The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-03-13
OUR WELCOMEIs WIDE.

There appears to be an idea prevalen
among our editorial conferes that W.
are particularly anxious for an immi
grafton of Swedes into Vermont. A
least this seems to be the impression W.
have unwittingly given to the excellen
agricultural editor of the Hartford
Comm Times. 1t is a mistake, how
ever. We award all the credit or tina
idea to Commissioner Valentine, whC
may, perhaps, have taken it from sue
cessful experiment noted in the case o
the flour shing Aroostook township o
New Sweden. Scandinavia, by tn,
way, seems to have been always wei
appreciated by the people of the Pin,
Tree State, if we may judge by its tow
names of Norway, Sweden, Denmark
and New Sweden. Our own idea, re
peatedly advocated in these columns
long before the appointment Of an I'm
migration Commissioner, was to max,
some efforts to at ract the hard-presseC
tenant farmers of Great Britain. Thu
| led to some correspondence on our par
with English journals; but the vein
though to us encouraging, GEMS not L
have been thought by others to b.
worth working.
But while we should be glad to see ;
New England exodus to New England
we have no such exclusive ideas as t.
prevent our giving all the help we car
toward the introduction of induStriou!
farmers from any portion of the civilized
world. The press of other states may
not see anything particularly commend
able in this desire of Vermont for an in
crease of population. Our friend of the
Times evidently does not. He joyful,
quotes the Barton Monitors surprising
charge of libel against Commissioned
Valentine, in reference to abandoned
farms in Orleans county, whose MAP
was based entirely upon the statements
of the town authorities and of the own
ers of the land confirmed to us person
ally, and very lately, during the session
of court by well-informed citizens of 6
number of Orleans towns. 1t is strange
indeed that any one should suppose oul
legislature likely o appoint a commits
sioner, and make an appropria ion, fol
which there was no apparent call
This whole criticism of Vermont's ac
ton is based on an assumption tina
our people ought to be content with s
stationary population of the State as s
whole, and with a considerable reduc
ton in the number of our occupied
| farms. 1t is not pertinent to say ant
prove that our remaining farmers ar,
doing very well, and in not few case!
better than ever. That is one of tn,
reasons why we should feel justified il
an effort make our excellent opportu
mites more widely known. Vernon
has room for many more farmers, ant
we mean to try to get them. There ar,
hundreds of farmers in Connecticut WHIT
we are persuaded, could better them
selves greatly by moving into Vermont
| Everything considered, the opportuni
ties are better now than in the earl
days. when Connecticut poured
strong stream of emigra ion hItherward
Our friend of the Times must pardon u
for believing that larger agriculture
population will be netit us. If he think
a stationary population best, we hav
no objection to please him by taking tn
whole i crease OF Connecticut-with
hearty welcome. The more of them w
get the merrier we shall be.-Dr. Hos
kins in Waterman.
Maj. Valentine is absent this wee
making terms for the locations of tn
| pIOpOotu COlOlllolos IlG NlSllo w luu
ham and Windsor counties. A dispatc
from Montpelier of the 9th, explains tn
Commissioner late trip:
Hon A. B. Valentine, commissions
of agriculture and manufacturing inter
ests, returned from Vershire to day
where he ent yesterday to make fins
arrangements for establishing a Swed
ish colony The commissioner foun
the citizens OF Vershire thoroughly i
earnest regarding the proposed cOloni
cation scheme, and arrangements wer
completed for settling q dozen Swedis
families in that place this comm
sDring. The Citizens Committee offe
the new settlers dozen farms of fror
rs to 100 acres each at prices rangin
from 50 to IS per acre, and also to agre
to loan 1875 in cash, and furnish a COY
for stipulated period to each family
The farms in question contain goo
bu ldings and sugar orchards, and tn
soil is of productive character. Com
missioner Valentine h received ad
vices from Emigrant COMMISSIONS
Nordgren, who is now in Sweden. tina
he has secured thirty families, number
ing some $50 persons, for colonization
purposes The emigrants will sail 70
America April LIST, and are expected
reach Vermont about ten days later.