Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-12-20
Essex County.

In looking over our county We think |
the people have a cause for congratula-
ton. Refer to a few figures. and as far
as we can see those relating to the pOpu- !
lation of the county substantially meas !
ure its comparative progress during the
years from 1850 to 1890 in other re-
spects. In 1850 the population of Essex
county was 1850; in 1890 it was 9,511.
And what is encouraging about this is
that the increase in population has been
during none of the time intermittent. Of
course the increase in population has not
been the same in every town in the
county. This no doubt is due to the
difference in opportunities for the devel-
opment OF local material. This is true
comparing the progress of the county
with the state. The population of the
county has increased over one hundred
per cent. during the period taken, while
that of the state during the same time
has increased only ten to fifteen per cent.
This clearly shows that Essex county has
greater opportunities comparatively
than the state taken together. The fact
that the population is steadily increasing
in the county betokens permanent pros
perity. In 1850 there was no railroad
in Essex county, now there are three and
almost all pIrts of the county have CON
yenient access to railroad transported
ton. Some people are in the habit of
looking gloomily upon everything. Such
make allusion to certain localities to
show they are not progressing. Anyone
can make the whole world seem gloomy
by fixing his eve on the most undesirable
place on it and look at nothing else.
Some say that our resources are limited
or i'll their nature exhaustible, and pre-
dicted that long ago the progress of the
county would be retarded but as the
lumber is cut off and this means of de-
velopment decreased, enough has been
brought from without to more than
compensate for that. Take our own
town for instance, in which an enterpris-
ing man with as smart and ingenious a
mill as any other of its capacity has out
ofraw material from without the state
produced as much local benefit as was
produced from all sources in the begin
ming of the lumber enterprise, and OF the
period which our figures cover Wher
ever the lumber is taken off pcssimsts see
no compensation by way of reproduc-
lion of the growth, nor any beneficial
changes in localities. Look at Canaan,
a town in which the supply would natur-
ally be exhausted years before that in
most Others of the towns, and yet she
increased in the last decade in popula
ton almost 100 and looking upon tho
changes in the town unaided by the gen
eral contour of the country one woult
scarcely by reason of its improved
changes recognize the town. While il
this locality we might refer to Beeche
Falls which has sprung up so suddenl,
and enterprisingly, and whchis DRAWN;
so largely upon material outside tn
county and state to benefit us. Whc
during the first portion of this perio
there was only here and there small er
terpr!se of any kind. now the county
almost entirely flied with manufacturing
aud other industries, not doing bushes
as formerly hy means OF rude and disaC
yantageous appliances, but full abreaS
with the times in all modern improy,
ments, and with the best genius in til
country to conduct these ipdustrie
These are not confined to lumber bus
ness alone. Other departments Of indui
try have been equally progressive. Tt
splendid creamery at Lunenburg and {
Brighton, the cheese factory at GuildhaI
and like examples all through the count
il we had time to enumerate them illu
trate this. No man can look upon II
improvement of the county during the
years in almost every respect, withoI
most hopeful anticipation. By our scho
system the very character of the peop
has been changed. The system is workt
with as much interest and zeal. and hi
met with as much success comparative
as it has in any other part of the stat
Our people are growing contented, le
querulous, and more engaged in bene
cial enterprises as these years 20 b
Rights are becoming settled, men are ia
assuming their places and their prop
relations to one another. There is lie
litigation, there being now a less nul
Der Of cases on the docket, notwthst
ing the increase i'll population and hu
ness, than there were forty years az
Looked at as the times here ought to
there is much of encouragement. The
is disposition, which is deplorabie,
look beyond our county and state
better conditions, but visions of the we
booms and collapses. sudden hopes a
failure of wealth and ease without 7
tient labor are fast teaching our peo]
that there is no place like home.