The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-04

phone.
We met ana at once forgot the part hau re-
hearSpd,
For when saw her face felt the syllables re-
versed.
VEKMONT'S INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS
DURING THE YEAR 1891.
For the wear 1891 Vermont claims a
full share of the prosperity and progress
which has come to our whole country.
Probably no year of her history, in re-
cent times, has shown so great progress
in way of building up new enterprises
and extending the operations of those
already established. The Board of Ag-
riculture has recently taken few sta
tistics, gathered from reports made to
the Board by the clerks Of the several
towns, relative to the transactions in
farm property and the establishment of
new manufacturing. Reports have been
received from 220 towns. A full report
would undoubtedly increase consider
ably some of the results found, as few
of the towns that it has been impossible
to get reports from, were among the
largest in the ate. The reports re-
ceived show that 1894 farms have been
sold during the year, of this number 252
were of the class known as unOCcupied
farms, In most cases the purchasers OF
these unOccupied lands were persons
who wanted them for homes. A good
feeling is reported as prevailing among
the farmers and slight increase in price
of real estate is generally claimed. The
sales made have been quite general
throughout the state, the number sold in
each county being: Windsor, 28S;
Orange, 2lS; Washington, 1919; Wind
ham, 1853; Orleans, l50; Franklin,
100; Addison, 100 /: Caledonia,
125: Rutland, 90; Chittenden, 81; La
noble, 81; Bennington, 81; Essex, 40;
Grand Isle, ,.
The town of Barnard leads the list
with sale of - farms of which 81 were
of the unoccupled class. In many local
tiles it is claimed that the purchasers of
the farms are young men of the town, in
other localities it is found to be young
men who have for little while tried
farming in the new West and returned to
find in Vermont what they had sought
for elsewhere. the best place to secure
home and surround themselves and fam
lilies with the greatest number of adj
yantages at the least expense.
The following extract from a
letter from man in Brecken-
ridge, Minnesota, is a fair sample of
many received within the past few
months. 1t illustrates both the ignor
ance in regard to Vermont and the feel
ing for tueir own country. Under date
of Feb. 3rd he says 81 want to learn
about Vermont Is it too cold to raise
wheat, corn and beans? Is it very rocky
and hilly? Is the land badly exhausted
and run down? Please send me the pam
phlet issued by your Board as | would
like to sc what you have to offer. |
don't like this miserable prairie country
and want to get into nose attractive
place. The fact that Vermont can
raise wheat, corn and beans, as well as
every other crop adapted to her
latitude, and place her record in all at or
very near the head, is coming to be UNI
derstood, and the fact is bringing Gus
toners for all farming land that is for
sale.
NEW MANUFACTCRING.
The reports to the Board show that
S74l 900 Of capital mas been invested IN
new manufacturing plants during the
year 1891. This does not include the
working capital required to conduct the
business. There has also been quite
large investment of capital in extending
manufactures already established that
is not here cluded. The new plants
were giving employment Jan. |, to 2l07
persons. In view of the fact that since
1850 the census reports credit us with
an increase OF population of less than
10000, the large increase the past yehr
which must come from employing this
additional number of persons makes a
pleasant and striking contrast. These
new industries have been scattered
through the entire State and the range
of products has covered a wide field.
The leading branch of manufacture has
been in the line of wood products.
The following towns have put in new
plants under this head: Bristol, Pan
ton, Lincoln, Arlington, Lyndon,
Searsburgh, Burlington, Canaan, Guild
hall, Lunenburgh, SwantOn, Westtield,
Barton, Benson, Mendon, Clarendon,
Chittenden, Fayston, Moretown, Marsh
field, Waitsfeld, Warren, Berkshire,
Nottingham, Vernon, StrattOn, Spring
field, Bridgwater, Plymouth and Yves
ton. The plants vary in capital invested
and help employed from $1,000 with one
or two men to Sj0,0O0 with 100 employees
The total investment in this line of
manufacture is S2l4,SOO AMI 800 persons
employed. Factories for the manufact-
ure shoes have been built at Burlington,
Bethel, RoyaltOn, and Chelsea, repre-
senting an investment of Sl36,000 and
employing 42j persons. New granite
quarries or shops have been started in
Hardwick, Burlington, Montpelier and
Calais, $50, 600 of capital Invested and
2l0 persons employed; new slate works
ut Poultney and Fairhaven with an in
vestment of $4,000 and l5j wOrkmen;
new Marble Co. at SwantOn with $780,
900 capital; new creameries or cheese
factories have been built at Bridport,
Danville, Lyndon, Gulldhall Vershire,
Thetford, Sharon, Barnard and Reading,
representing $4,000 invested. Morris
town has $4,000 tannery and a com
pany for the manufacture of boot heels
with $50, 900 capital; "A button factory
has been built at StOckbridge and $4,000
invested; at Newport factory for the
manufacture of Overhalls and shirts with
a capital of $4,000.
Another feature of the year not COM
ing within the line of either manufac-
ture or agriculture, has been the build
ing of several fine hotels intended,
largely, to accommodate summer travel.
Salisbury, CastletOn, Woodstock and
Chester have built during the past year,
and invested about 100000 in this way.
In the building up of new manufac-
turtles Burlington takes the lead and re-
ports an investment of $4,000 and 95C
persons employed. All the manufac-
lures that have been reported from the
county of Chittenden came from Bur,
a., r. 1,