Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-03-06

The St. Johnsbury Republican printed
recently a short article on The true way
to bring Vermont to the front" in which
it cited the case of wealthy Philadelphia
who bought, few years ago, a farm in
Sharon, building on it an elegant summer
house For his own qualification he put on
the farm a nice Jersey dairy. The cows
made more butter than the family could
use and he sent some to Philadelphia, where
its excellence was recognized, and such
demand sprung up that he bought adjoin-
ing farms and increased his facilities till he
now has 100 cows and 80 heifers, besides
buying milk Of the farmers around, and
his shipments amount to 1900 pounds of
butter a week Here, the Republican
says, is the true solution of Nermont's
problem. One such rich man using his
money and his brains in this way is worth
more than all the "impecunious Swedes"
and other foreigners that could be brought
to the state. These are the men we want
in Vermont. and if proper means were
taken their number could be largely in
creased"
The Burlington Free Press reprints this
article from the Republican, and in con
trast with the case cited quotes that re-
Gently told about in The Phoenix local col
umns, of Nermonter who got enough of
Dakota, and came back to Windham coun-
ty three years ago, buying an abandoned
farm, toward the purchase of which he
paid down $50, and then went to work
with such energy and business tact that he
has now paid $500 toward the farm, made
repairs to the value of $500 on his build
ings, and now has stock worth $3.50 all
paid for, and during this time his family,
ranging in size from six to ten persons,
have had comfortable living
Using these two instances so unlike in
character, as illustrations, the Free Press
| goes on TO say
Certainly the Republican would not
have us and the state could not afford to
extend a welcome to one class of men to
the exclusion of another. Indeed it NAV
well be doubted if it would be a blessing to
| Vermont were the rich men of the larger
cities to buy up the state and divide it into
parks and game preserves and building
| sites lot pdldlldl TeSluenCeS. we want
these people. They increase the value of
property bring many to Vermont from
outside the state give employment to
large numbers and contribute materially to
the growth and prosperity of the state
But if Vermont is going to maintain the
individual characteristics which have made
her famous. we must continue to increase
the numbers of our substantial every-d ay
farmers at the same time, even though
some of the newcomers be poor at the
start.
The returned Dakotan that The Phe-
nix tells us about is a good representative
of this other class Of men that we want in
Vermont. To be sure, if not exactly a
pauper, he found himself dangerously near
the pauper line when he got back from the
West, as so many others have found them
selves under similar circumstances, for it
appears that $50 was all he could raise to
apply to the purchase money of his 'aban-
doDed farm. For all We know he NAV be
a foreigner, too possibly a sturdy Scotch
man or Englishman. Anyhow, we know
that he is intelligent and honest for he
subscribes and pays for The Phoenix, and
his experience with an abandoned farm
in Vermont proves beyond doubt that he
is both Woodworking and thrifty.
Now without taking exceptions to a
single word spoken by the St Johnsbury
contemporary in favor of increasing the
number of wealthy men in Vermont, and
believing that we should do everything in
our power to induce such men to come here
and to remain here, we submit that Yer
mont is equally in need of Just such men as
this returned Dakotan-honest. hard-work-
ing, thrifty and intelligent farmers Such
men make good citizens and are a credit to
any state. If proper means were taken
their number could he largely increased
There is room enough in Vermont for the
man of wealth who comes here for rest and
recreation, and there is room enough, too,
for the man of small means or no means
at all, providing he be honest and law
abiding and is willing to work. Vermont
wants them both. "
The argument of the Free Press is sound,
its conclusions are sound, and what is more
every such discussion as this is enlighten-
ing and helpful in stimulating thought and
making our Vermont people see for them
selves what are the needs and capabilities
of our state.