The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-29
OUR ABANDONED FARMS
AND ABANDONED GRIsT MILLS And
OTHER MILLS.


And why All This Abandonment Has oc-
curred-Cheaper FreiGhtage for Flour by
Railroad From Minnesota to New Haven
Nowadays Than From Woodbridge to
New Haven by Truck-Water Power on
Our Country Streams Discounted by
Steam Power In the Cities Because of IN-
penslve Carriage From Suburban Towns to
Tide Water or Railroad-What a Trip UP
the woodbridge and Bethany Hills Re-
yeals in the Shape of Dismantled Fac.
tories and Abandoned MIL Sites-Some
Bits of Local Historical Interest-A Model
Farm--W hat Our Suburban Farmers
Thrive by in These Days-A w bdbridgo
Descendant of the Great Oliver Cromwell
1t was promising afternoon Satur-
day for trip to Woodbridge hills, the
hot July sun being obscured by a
hazy sky and the temperature, thus ia
voring an excursion into the country.
There were indications by the barome-
ter of a shower or two later on in the
day, but only of showers. So party of
New Haveners, among whom was Con-
SiCoSUldll ~. l.. opSily anu hAo biVSti-
er, e. Knight Sperry, sailed forth for
a drive on the aforesaid hills in a
canopied carriage to the music of the
rhythmic hoof beats of the latter named
gentleman's fine pair of steppers. AS
usual, this trip to the said hills has
peculiar and tender interest to the ex-
cursionists mentioned, as their old
home was in Woodbridge. There they
were born and reared; there the re-
mains of the old homestead are and
every nook and turn in the road, every
old house and every new one, every old
landmark, the old familiar highways
and byWays, the lanes and hedges,
the copses, the thicket the stones and
running brooks, all have to them a
familiar and especial an unfading
interest. Here and there as the ponies
trotted unsteady by with even step,
exemplifying the poety of motion, were
passed various abandoned mill sites.
And this set the congressman to mu-
sing over the subject to which national
interest has been attracted-the sub
ject of abandoned New England farms
and mill sites. One would think the
agricultural glories of New England
had all but departed to read the dismal
pictures given In the public prints on
this subject, the fact that there yet re-
main many fine and model farms, being
temporarily overlooked Nevertheless
there are in many parts of New Eng
land just such an array of abandoned
mill sites as is to be seen on a trip to
the Woodbridge hills. OF abandoned
farms, none are to be seen, but of mill
sites there are many. But why not,
unused the congressman. What's to
hinder? Why, the reason for the aban-
doned farms of New England and aban-
doned mill sites is plain.
Just think of 1t. 1t Is actually cheap
er to-day to bring barrel of flour by
railroad from far off Minnesota to New
Haven than it is to cart it from a
Woodbridge farm to New Haven. 1t is
cheaper flour freightage from Minneso-
ia to New Haven than it is to cart
flour five or ten miles to New Haven
from Bethany or Woodbridge. What
use then for our grist mills and Touring
mills in these towns? Their extinction
for commercial purposes was simply a
forgeone conclusion, when railroad
freightage became SO cheap in the
west and milling accommodations con
Quoted on so vast a scale. This is why
the use for these mills which stood
along the pretty stream that flows down
the ravine to the lovely valley between
the big hills that flank the drive tc
Woodbridge and Bethany came to fal
to decay.
Then, continued the congressman: As
to abandoned FARMS what chance haG
New England farmers to compete wher
Uncle Sam gives away a farm of 16(
acres to every bona fide settler whc
wants one, practice which our grea
and glorious government has been in
dulging in since 1860 or thereabouts, witt
grand results, as shown in the great in
crease of national wealth that has re
suited therefrom.
Here are two abundant reasons to &C
count for the decay of Our mills and fo
the abandoned farms seen in many
places in New England. The cost o
transporting flour and other grain II
market by wagon, especially fror
interior towns distant from railroads
has been such in comparison with thu
low freightage on the railroad that TIL
small farmers had terribly un
equal contest, and have gone to tn
wall. The same applies to the factorie
which were once numerous along gu
country streams, but whose busy hun
at the old haunts has ceased forever
These factories, whether run by waite
power or steam power, had to eithe
give UP business or remove their bust
ness to the cities to get into proximit,
with the railroad and save the ex
pense of carriage over the country roads
But the farmers in Woodbridge an
Bethany and the farmers generally il
country towns whose farms are nea
cities or whose farm products can b
readily transported to the cities find
comfortable maintenance in supplyin
the cities with milk butter and tab
vegetables. Fields of waving graf
there are, but the product is for HON
consumption, not for commercial pun
poses.
AS the ponies logged on, the congress
man exclaimed: Here was Coxs mil
the wheels of which, the old adage sait
never stood still by night or day. No7
all is still there.
Next we come to the old Blake mil
where hardware was made. And jue
ahead was the old mill that Williar
R. Shelton, afterward mayor of Me-