Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-06

and the result has been that they have taken
advantage OF the opportunities so offered, and
IN all portions of land business and pro
fessional circles have been enriched by the adj
dltlon OF young men with sound minds in sound
bodies whom we have sent out. The extent to
which Vermont has ministered to the wealth
OF other states is indicated, to some extent by
the census OF 1850. by which it appears that of
her native-born sons, there were then residing
III Connecticut. BAG; in New Hampshire
1000 in Massachusetts ri, 4g3 in New York
M,2Il the majority Of whom | think it is safe
to say, were TO be found in the cities and vii
lagos OF those states. The same source of in
formation reveals the fact that of natve-born
/ Vermonters there were then residing in Penn
sylvania, $500; in Kansas, 1880; in Ohio, 7.064;
IN Minnesota, 1863; in Iowa, l., 297; in Michi-
gan, l., 5ss; in Illinois, 1853, and in far-off
California, 1861, so that, comprehensiyely
stated, there were then residing in the United
| States 4f0,041 persons who had been born in
Vermont and of this whole number only 25l,-
iSO, or about IS per cent of the whole, were
then residing in Vermont That this exodus
proceeded from the more purely agricultural
towns is, l think, generally admitted but, il
proof were needed, glance at the census tables
since 1880 would probably satisfy the most
skeptical mind of the fact. In the county Of
Addison, one of the finest for agricultural pur-
poses in the state. though her villages increased
III population and Importance, there was be-
tween 1880 and 1880 q decrease in her popula-
ton of about $50. In 1880 Bennington county
had IL ,4tjS inhabitants 20 years later, in 1850,
only 1852, but through growth in manufac-
lures and the opening up OF quarries her popu-
lation in 1880 had come TO be u $50. In
Caledonia county the population, which in 1880
was 2O.96I, had come in 1850 TO be 23,tai7,
gain largely accounted for in the growth of
two three of her larger villages In 1880
Chittenden county had population of 2. 7ti5;
in 1850, 22,a71 and 10 1880 -, T92, a growth
largely attributable to Burlingtons prosperity.
In Orange county, which is peculiarly an agri-
cultural region, but which possesses several
prosperous and growing villages the popula-
ton decreased between 1880 and 1880 from
1,2S5 to 23.52o. The population of grand old
Rutland county also decreased in the % years
between 1880 and 1850, but the opening of
her quarries and the establishment of manu-
featuring industries her population began to
increase, and between 1850 and 1850 she had
made gain of about 11,O00. In Washington
county the gain of 1900 between 1890 and 1850
was largely in the villages, and the gain during
the last ten years (the greatest OF that of any
county in the state has been mainly in Barre
and Montpelier and is the direct result of the
opening OF large number of granite quarries
at the former place Notwithstanding the
growth and pro- perity Of Brattleboro and Bel
lows Falls, the loss of population in Windham
county between 1870 aud 1850 Amounted TO
1855, while in Windsor county, with some of
our finest aud most prosperous villages in her
midst, the falling off during the same period
amounted TO more than 900. All Of our
counties have suffered from the removal TO
other states of young men from the ranks of
our farmers, and the impression which has
generally prevailed. that only the back towns
have been affected, is, in my Judgment, nm
founded. | am strongly of the opinion that
the exodus began from the towns more fa-
yorably located with reference to railroads and
other great thoroughfares. but was not no.
ticeable it would otherwise have been for
the reason that immigration from other states
and countries poured in to take the places of
those who hadNgone out; Connected with the
building OF our early railroads a large impl-
grafton from Ireland was induced and as these
newcomers became acquainted with the exist
ing condition of things, and saw the facilities
here offered for obtaining homes, they had the
courage and foresight to buy and cultivate
lands and 10 encourage their friends abroad to
immigrate TO Vermont for the same purposes
and in this way il has come about that in many
Of our best towns our Irish fellow-citlzens have
become the owners Of a large proportion of the
farm property and are highly esteemed for
their intelligence and success. With the in
crease of manufacturer in our larger towns,
and the development Of our lumber interests in
different sections of the state, there have also
come TO us large numbers OF industrious per-
sons from British America, and while a good
many of them have purchased land and are en-
gagged in its cultivation, IL is probably true that
the greater number of them are gathered in
the business centers.
But for the introduction Of these new ele-
dition we are now called upon TO face would
have appeared much earlier; and the fact that
in the ten years intervening between 1870 and
lss0 the number of foreign-born residents in
Vermont decreased from $3.50 to 4G,aJg, indi-
Gates that the tide upon which we had come to
depend. and which had mnstered so much to
the prosperity of the towns affected by it. had
ceased to flow. The extent to which these and
other depressing influences have operated is
shown by this statement OF the commissioner
Al. H.. IS of tlA
state is either unoccuped indifferently cul-
tivated, though a large portion of the soil is
good, not worn out, and can be made as fruitful
as other lands lying contiguous which
successfully cultivated. The towns where
these lands are mainly found are what are
known as back towns, or from their situation,
are at some distance from the railroads or
manufacturing centers. Aside from the value
of their real estate. there is, comparatively
speaking little personal property with which
to swell the size f their grand lists and as
values and population have gradually lessened
the rate of taxation has correspondingly in
creased, until now, in many places, it has come
to be serious burden to our farmers, and a
grave industrial problem has been presented
for solution. This condition of things not,
in my Judgment. be attributed either to a free
trade policy in the past or to the protective
tariff of the present, nor is it to be presumed
for an instant that the lands in question
poor or valueless. They are, as stated by the
commissioner. of good quality and not worn
out. Many of them have buildings in fair
state of repair. and at the price at which they
can be purchased are undoubtedly good
investment for those desiring TO make homes
as can be found in any part of the United
States; but the fact exists that IN a nation
'affording so many avenues to wealth as are
open in the United States, and which offers so
many temptations to young men of enterprise
and ambition to engage in more remunerative
pursuits there is tendency on the part of
American bows in every part of our land to
abandon small farming. 80 far is this trne
that almost every state in the Union has been
Obliged to look to foreign fields for material
with which TO make up OF replenish its farm
population.
Il Is evident to my mind that the enterpris-
- ....,4h ,rhnsa erodns from onr state helned