessity get a nicer article and at
cheaper rates than they could get them
at home. when it stands 10 reason that
the contrary is true. st Johnsbury
never has drawn trade from this county
very largely, but five mistake not, the
opening of the B. & L. and its con-
nection with the p. & o. road will
draw G very large trade from the west
ern part of the county into Burlington.
We would find no fault with this if it
were'true that one could trade cheap
er in Burlington than they can at
home, which is by no means fact.
Stores in our country villages we must
have, because we cannot run off to the
city for every little thing needed, and
when our people throw into the hands
of our home merchants only little
driblets for immediate necessities, and
pass them by when with full purse
they start out to do more extensive
trading, we wish to protest. Our
county is small, but in the previous
years isolated and "spunky," it has
maintained quite a respectable reputa-
ton for thrift and brains. Now, how
ever, the counties about us, with their
large villages, have easy access to us,
and if we follow the centralizing ten
dency connected with this age of rail
roads and telegraphs, we shall lose as
much as we gain from our railroad
connections. Our merchants can now
get goods from Boston as cheap as
the merchants Of Burlington or st.
Adams, and if our citizens continue
to give them their patronage, they
can afford to keep large assortments
and sell cheap. If, on the other hand,
we get possessed with the high notion
that we must run off somewhere when
ever we have five dollars to spend, be-
cause the railroad makes it convenient
to do so, it will very materially affect
the prosperity of our villages, and con-
sequcntly lessen the Importance of oul
county. The same remarks apply tC
our county papers. There are but
few families in the county that cannot
afford to take a paper or two, an(
next to their religious periodical SHOULD
come their local paper. The interes
of the county demands that the loca
papers published in the county b.
supported, in preference to the papers
of other counties, and the public spiri
and local pride Of every citizen SHOULD
prompt him to support one of our TIVE
papers. We maintain that two pa
pers can live and live well in thi
county, if the people will give then
their support. If it were not for on
consummate modesty, we would sug
gest also that there are not two NOR
live, newsy local papers published il
this state than the Citizen and tn
News. II you cannot give us you
support, then give it to our contempt
rary, the Citizen, and not run off cute
the county to support papers which d.
sign the absorption of the business il
,terests of our county.