The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-08

the West. ETC., etc.
It will be remembered that Maj. A. B.
Valentine OF this village was appointed
Commissioners of Agricultural and
Manufacturing Interests" by Gov. Dill.
bingham last February, but so late that
in order to comply with the law, the
plans of operation were necessarily made
in hurry. The law provided for the
collection of statistics of the agricultural
and manufacturing interests of our State,
and it will be remembered that set of
blanks were sent out to the listers of all
the towns in the State, calling for certain
statistics, and another set was sent to
farmers and manufacturers.
In a recent interview, Commissioner
Valentine stated that the returns from
the listers were very complete and salts
factory. He will compile the returns
and make report to the next legislature
as provided by law, The returns from
farmers and manufacturers have been
Unexpectedly complete from some towns,
but as rule the reports are 80 incom-
plete that it will be impossible to make
very material use of them. Commission
er Valentine will recommend a measure
for the encouragement Of immigration
based upon the listers returns.
In pursuance Of a matured plan Of
action we are now In receipt of a circular
letter, addressed to the listers of those
towns which have reported abandoned
lands, written in the interest Of the last
sentence of the interview alluded to. BY
way of preface to the circular-letter, and
in elaboration of a reference therein, we
add, that the "four tracts" of abandoned
lands grouped together from the returns
of about fifty towns, disclose these facts.
The first is situated on the slope of tho
west bank of the Connecticut River, ex-
tending from the Green Mountains down
to the valley, principally in Windham
county, and contains several thousand
acres. The access to market of these
lands, l. e., to railroad stations and large
towns varies from towns which lie upon
the railroad to those from three, ten, and
in one or two instances fifteen miles re-
moved.
The next tract lies in the V shaped
boundary made by the Rutland railroad
east, and the Vermont Valley line to
White River junction, with the smaller
or pointed end Of the outline at Bellows
Falls, and the northern boundary in
about the latitude of Woodstock, also
containing several thousand acres. Any
knowledge of this geographical location
will indicate 10 the reader, that when
the proposed Woodstock railroad is built,
this section will be entirely surrounded
by railroad. The towns interested in
abandoned farms are, like the southern
tract, located on railway lines, three
miles away, and none of those reported
are more than nine miles from trunk
lines between Montreal and Boston,
The third tract is bounded by the Pas
sumpsic railroad and Connecticut River
on the east, by the Wells River railroad
on the north, and the hypothenuse
(south-east and northwest boundary is
represented by the Central Vermont
from White River junction to Mont
pelier, There is also small section,
running up to the mountains ON the
west of the G. V. r. R. along the latitude
of Royalton, Randolph and Braintree.
Many of these towns reporting abandon
ed lands are likewise situated upon the
railroads, and most of the distances re-
ported are from three to eight and ten
miles away. This section has two trunk
lines of railway between Montreal and
Boston.
The fourth tract is bounded or lies
along the Connecticut and Passumpsic
Rivers, and the railroad called by that
name, north of Wells River. The south
boundary is the Lake Railroad" the
north boundary is the Canada line, and
it reaches to the mountains on the west,
containing several thousand acres, like
the other three sections noted.
These lands are called abandoned, but
the word 1tncultiUated in many instances
would best describe them. A goodly
part of this land is fertile, and much of it
is now used for pasture which was for
merly titled. There was a craze to Ego
West" few years ago, colonies were
organized, and in this way towns became
depopulated. Just the situation of these
farms, which are of convenient size, the
price at which they can be purchased,
and the interest VermonteTs will take in
the matter of immigration, is the object
of the Commissioner to call out, We
give his letter in full as follows:
"The gradual decrease of cultivated
acres in many towns of our Common
wealth, and the consequent decrease OF
population in those towns, has attracted
the attention of thoughtful men. The
discussion Of the possibility of checking
the outflow of our young men and wo-
men, and the re-populating of the lands
thus left without tenants, has eliminated
the last Legislature, and a copy of the |
Act establishing the Commission is here
with enclosed.
Provision is made in the Act for GER
tain experimental action, looking to- |
wards the bringing Of the agricultural
advantages of the State to the knowledge |
of the people of other states or countries, |
and inducing them to purchase unoccu- |
pied, abandoned, or other lands, for the |
purposes of cultivation.
This communication is addressed to |
you because you, in your official capacI-
ty as town lister, have reported certain |
lands, once cultivated, but now turned
into pasture or growing up to forest, and |
practically abandoned for farm pur-
poses.
In this communication, the Commits |
sioner wishes it to be understood that he |
is not committed to any fixed plan Of
action, for he is not yet fully persuaded |
that any practical means can be devised |
to accomplish the end sought. The OBJ. |
ject of this paper is rather reaching |
out for information, from which to de |
eide whether to attempt to follow the |
line Of action herein brought to your at |
tention or to abandon the only practical
remedy which has thus far suggested it.
self.
1.-THE successful establishment of col
onies Of Swedes on unoccupied lands in |
the State of Maine, and the success of
corporations at the West in the coloni- |
cation of railroad lands with citizens of
the same nationality, has led the Com |
missioner to think 1t possible to divert |
this class Of desirable inhabitants to our
own State.
SIT Is true that the State Of Maine, and |
the railroad companies owned the lands.
Did the State of Vermont own the 200,-
600 acres of land reported now abandon
ed for farming purposes, but formerly |
under cultivation, and much Of which lie
capable of as successful cultivation as
the prosperous surrounding farms, the
problem could be easily solved. Yet,
even now, it does not seem impossible to |
accomplish much through this Bureau, |
following the lead of the State and cor
porations mentioned. TheCommissioner |
has lately conferred with prominent |
Swede of Nebraska, who has brought |
over a number of colonies of his coun. |
trymen TO settle on railroad lands in |
that State. II facts seem to warrant it, |
the Commissioner purposes to take the |
gentleman mentioned over parts OF our |
State where are reported large tracts OF
land suitable for cultivation, and which |
can be secured at low price. He IS
practical farmer and a thorough judge |
of the wants Of his countryman; pos
sesses and has earned their confidence to
the fullest extent, and would not recon-
mend their settlement in our State unless
- l.