Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-01
Agricultural.
ueturning from che west.

Tho advantages Of the West as compared
with the East have boon greatly ovorrated.
Thousands Of western farmers arc poorer than
the average formor of the Now England
siatop, and, with the exception Of possibly
ono or two Western statns the average wealth
OF tho eastern farmer exceeds that Of the
wostorn farmor Not fow western farmers
have had reason to regret that they loft their
comfortable homes In the east. Bon; Porloy
Poore in his Farm Talks" published in tho
Boston Cultivator, says that the tide of homo
migration Is said to be turning toward tho
Atlantic. Families who went from the Atan-
tic states toward tho setting sun some 80 years
ago, before the era of enormous grants Of
land to the Pacific railroads, we're able with
the few hundreds Of dollars they took with
Thorn to buy themselves good farms, their lit
tie capital sufIlcing to give them good start.
Hard labor for many years amid unhealthy
and barbnrous surroundings was the price tho
most successful had to pay for the prosperity
that was ultimately attained. Many sucoumb-
cd to the difficulties of their situation, and
not few returned to the east bankrupt, brok-
on in health and spirit for the rost OF their
days.
Then there havo been thousands Of young
mon who have followed Horace Groeloy's ad-
vice and gone wost without any capital but
their strong arms and brilliant expectations.
After years of hard manual labor in the ON
ployment of the capitalist class who owned
tho land, these young men often accumulated
money enough to buy farms of their own, and
In their turn became employers of labor. In.
stances occurred whore lucky individuals
made great fortunes in few years and ro-
turned cast to dazzle their friends with their
speedily acquired wealth. Particularly was
this tho case during the period of bonanza
mining, when ovory happy turn of tho spec
ulative Market or discovery of a rich mine,
created new Crp5us. But even ct that pc
riod the failures were far more numerous
than the successes. Every big fortune was
built on the ruins of q thousand little onos,
and for every young man who "struck it
rich" thore were hundreds who "struck it,
worry poor, and, if unable or ashamed to re-
turn home to acknowledge their failure sank
unnotlcod to the condition of hopeless day
laboror, TO perish ultimately of exposure and
dissipation.
The result of oil this 10 that many who
went wost are returning to the east, especially
those who have children for whom they de-
sire educational advantages. There arc in all
of the Atlantic states good lands which can
DO purchased at reasonable prices and which
will yield fair remuneration for Industrious
cultivation, besides being healthy, in pleasant
noighborhoods, near churches, schools, and
other resources of matured civilization.
The numerous manufactures which are
found In the Atlantic states will insure the
farmer in thoir vicinity ready market for
his produce, and although the railroads may
bring from the prAiries beef, pork and grain,
he viii never fail to realize good pricos for
what he raises. The prosperity of q commu-
nifty does not depend upon the fertility of the
soil, as may be seen by contrasting the con-
diton of those who dwell in the highlands OF
Scotland, or tho mountain ranges of Switzer-
land, with that of the luxurious and enervat-
cd inhabitants of Spain and Italy.