The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-16
VermOnt's Industrial Revival.

Hon. Victor |. Spear, who has had the di-
rect charge of the work of gathering indus
trial facts and statistics, undertaken by the
Board of Agriculture, makes the following
gratifying report of the results of his labors
AS TO FARMS.
For the year 1891 Vermont claims full
share of the prosperity and progress which
has come to our whole country. Probably
no year of her history, in recent times, has
shown so great progress in the way of build
ing up new enterprises and extending the
operations of those already established. The
Board of Agriculture has recently taken
few statistics, 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 90 towns. The reports received show
that / ,764 farms have been sold during this
year; of this number 252 were of the class
known as unoccupied farms. The sales
made have been quite general throughout
the state, the number sold in each county
beng: Windsor, 2SS; Orange, 21S; Washing
ton, 1899; Windham. 16S; Orleans, 159;
Franklin, 100; Addison, 129; Caledonia,
125; Rutland, SO; Chttenden, 81; Lamoille,
81; Bennington, So; Essex, 46 Grand Isle,2
The town of Barnard heads the list with
sale OF ifty-two farms of which thirty-four
were of the unoccupied class. In many
localities it is claimed that the purchasers
of farms are young men of the town, in
other localities it is found to be young men
who have for a little while tried farming in
the new West and returned to find in Yer
mont what they had sought for elsewhere
the best place TO secure home and sur
round themselves and families with the
greatest number of advantages at the
least expense.
AS TO MANUFACTURES.
The reports to the board show that SAL:
go Of capital has been invested in new
manufacturing plants during the year 1891.
This docs 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 included. The
new plants will give employment January
l to 2, 1877 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 year which must
come from employing this additional num-
Der OF persons makes pleasant and striking
contrast. These new industries have been
scattered through the entire state and the
range of products has covered wide field.
The leading branch of manufacture has
been in the line OF wood products. The fol-
lowing towns have put in new plants under
this head Bristol, Panton, Lincoln, Airing
ton, Lyndon, Searsburgh, Burlington.
Canaan, Guildhall, Lunenburgh, Swantou.
Westfield, Barton, Benson, Mendon, Clar-
endon, Chittenden, Fayston, Moretown,
Marshheld, Waitstield, Warren, Berkshire,
Nottingham, Vernon, Stratton, Springfield,
Bridgewater, Plymouth and Weston These
plants vary in capital invested and help en-
poyed from 81 600 with one or two men TO
$4,000 with 100 employees. The total in
vestment in this line Of manufacture is
S2l4, 800 and 800 persons employed.
Factories for the manufacture OF shoes
have been built at Burlington, Bethel, Roy
alton and Chelsea, representing an invest
ment of Sl36,000 and employing 40 per-
sons. New granite quarries or shops have
been started in Hardwick, Burlington,
Montpelier and Calais, $4,000 of capital in
vested and 2l0 persons employed new STATE
works at Poultney and Fair Haven, with
an investment of $500 and 155 workmen;
new marble company at Swanton, with
$40, 900 capital; new creameries or cheese
factories have been built at Bridport, Dan
Vile, Lyndon, Guildhall, Vershire, Thet-
ford, Sharon, Barnard and Reading, repre-
senting $685. 900 invested. Morristown has