Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-10

Ii is comparatively few years since Yer
mont in common with other New England
States was stirred up to an unusual degree
over the existence of abandoned farms within
its borders, and the impression went abroad
that farm could be had for song in al
most any part of northern New England
The advertising which this section enoyed
in that connection was not wholly an I'M
mixed evil for it undoubtedly did much to
attract the attention Of people to the de
STABILITY of these places for summer homes
Residents Of the large cities who visited
these abandoned farms for the purpose of
securing summer homes. as has been done
extensively, saw the beauties of other places
in the vicinity as well, and the result is that
Vermont a. well rs New England in general
have gained u large number OF summer
visitors.
The most significant result of this tempo
rnry agitation however, is the disappear
snce Of the abandoned farm, and that this
is a statement of fact is evident from the
experience of those who have sought to pur-
chase one of these farms, as well as from
statistics compiled 10y the various State
boards of agriculture. The experience of
would be purchasers of abandoned farms is
well Illustrated 10y that of William Henry
Bishop, the novelist, VINO has written in the
May number of the Century about his search
Tor a summer home in Vermont, Massachu-
setts and New Hampshire.
Ii is plain from his writing that Mr.
Bishop prosecuted his search diligently but
he found that nearly all of the desirable
pieces of property were snapped up long
ago, either by city folk on similar quests, or
by the New England farmers themselves.
Most of the farms still in the market had
little to commend them, and their abandon
nent was no sure sign Of agricultural de
preston. After describing little settle
ment at Southheld, where professor known
10 literary fame and group of Na,sar
teachers have made congenial settlement,
Mr.. Bishop says:
IL have now cited number of cases 90
ing to show the material of the superior sort
that is filing up the places of the absent
on the abandoned farms and more will
follow rs the narrative proceeds The
place here in question was got at a bargain,
as have said yet this was not through the
general argument Of farm decay in New
England, but owing, ! think to some pri-
vate and local necessity ON the part of its
owner Desiring to remove TO another
town small manufacturing business he
was carrying on there, he realized upon his
property, and sold out for what he could
get Ii all the property put upon the mar
kct from similar motives. even in town.
were enumerated, it would make formida-
bile showing What fallacous arguments,
what pictures Of gloom, for instance, might
not be based upon catalogue Of all the
houses standing vacant, for any cause, in
New York,
~ ere 10 devote even brief mention
10 each OF the farms visited that presented
some points of interest this account would
be swollen 10 undue proportions. pass q
large number of them untouched In =
general way, all fall into four classes First
there was the poor shanty dwelling, witt
some considerable stretch of starved land
the price of which would DO a few hundred
dollars. Next the stpry-and "A half house
with from fifty to one hundred acres o.
ground run down but not without tan
Fihlo merits, for from $1,000 to $4,000. A
numb'r Of good-si2ei village houses, out o.
repair aud without lond would also com,
within this class. Thirdly, the two-stor,
house, in good repair, Is farm in good order
for $1,000 upward $1,000 being a fai
average prco for a place of th
kind, something that was really wortl
willie, Lastly comes the list of stock
farms, dairy farms and summer boarding
houses, with names of their own. Thes
would be held at from $4,000 to 600, 900, anC
their owners had no idea OF selling them a
bargain, but put them into the catalogue
only to snatch the opportunity for som,