Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-04-26
THE EAST VS.. THE WEST.

The movement in Vermont to develop
the resources of the State by advertising
its merits, inviting immigration, and
making public the opportunities for pro-
table employment of labor and capital at
home. is very generally noticed with fav-
orable comments by the New England
press. 1t has inspired many editorials
similar to that from the Manchester Mir
rOr and Farmer, which, with comments
by the Deerfield Valley Times, is given
in another column. We are personally
acquainted with the region decribed by
the Mirror and Farmer, having spent
several weeks in Pittsburgh, n. H., at
one time, and seen most of the farms in
that town, AS well as many in the adjoin-
ing country. Pittsburg lies in that part
of New Hampshire which runs up be-
tween Canada and Maine. north of the
45th parallel of latitude. which is the
northern boundary of Vermont. The
whole tract comprises an area about half
as large as Windham county, and has
population of about 1000, of whom about
600 are in the town of Pittsburg, and the
remainder principally in Clarksville,
these two being the only organized
towns in the tract. The settlements are on
the road leading up the river towards the
Connecticut lakes, on the Indian stream,
and on other branches of the upper Con-
necticut. Beyond these, to the north
east, the forest extends for hundreds of
miles unbroken except by the camps
of lumbermen, hunters or fishing part
les. The Connecticut river at Pitts
burg is about as wide as West river is at
Townshend. The intervales on the
river are also about the same size as the
Townshend intervales; but the country
back of them, though rising into consid-
cradle hills, is not rocky and precipitous
like that. There are natural meadows
resembling those in Somerset-quite as
much subject to Out-of-season frost. The
principal products of cultivation are
hay, oats and India wheat and the rails
ing of live stock is engaged in to some
extent. 1t is too cold for corn; and even
apples will not thrive, unless it may be
some of the hardest varieties. Yet the
soil is evidently very fertile, and great
crops of potatoes, hay and oats are
grown. Most farmers keep large
stock of cattle and are ''well Off" One
who had no other source of income than
his farm was reputed to be worth $4,000.
If the facts could be ascertained, we be-
lieve they would prove that the financial
condition of the farmers there averages
better than that of the farmers in many
of the Western States. We know that
they do prove this as to the whole of
the State of Vermont; and we have
hundreds of thousands of acres Of land
in this State for sale at extremely low
prices, and still the rush goes on fol
the West, the thousands who are looking
for location in which to make home
never thinking of Vermont, the besl
dairy State in the Union; never knowing
that good farms, with good houses
barns and fences, pure running water
and great many conyeniences ano
privileges impossible to be had in most
places at the West, can be bought IL
: Vermont for less than buildings and
fences will cost in the West-often fol
less than the cost there of equally gooC
buildings alone.-[ Brattleboro Phoenix