Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-07-24
DAKOTA VS.. VERMONT.
MIMIC, WALsH Co, DAKOTA,

June 10Th, 1885.
Editors Of the PhGnir In The Ph@nix
Of May 8, under the heading vermont"
notice q reply TO my letter OF April 9TH.
While most fully appreciate the sparkling
springs, the grand old mountains the health
fol climate, the pleasant surroundings Of the
Vermont homes" still claim that the west,
and particularly the Red River valley Of the
north, possesses many advantages over any
eastern or middle state, ~ place where q
poor man may come with his family and with
less time and labor surround them with all the
comforts OF pleasant home. The writer Of
the article In question: in making his com.
parison OF statistics fails 10 notice the differ
ence In the circumstances between here and
Vermont. Statistics show nothing unlsas We
consider circumstance. Vermont was first
settled in 1924. She has, therefore, the 40.
cumulated wealth from the labor Of over a
century and half with which 10 adorn and
beautify her homes while Dakota, settled
in 1859, has but q quarter Of q century II
Dakota has accumulated $500 per capita
from the labor Of 20 years, what win Il be
In $50 years or II Vermont has but $50
per capita for her 100 years Of toll and rigid
economy, what did she have At The end OF
the first 252 The population Of Dakota In
1870 was II, 1871 in 1880 II had reached 1885,
1870; while now, but Eve years later, we
number over 900, 900 70 that really the aver
age years Of labor expended on the Dakota
farms cannot be much over Ave years. An
other thing TO be considered in making mp
statistics is the difference In values between
here and Vermont. The Average price OF
products in Vermont IL at least 80 per cent
above Dakota, while the value of her lands,
having the same producing capacity Is those
here, will sell for at least ten times what they
oar hn hrnrhN Nnw hawA H., -,
as taken from the census reports is seeming
ly against us, the actual results OF labor are
very largely in our favor. You may put two
men, each with the same number 10 support,
on 10 farms Of equal size, say 200 acres, the
land TO be In both cases In Q state OF nature,
one In this county and the other in any east
ern state, and the man here can and will from
the product Of his labor and the soil, pay for
the land, for good buildings, teams and i'm
plements, and surround and adorn his home
with comforts and Injuries Of civilized life
in less than one fourth the time II could be
done in the east. II is true that Vermont
farmers are Just outside of three OF the larg-
est cities Of America, and one Of the largest
in the world, and are enabled thereby 70 get
the highest market price for both their prod
ucts and lands. They are easily accessible
70 most Of the manufacturing villages OF this
country still, the showing by the census
for her lao years labor is less than double
that Of Dakota with her 20 years
We notice the writer's allusion 10 "a pleas
ant and attractive variety Of natural scenery, 1"
etc. wen know what that Is in Vermont,
and will discount II Ct least so per cent. /
can stand In the door of the house on my
farm and see Mimic, 20 miles east Grafton,
20 miles northeast lnksteF, miles south !;
fark River, IL miles north and at least 500
farms between me and these villages and
with good held-glass count the houses,
barns, granaries; can see with the unaided
eye the trains come In and out OF Mimic, and
WAton them TOT ten miles as they seem to
craWl along the horizon, and by going to the
top OF hill not 40 rods from the house can
see, II not the cattle on thousand hills,
al least thousand farms with their immense
nelds OF grain, soon to become Q golden
harvest.
do you ask for the grand old hills and
WOODS we nave them, TOO, In western Da-
kota. am writing for the farmers; men
who are seeking quiet, peaceful homes for
themselves and families lands easily worked
and productive, where the labors OF early
lie VIII amply provide for old age but IL
you have men who love and must have tie
speculation and excitement OF the miners
life, they can find fields in Dakota rich in
IN "Oh m oiaHooe oNotJ otAot
mineral useful to man.
Dakota has some things to be proud OF. II
ia true she has no people peculiarly her own,
as nave the eastern states. Our population
naus up from every stAte IN the Union
;sIonds oS W ~ Oouny nm tns
of every land have sou1ht nav bomas ana
greater liberty in the growing empire of the
west. Dakota is proud of her growth the
last ni'een years from II, 900 to over GOO, e
mors than anS ou Ua o. ~ s. miles o. rAns nN
school bouses. more than Sn1 one ~ ~
states of her 275 newspapers, more than
any New England state except Massach usetts,
or any eastern state except New York and
1S n a,n;on s IN posi- oneea We rank above
nue 10 the nost ORC 5sn" anu" ny " ,ho, 'o,o,
one of 80 states, and our popuIation i. a.
large as that of Nebraska or Connecticut, and
nearly twice as large as that Of Florida or
vermont, we can grow successfully every
tnSs We hsvo ,,;th;, 'O o Is o' =. IAu