The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-05
VERMONT.
The Decline Of the Rural Towns and
Its Remedy.

y
OF interest. Those towns have been
gradually decreasing for longer time
than that, but comparison since 1860
is all that is needed tor the purposes of
the writer.
In the decade from 1860 to 1870 the
census showed decrease in popula-
ton in lab towns, all of which lost, of
5,109, or an average of los for each of
those towns; and yet in that decade
the State as whole made o larger
gain than it has since done for thirty
years. During the next decade, from
1870 to 1880, the Safe remained about
stationary, but 1877 of its towns lost
1858 people, or about 81 TO each OF
those towns. This loss, was, however,
made up by the larger towns of the
State with "a very small gain. In the
decade from 1880 TO 1890, in all 1T
towns lost an average to each of those
1T town Of 139 population, or an ag-
gregate loss to those towns of 1909.
During the last ten years, from 1890
to 1900, lat towns, mostly farm towns,
lost in the aggregate 1886, or an av-
erage of about 90 population to each;
but the larger towns, mostly, made up
that loss, and with an increase of H.
219, modest gain.
Here is a loss of 67,325 population,
mostly in the agricultural towns of the
State, for the past forty years. OF
course the larger towns and cities have
made this up and little more, but the
aggregate gain in the State for that
time has been small. Had these hill
towns held their own during this time
the population of the State would now
be considerably in excess of 400, 900, or
Just about that of New Hampshire.
This loss is nearly all of the old New
England class, the best in the State,
and as good as any, anywhere. They
are thrifty, intelligent, enterprising,
and wherever they are, they stand at
the front rank in prosperity and power
But New Hampshire, though with
generally inferior resources of soil,
scenery and water power to Vermont,
seems to have entered the race first by
thoroughly utilizing all her advantages;
has kept larger portion OF her popu-
lation at home and added to it greatly
by immigration, while Vermont's sur
plus has been allowed and encouraged
to emigrate. A judicious fostering
of agriculture and encouragement to
other home industries, and a proper
development OF the natural resources
of the old State, seems now to have
begun at last.
A few years ago the writer visited
the home of his boyhood, in a little
town in Windham county among the
hills. This town in 1850 had almost
1900 people; now it has about half thai
number. In the neighborhood which
contained the old homestead there were
nine good farms, each supported large
family; now only one family is left and
they are strangers.
Then from this cluster of farms some
twenty-five boys and girls attended the
village schools near; now there are
none. The then comfortable farm
houses and buildings are now mostly
gone to decay, or have been removed
A second growth of spruce and pine
and maple is covering the hills. Par.
, fridge whir through the neglected
orchards, and the woodchuck has takeL
possession of the dilapidated moss
grown stone walls. A red fox boldly
watched us from ledge of rocks neal
. by. The rose bush, the lilac and the
| DutltIuub bICO bIlll ICuudlu, UuI TIC
hearthstone is cold, for the tenants Of
the old home are dead or gone away
: forever. This is the fate of only one
neighborhood in one little town among
the many.
And what shall be the remedy fol
this decline? 1t would seem that the
Legislature might have given more at
tention to the farmers interests, by G
, more perfect equalization of their tax
es, and by more liberal policy TOWARD
and in support of the board of agricul
ture; and to foster and encourage il
every proper way the agricultural in
terests of the State upon which al
other pursuits are mainly dependent
If it declines much more the State will
!, decline with it. l suppose, however
that the bill which establishes a State
! laboratory for the discovery of the re
mote and harmless microbe will have
its effect. While your system Of rep
resentation which gives Glastonbury
with population of 48, Somerset with
81, and Baltimore with So, an equa
voice with the hourishing cities like
Burlington, Rutland, Montpelier anC
Barre, certain allowances must bt
: made.
To sum up, hope will be pardoned
in saying that what l believe Vermont
needs most is: More Vermonters ant
less Kanucks and Italians; better
schools and less poor roads; more 80
briefly and less prohibition; more think
, ers and less whiskered Rip Van Win
, kles; more summer visitors and lesi
poor hotels in the country; more
bright, active men in local offices, lest
men elected to office because it is theil
turn to be elected; more performance
and less pretense; more advertisement
of your boundless resources, and less
+ mossbackism. Yes, there you are ant
there you will stay, unless you harness
more of the possibilities Of the presen
age which are yet dormant in you
midst. DANIEL PERRY,
: Maysville, Mo-, Nov. "a, 1900.