Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-01-17
YEAR IN VERMONT.
EVIDENCE THAT THE OLD STATE Is
HAVING AN AWAKENING.

|
shows Great Advancement-Cr Criminal
Record Sensational.
The retrospect of Vermont affairs DUR
ing the year just closed strengthens
the impression that the old state mas
shown more abundant signs OF an IN
dustrial and social awakening In this
first wear of the twentieth century than
she has exhibited in many long twelve
month before. Pausing now for the
moment on the threshold of the New
Year, a glance backward enables one to
take in the true relative proportions OF
events in Vermont in 1901, to see them
through the perspective of seasoning,
SOLDERING time, and thus better to Judge
of their value and Importance to the pro-
gress of the state at large than was pos
sible in the haste and heat of the hour OF
their occurrence.
The industrial development of the
state during the past year has been I'M
usually marked TO be sure, there have
been 10 surprisingly important ac-
QUESTION to Vermont's industrial forces,
if one were to particularize. But, taking
the field all together, the signs Oh
awakening progress are everywhere dis
cernible. There is very strong tend
encv in some sections to offer IN
ducements for outside capital TO make
investments, something that was almost
unheard of not many years ago, the
Vermont theory having been that local
capital should always finance local in
dustries. Outside capitalists are be-
coming interested in the state and are
developing one by one resources that the
Vermonters themselves for generations
suffered to go unimproved. or course,
the principal effort in this direction is In
the generation of electrical energy from
water power. The streams are being har-
messed at last and the movement has set
in toward the development of the states
manufacturing resources and transpor-
tation facilities. Vermont has now
entered upon that era in the progress or
a commonwealth that sees the gradual
introduction of street railways first In
her principal towns, and thence from
town to town, until network OF trans
portation lines unities every consider
able community in the state with all its
neighbors and puts 1t in immediate COM
munication with the trunk lines now
operated by the steam railroads. Ihe
wear has, seen renewal of the public In
terest in cross.state steam railroad
between Rutland and Newport, and
indications are not lacking that the time
is drawing nearer when some OF the
long. talked of roads that are to make
travel between the two sides of the
mountains easier will be undertaken.
With all this is a growing variety OF manu-
featuring industries that promise to far
outstrip the states importance In the
field of agriculture before many years.
The state continues to foster dairying as
one of its greatest industries and the year
has shown a'proportionate degree of prog
I ress in its development. The war against
bovine tuberculosis continues undated
. although in the face of very consld'
cradle opposition as all such undertake
ings must expect to be pursued. The
. sober second thought of public opinion
however, believes that tuberculous cattle
should be slaughtered until something
more definite and satisfactory concern
ing the nature of the disease and the
possibility of its communication TO hu
man beings is known. The minera
wealth of the state has been more and
more exploited during the past twelve
months and sufficient signs have been re-
vealed in various places to encourage the
3 belief of many that mining is one of the
great latent sources of the natura
. wealth of Vermont. There has been
some effort to awaken public interest il
the preserve ton of the forests and sew
eral notable examples of individual con
D Germ in this matter have come to light il
the purchase of large tracts of fores
land for park and other'similar purposes
The census of 1900 showed a gain OF
about fifty per cent. in the manufacture
ing industries of Vermont. The devel
opments of the year 1901 in the states
industrial field plainly indicate that thu
way is being paved for decade of un
precedented activity and progress in thi
: direction.
The political life of the state in thi
"off year" has been comparatively serene
The usual embryotic candidates for thu
compaign of 1902 have put in an appear
ance and In the case of the Republican
nomination for the governorship the 1gh
is fairly on. 1t is safe to say, however
u that the general puplc has not awakened
to any very active interest in the matte
nor would it be surprising to many clos
observers II the governorship question
were to be settled without arousini
much popular enthusiasm either one wa!
or another. The state appears to b.
o facing somewhat peculiar prospect II
this regard, condition that must b.
= faced with some philosophy regardless
Of sentiment, and the result Is that tn
natural IAmerican interest in politica
matters will probably find Its outlet II
the skirmishes for the other places Oh
the state ticket, leaving those two mel
who are TO contest the nomination TO
governor to fight 1t out themselves, un
less dark horse should present himsel
l.. L. til. s.. f.,l