Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-08
Times in Vermont Not Wholly Bad

The old adage about an i'll wind which
blows no one any good, is newly illustrated
by Nermont's experience in connection with
the business and industrial depression which
has prevailed during the past year in most
parts of the country. Owing to the bus
hess stability. the financial conservatism and
the general good sense which characteriles
the men of Vermont as a rule as well rs to its
location, this State is always one of the last
to feel the serious effects of financial and
business crisis like that through which the
country has been passing. The influence of
the hard times has been felt in various parts
of the State, to be sure, but that influence
has not been altogether untavorable.
While residents of this State have lost
considerable sums of money as result of
the panic it is significant that most of these
losses have involved money which was in
vested outside of Vermont. whereas there is
hardly branch of industrial or commercial
activity in Vermont which has yielded
wholly to the adverse conditions that have
affected manufacturing and trade generally
On the other hand. there are many business
and manufacturing concerns which report
one of the most favorable years in their his
tory. An inevitable result of this expert
ence must be of course the increase in favor
with our people Of home investments with a
consequent marked impetus to our home in
dustres resulting from the infusion of fresh
capital
W hat we desire to speak of more particu-
iarly at this time, however is the notable
L Al -.
other sections of the country is exerting
upon the migratory movement in Vermont
and especially in the rural districts. This
State has suffered serious detriment from
the tendency on the part of its young men
to seek to emulate those numerous
Nermonters who have won distinction
abroad rather than those who have shed
additional lustre upon the States fair name
by their distinguished services and eventful
lives at home. They appear to have been
dazzled by the success of natives of Yer
mont elsewhere, overlooking the fact that
while many Nermonters have won fame and
the more material evidences of successful
careers i'll other States there are few if any
who have attained more enviable distinctions
and higher place in national esteem than
have those distinguished sons of Vermont.
the venerable Senator Morrill,. ex-senator
George f. Edmunds, ex-United States Min
lister to England Edward j. Phelps and
Senator Redtield Proctor: and to these might
he added the names of other eminent Yer
monterS who have passed out from among
us forever in recent years
Tho potent influence in leading Young
men to leave the Green Mountain State
however, has been undoubtedly the desire
to acquire wealth more rapidly than it could
apparently be gathered here, and this is al
idea which the present season of business
depression is serving largely to dispe Many
Il those who went to the Western States
for example, were not only obliged to Dor
row capital from more fortunate people al
home but they also found ont that in almos
every State in the West Vermont capita
was TO be found invested in large sums, a
indicated by the records OF mortgages: anC
the supply Of surplus capital in the sturdy
little state was far from exhausted
All this has served as the most instructive
AMI convincing kind of an object lesson, an,
it is being noted throughout Vermont tina
the people ana especihlly young men "ei
never showing more marked disposition T.
take advantage OF the opportunities at thei
very feet than they are at present. Tn
boys are settling down in earnest ON tn
old farms Of the fathers: they ar
claging to the stores and the mill
and the factories and the quar-
rirs which have yielded wealth to their an
cestoIs and which still bear evidences o
richer harvests TO come. They are becom
ing convinced that Vermont is not only
good State to DE born in but good State /
remain in and even to come back to, as the
have seen many Nermonters do All thi
speaks well for the continued prosperity o
Vermont. and for the building up and de
yelopment Of her diversified industries