Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-03
SEEK RURAL HOMES
BMALL TOWNS DRAWING PEOPLE
FROM THE CITIES.


PopuIation-Must show Enterprise
and be Up to Date.
In a leaflet issued lately by the Amer
lean League For Civic improvement
and written by Charles Milford Rob-
inson, author of "The Improvement Of
Towns and Cities" attention is called
to the important fact that towns have
an opportunity to reap unmeasured
benefits from the toward the country
movement that is at present more or
less felt throughout the United States.
Mr.. Robinson says that men and wo-
men, old and young, are rapidly dis
covering that better and less expen-
sive opportunities for living and for
the conduct of many lines of manufac-
ture and other businesses are offered
by rural towns than by large cities;
that, for instance, land Is cheaper and
transportation charges no higher in the
town than in the city; that consequent
ly less capital is required for the plant
and employees may have pleasanter
homes and live more agreeable lives
there, and that boys and girls will
grow up with better physical and NOR
al surroundings and have more legiti-
mate pleasures and fewer temptations.
The chief question now is, says the
Chicago Record-Herald, which towns
will see and rise to these dawning OPP
portunities? Which will realize that
bA ,r,ho =
convenient surroundings are going to
attract both capital and labor that
to compete at all in these new oppor-
tunities a town must be up to date.
must have electric lights, telephones,
good transportation, and must show
business enterprise and business meth
DDS that will invite instead of repel
the advances Of both labor and cap
ital?
Land should not be held at exorbi-
tant prices, streets must be well light.
ed and well paved, the water supply
must be above reproach, scientific san
itation must be established, school
and church privileges must be ade-
quate, and household supplies plentiful,
Of good quality and reasonable in
price.
1t must be apparent that the resi-
dents are not greedily waiting to play
the part Of vampire on each new
conner. That spirit has successfully
strangled coming prosperity at its
birth for many a one horse town filed
with narrow minded Inhabitants who
thought they knew all there was to be
known, but in reality did not even
know enough to recognize good thing
when personally introduced to it.
Goodby to all share in these new and
increasing opportunities for any COM
munity where a lusty, country bred
vampire spirit prevails If anything
worth while is to come Of all the fore
going preparations for prosperity,
there are other things that must not
be overlooked. The day has come
when wise people have learned to live
Il many sided life. The eye must be
fed as well as the stomach, the mind,
the imagination, etc.
Agreeable surroundings, pleasant oc-
equations for leisure hours, local inter
ests for citizens of all ages, must be
supplied. Such things are paying
investment for any town and are a
prime necessity for those that would
invite the attention of residents from
larger places
Every natural advantage of the sur
rounding country should be made fac
tors in the general advancement and
good roads maintained to all points
of interest or beauty. If there is a
stream or lake, it should become the
browning glory of the place, both
Rsthetically and for amusements-
boating, bathing and swimming in the
summer and skating or iceboating
in the winter-and the choicest loca-
ton in the vicinity should at once
be set apart as a public park, where
picnics and other open air gatherings
may be held and where all, young
and old, boys and girls, may in safety
indulge their tastes for wood wander
ings. Good golf links should be laid
out and every branch Of legitimate
pleasure planned for and catered to.
Let the would be prosperous town
proceed to grasp the skirts of happy
chance" by making all these things
this desirable combination of urban,
suburban and country advantages at
tainable to those whose fancy strays
countryward. Soon they will be able
to show the world a nucleus of town
surrounded by an aureole of homes,
the whole linked together by modern
electric advantages, a community
where children are welcomed, COM
munity living out its days as human
creatures should, instead of commu-
nifty packed in indiscriminate layers
with the stars above, the earth be-
meath and brick. dirt, mortar and
noise on all sides, a great gritty layer
cake that should be perfectly impos-