Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-04-25
General Vermont News.

association and it, methods of work, In most
parts Of the state workers are wide awake
and becoming more and more enthusiastic
every day. County and town organizations,
holding frequent conventions assist greatly
in creating new interest and in maintaining =
it where it has begun to nag
An invitation has been sent out hy those
interested for the state ". {. I. L. To- hold
it, state convention ut ST. Johnshury this
fall. There are prospects that the invita-
tion will be accepted.
J. o. Droun has his new dressing mill Il
Paddock Village, st. Johnshury. in opera
tion. The building; is 40NSS, four stories
high and II big basement. II /, capable of
doing large amount of superior work and
will employ some 20 or 30 men.
G. J.. Moody, representing n syndicate of
capitalists. has recently purchased the right 5
OF the Bolton Falls water power and neg, =
tiations have been entered into with II larle
manufacturing establishment in Manchester.
y. IL. to locate there. 1t case ii il done thcl -
will be an important gain in the commci-
cial Importance of that portion Of the state
and Waterbury interests Will he consider
ably advanced.
The floods caused by the rapidly melting
SHOWS have been about rs severe n they
would have been had the snow gone
with rain. No, Il river but ovrrllowed its
banks and thousands of dollars will he re-
qurcd to replace the property loss. Several
lives are reported lost also in the wreck of
waters. That such great body of snow
could 20 with such unrrcedentcd rapdity
without rains seems almost incredible. hut
very little is left except in the mountains and
that has gone very fnst the past few days.
The indications are that the spring will be
quite as early as usual, notwithstundin. tho
discourugng outlook of Il few weeks ago.
There is much excitement in the state
press about the disposition of the Rutland
railroad under the new order of things
Wild eyed rumors have been floating around
about the possibility of its going into the
hands of about everybody and one would
think that every man in the state was con-
templatinS running u little railroad Of his
own. Boston & Maine officials are said to
be after it; Fitchburg people are said to
want it, Delcware 4 Hudson. who own IL
large portion of the stock, are reported to
be ready to grasp it and various other inter-
estng facts are being learned every day. SO
far the Central people have held To- il.
but that isn't any sign they will
continue to do SO. Unless operated aS u
branch or feeder for some other road it is
practically worthless and there isn't much
question about some of the larger companies
taking it up as soon as the Central drops
it. The lease to the Central people was in
the nature of u skin. however. and Il large
amount of money has been sunk in improve
ments to get it in safe condition for fllc.
Even now one has fears when riding over it.
However 1t turns out, the public has little
concern provided it can get where it wants
to and when it wants to. That is what tho
public believes II railroad is for and doesn't
care who does or who does not own Il road
If traffic arrangements are for its accommo-
dation.
The sugar season was very short, lasting
barely a week but the quality of the prod
uct was exceptionally good and the sale has
been large. The price is not what it should
he. rs cents II gallon for tcn-pound syrup
and six cents n pound for sugar. No pound
of sugar bringing less than 10 cents ever re-
warded its maker with profit. while ten
pound syrup ought to bring ! at least and
S1.25 is none too much. The improved
methods of making and the extraordinary
increase in demand both should combine to
bring about better conditions, but somehow
the price is the same rs it used to be and no
effort of the individual maker can put it any
higher.
The citizens of st. Johnshury are going to
do the right thing and refuse to accept the
jug handle proposition of the gentlemen who
want to establish shoe factory there. 4
shoe factory Is all right, but no business in
the country has been so worked by the
sharper element of promoters and no busi-
ness has been so frequently moved for what
lHtTt IL III IL. IL .jDnISbUfN wishes 10
benefit itself the best thing to do is to invest
its money in its own home enterprises. those
that employ a few hands. perhaps. but which
do Il larger business, accordingly. than the
large factories with their expensive plants
and their high cost of operation.
There is prospect of many new crcamcrics
being started all over the state this spring,
farmers coming to understand that the fac
tory made dairy product is the most proflta-
bic, all things considered.
There are unusual signs of activity this
spring in all branches of industry Not
manufacturing institution but looks forward
with morecolraSe to the coming season than
for any season for years previous. Orders
are more plentiful than last year and year
before and there is more money circulating,
except in individual cases. where local
causes prevent. This is due to the fact that
stocks on hand are practically used and
every day wants must be supplied.
There has been small strike among the
stone cutters ut Hadwick since April t. Sew
erul firms have refused to establish u regu-
lar pay day. 4 committee of the union
waited upon them in March and notified
them that the men would stop work April
l unless paid in full to that date and II regu-
lar pay day established. This the manufact-
urers in question refused tn do and Il strike
was the result. One firm settled. Another
was found insolyent and has been closed
under assignee proceedngs, while third has
quit business.
The heat of last week was unprecedented
for this time of the year. The mercury
ranging from GO to 30 degrees. varying with
the locality. and the snow disappearing as If
by magic. In some places the land is suff1-
ciently dry to permit the beginning of farm
ing operations much earlier than for several
years previous. And yet the first days Of
April were the coldest almost OF the winter.
Northern Vermont will be glad when they
can have regular trains again. All winter
if they started to go anywhere they were al
most sure to get stalled in snow drift. and
since the snow began to 90 1t has been wash
outs and covered tracks to prevent. What will
happen when these difficulties are past is be-
yond prediction.
Business improvement in Windsor is larger
and more promising than ever before. There
has been rumor of the removal of the
Windsor machine company, but no one in
the company knows anything about it, All
other industries are unusually busy and the
prospect for prosperous year is very
bright.
Springfield still continues to talk about
its railroad. but to all appearances is no
nearer getting it than it was twenty years
ago. In fact, there IL large and well
founded feeling that Springfield doesn't es-
pecially need a railroad. Its present facili-
ties for transportation being fully adequate
for its business under present conditions.
That feeling Is erroneous. of course. but il
has an important influence in determining
the action Of the people in town regarding
the proposed Eew road.
The granite business was never so ravora-
BILE ut this time of wear as it is now. There
is scarcely n retail firm in the state that
hasn't more orders on its books than it can
comfortably fill in the Ecyt few months,
while prices hold up remarkably well.