Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-27
VERMONT SETTLERS.
Owners Leaving Farms Because Thev ca,.
not Make Living.
tProvidoncs Journal. ]


An interesting contrast is certainly 10 be
drawn between the conditions under which
the first settlers Of New England labored
In making for themselves new homes ana
those conditions which the State Of Yer
mont is Offering to a colony Of seventy. Ave
Swedish immigrants 10 settle on some az
the deserted farm lands of the State. Tho
sturdy people who went up into Yer.
mont in colonial times had TO begin
with tho axe and construct for them
selves rude log houses and TO clear lands
go that they could be planted. Stumps
had TO be dug ont and barns built. Their
implements of agriculture, what few thew
had. were primitive They had no mar.
kets to speak OF. IL was a struggle TO pull
a livelihood ont of the soil with the hands.
Then the forces Of society had to be organ
lied. Churches had 10 be built Educs-
ton had TO be provided for. It was hard
struggle, and the people were sturdy and
thrifty. The woods disappeared and the
cereals waved in their places. The Indians
fell back. and in the course Of time a
strong and prosperous commonwealth was
formed, and SO it continued till rejection
set in against New England agriculture,
and the farms and tho farm-houses. the re-
suit of so much labor and self-denial. be-
gan TO be deserted.
DuI apparently uUfn IuOTh lDTIUDffH
than the pioneers arethe Swedes, who have
been brought over by the State Commits
sioner TO take these deserted farms. They
come to get for practically nothing oil that
cost the pioneers and their descendants so
much. They find houses and barns, with
plenty of good land all ready for cultiva-
ton about them. In the town of Nershire,
where fifteen families are about TO settle,
there are as many farms Of from seventy
five TO one hundred and twenty-five acres
each, with good buildings thereon. for
from SO 10 s. m acre. The new settlers
will be loaned S25 in cash TO make a
beginning. and they will be guaranteed
the opportunity of purchasing q COW on
credit. They will settle in town with
schools and churches to become part OF
an established government of seventy
five millions Of people. They will find
railroads where the pioneers found no
roads at all. They will find neighboring
cities and villages which ought 20 offer
good markets for the results of their toll.
Truly it would seem. when their opportu-
mites and what thew paw for them are
compared with the opportunities of the
pioneers and what they paid in the labor
OF overcoming difficulties rs If the lines Of
these Swedish colonists had fallen in ex-
ceeding pleasant places.
Looked Mt in another way it appears like
somewhat harsh comment on the Won
derful development of "a nation for $50
wears to ask poor Swedes TO come over
here into tho heart of New England at this
day 10 take nj nominal terms homes al
ready built and farms already TO be cul-
tivated 10 help preserve from increasing
poverty and decay An old Vermont town
with railroad within ten miles of it on
either side. Yet this town is by no means
an exceptional one. The Commissioner
of Agricultural Interests. who is ar
ranging for the settlement Of Swedes
on vacated farms. finds, from re-
ports from the listers in various towns,
that there arc at least a thousand vacated
farms. containing $4,000 acres OF land,
which can be bought for less than s. nm
acre. and most Of these farms have build
ings on them in fair condition: Many
| towns failed TO make any report. but the
commissioner estimates that IN the whole
State there are at least 100000 acres of un-
occupied land. exclusive OF timber land
and a large part of it held to be excellent
! land. It does not seem as if the Swedes
desiring 70 find homes in this country
would need to be coaxed TO settle upon
! these lands.
Yet it evidentlyis not an easy matter t.
| find settlers. and the success Of the settle
ment Of the Swedes who have been lust
| brought over IL stu doubtful. II me l an
kee people who have deserted their farms
found them not worth living upon after
wears of developing. is it to BIO expected
that these Swedes are to find them much
| better? There arc many farmers IN Yer.
mont from the old stock claiming that It
is a difficult matter 70 get enough from
their acres to support Their families and pay
taxes. especially when burdened with mort
cages. Are the Swedes to do 80 much
better? II is true that they may live more
cheaply: their desires may not be so nu
merous or so expensive, but, on the Other
hand. they can hardly make at first 40 good
use of their farms as Americans born, and
| bred upon them. The Swedes must learf
some of the ways of American agriculture
before they begin to secure the best posi-
bic returns. Nevertheless, they are wei
circumstance compared with the orisinal
settlers. and if they cannot succeed II vii
be largely because we have developed as
people swav from the farm by systematic
discrimination against 1t as an industry.