The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-15
The Banner.
BENNINGTON. VERMONT
Thursday Afternoon, Aug. Is, 1889
ooLoNIzINa VERMONT.

COLONIZING VERMONT
The circular-letter Of Commissioner
Valentine, printed in the BANNER last
week with editorial explanations, has
attracted wide attention. The press OF
Vermont and other states, not excepting
the metropolis, have devoted much at
tention to It and have freely commented
pro and con on the subject. We had
almost concluded to give a consensus OF
the editorial opinion thus expressed, as a
matter of news, when we find some
thing better in the following.
The Commissioner authorizes us to
say that the responses from our Vermont
towns interested, have been very much
larger than was anticipated, and vol
luminous correspondence has been open
ed with the Commission, not only in
Vermont, but outside Of the state-in
fact fttrore ESQ to speak, Of interest to
give the proposed project OF Swedish
immigration trial.
From this mass OF letters we are per-
mitted to copy from several, and in 30
doing shall designate the location accord
ing to the classification by four tracts
made by the BANNER last week. That
each town "means business" is evident
from what they say and have done in
the short time.
From a town 10 the first tract comes a
letter giving in detail the farms which
are.available for the purposes proposed,
a description of the buildings thereon,
number of acres of each, prices at which
they are listed number Of years vacant"
and the products possible to be raised.
The writer further says: "There are
several farms lying in the tract de-
sc-ibed here which the owners will sell
at a reasonable figure. There is in an.
other part of the town six farms OF
some hoo acres, all with buildings and
heavy timber-good surface land.
think that this town can furnish as large
an acreage as any in the state and there
are none of the farms but what are good
land have raised and will raise good
crops if there was anyone to farm them
as they should be. think if the situa
ton suited the price and terms would
be all right, and settlers could get help
IN stocking their places"
Other letters from the "Windham
county tract" are equally as promising.
From a town in the second tract we
select letter as a specimen OF the man
ner the Commissioner circular-letter
was received. The writer, chairman OF
the board of listers, says 81 write to re-
port that our people are not slow to CON
prehend the advantages to be gained by
the emigration to our town, and neigh
boring ones, of class of people 30 noted
for industry as the Swedes. The select
men of this town, believing it possible
for us to be benefited by your PROPOSE
ton, authorize me to correspond with
YOU, giving you all the information in
relation to our town which you may re-
quire and will remunerate me for time
spent" After saying that he had been
lister several years, and therefore had
the figures at command, he goes on TO
state sin 1882 certain farms in our
town were assessed at some S.. per acre,
and in 1885 the same property was valued
some SO. per acre less and still great
part where they have been sold, do not
bring the present appraisal, Probably
in one-third of this town where there
were within the memory of the Oldest
inhabitants our best farms and most pros
porous farmers, the buildings are now
going and have already gone to decay,
and what was few years ago fertile
fields are used for pasturage and fast
growing again 10 timber"
He gives an illustration of one farm,
formerly fertile, which is listed at $265,
containing 1876 acres. He thinks the
land could be purchased for the assessed
valuation, and continues 81 think
can safely say that four thousand acres
can be purchased in this town alone, ad-
Joining, and of this amount, about ono .
half are in farms of from 10 to 200 acres;
and some of theLe with buildings, many
of them occupied, which could be bought
for from 50. to 81. per acre. The remain
ing half are lands which formerly COM
prised good farms, but with buildings
now gone, and fast growing up TO tim
Der. Some is used for pasturage and on
other farms the fences are not kept up.
There are miles of stone walls to testify
10 former civilization; and these lands
could be bought for from 81. to 81. per
acre."
He says these farms are owned by
gentlemen Lying at two county-seats
which he names, and gives assurance
that time for payment could be had on
all these lands"
The writer of this letter, also, adds :
1.-THE welfare of our town and state de-
mands earnest work, and also such legis-
lation as will tend to keep our capital at
home. We can see new states growing
wealthy and prosperous at rapid rate
and aided to great extent by Vermont
money, while our hilIsides, where once
resided thrifty farmers, are fast gfowiog
up to wilderness" This cones from
the "Windsor county tract"
From the third tract we copy extracts
contained In specimen letter :: 81 will
say that in the southwest part OF cur
town and in the towns" mentioning
two adjoining, "'there are from % to 4O
farms contiguous or nearly so, abaud-
oned and unoccupied. Many of these
farms have a fair set Of buildings on
them, and Others could be made comfort
able with a small outlay. As to the
price OF these lands or farms, think
without doubt they could be bought of
the different owners for sum not to ex.
coed (five) SIS. per acre in any case, and
considerably less for most of the land.
We have many ether abandoned farms
in different parts of our town, with good
buildings on them, that could be bought
for IS. or less per acre. All of this end
was once occupied by thrifty aId pros
porous farmers. The cause of this STATE
OF things is simply this of people who
once occupied these farms, some have
died, others have gone west and to the
cities, and none came to fill their places.
The people are 80 anxious to secure
the proposed colony that town meet
ing is talked of to do what is necessary
in the premises to bring it about. And
this from the "OraDge County tract"
By return of mail came letter to the
Commi sioner from the fourth tract, in
harmony with these quoted, and it was
from the Caledonia tract" that the
illustration was taken few weeks since
where nearly hundred tons of butter
was reported from town which cast
about 200 votes; reporting farms enough
to absorb colony Of forty or fifty fam
lilies.
The nearness of these lands also to
trunk lines of rdillDay should be remem-
bered while thinking about the subject.
From towns through which there trunk
lines run and have stations located, to
those situated three miles, six miles, ten
miles, and no more than ten miles ex-
cept In exceptional instances, are these
unoccupied farms accessible to the city
markets by rail.
Something certainly, in our opinion
will come out Of this agitation, OF bene'
fit to Vermont.
An Indianapolis despatch says "The
Federal SUI eme Court vacancy Quee-