Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-13
What Our NEIGHBORS SAIL
ruvestigation Of Vcrmont's Sources Of
Water supply BY Prof. Perkins.
(From the Rutland Ncws.)

The Vermont State geologist, Prof. q.
II. Perkins, is engaged in scientific re-
search, tile results of which will be OF
great Importance in manifold ways. He
is studying the sources of water supply
in the towns and cities of the State in an
effort to discover the relation between
the rock formation and the water supply.
In his next report he hopes to give tho
source OF the supply in every town and
city of Vermont. He doubts II there is
any other area of 1900 square miles in
the country containing so many sources
of pure water as are found In this State.
A moments thought will convey a
somewhat adequate notion of the import
ance OF Investigations as to the conditions
under which pure water supply IL oh
tainable. In many towns in the state
the question of an adequate supply of
good water for domestic purposes is a
vital one and not as yet satisfactorily
solved. The results of the State gcolog-
lists researches should plainly point the
way to the discovery and utilization of
convenient sources Of abundant supply
of water for public acqueduct systems.
Furthermore. an abundance of pure
water is a great attraction to people in
.
by nature as Vermont. and the publ
cation of Professor Pcrkins's findings
should be factor of consequence in
drawing tho attention of outsiders to
Vermont as place of residence.
In this connection. il can be noted that
the State gcolosist's work has taken n
decidedly practical and helpful turn in
recent years. His Investigations are along
lines that cannot fail TO rebound to the
material prosperity of the commonwealth.
THE FUTURE OF THE STATE FAIR.
(rrom the Ncrgennes Enterprise.)
Various state papers have commented
on the fact that the Vermont State fair
as an institution has practically become
extinct. the succession of bad years.
financially. having proved a most dis
c0uragng factor in its development. The
State fair. in its present FORM is Il thing
of the past.
With the near example of our successful
Addison county fair. the reasons for the
decline and fall of the State concern are
not so important as the occasional pro-
position that Middebury bid for and cap
turc this enterprise. a wilder. more i'm
practicable dream could not be imagined.
No county fair association can afford
to shoulder the load alone. No county
fair will live long after assuming it.
Where. then, is the remedy?
Simply a little extension of the get
together idea a State association of
county fairs is the idea. Let every county
fair association elect members of a gen
eral executive committee. that would have
full control of dates and work together
in the hiring of the attractions.
Many will scott at the amusement fea-
turc of this arrangement. but the pucs-
ton of attractions has become a matter
of plain. cold business. Entertainers must
be had: the people demand them. Why
not hire them by the week and send them
along a continuous circuit of county fairs
for several weeks, winding up at State
fair in some selected place?
Carry the same idea into the bookings
for horse races. the big things or the
premium end. the bands, the fakirs and
all that makes up the general features of
fair. At the close of the circuit con-
solidate all the attractions into one. make
hid for the state patronage. get the
railroads interested. and the thing Is done.
Even II the committee declined to hold
Il State fair after all these superb county
fairs had been gotten in line, Just think
of the saving of time. money. and nerv-
Gus energy. With the tendency OF the day
all toward consolidation and the COM
munity- of-nterest idea, why should coun-
ty fair associations not get into line"
Finally. Addison county wants no in
dependent State fair. but we are we'll in
side the facts in saying that Addison
county wants the best there is and will
do her share toward cooperation.