Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-02-08
WOOD

portaut methods of instruction. Tn
arts aud crafts or handiwork were learne,
at the home, the trade or profession wa
learned 10y the apprenticeship, and know
The first two of these have disappeared
aud the school has not yet adapted itselt
to the new conditions. llandiwork aud
the elements OF learning trade must be
introduced into schools or all the Skillei
labor will lie foreign. AS there are not
enough of the purely respectable Jobs to
I 90 around, many Americans will soon bt
| without means Of earning a living
The meeting at Woodstock was intended
to give few teachers the chance t.
learn few principles of scientific farm
/ ing. From such beginnings more scien.
| titic methods can be learned aud spread
broadcast through the state. School.
educate the children away from the
home To the city. Local conditions
should he studied aud attention called
to opportunities near at hand. The pos.
sihilities of this state have not been
I worked out to the great disadvantage OF
both the state aud its people. After thi,
address, Mr.. Stoue discussed the new
school laws with members Of school
boards and others present.
In the evening, the exercises at the
opera house were presided over by Rev
{. ID. Lance. The first speaker was
State Superintendent OF Education,
Mason ;. Stone, who introduced the sub
ject of the evening, The New Vermont,
10y appropriate illusions to past and to
recent history. Col. Frank l.. Greene,
Editor of the St. Albans Messenger, was
the next speaker. lie said in part that
Vermont is properly an industrial state
aud not an agricultural one. The early
settlers titled the soil only enough to
support those who were engaged in man
utacturlng. Industries sprung up every.
where. Factories, tanneries, mills for
fulllng cloth and others. Every house
had a spinning wheel and loom where
WOODEN and linen cloth were made. I'm
portaut inven ions are ascribed to early
Nermonters The first steamboat, the
first cook stove, the first carpenters
square in the country, the first subma.
rinc telegraph, aud others. The second
power looms We're set up i'll Vermont.
Tons aud tons of pearl ash and potash
We're exported from the state. The civil
war stopped these industries. The re-
turn of the soldiers brought with it a
great longing for land Since that time
We have been trying in vain to I've an
agricultural state. 1t is not possible "a
compete on even terms with the wide
fertile prairies. Nearly two hundred
thousand Nermon,ers now live in other
states while almost one hundred thou
sand have come in from other states and
nations. 1t ought to be the study OF
every one interested in the welfare OF
the state to stop this drain and provide
means OF occupation for the Young peo-
Pile who are seeking homes elsewhere
Our children should be trained to take
the places now filled 10y foreigners
Vermont is the most illiterate state in
New England, and but few in the United
States are behind us. Those who can.
| not read and write are mostly native
born, too. Only few years ago We were
among the leaders in education. Oul
condition merits careful thought and
action.
The last speaker was the Hon. +, b
! Finn, member of the Court of Claims
| who urged the people to wake up to the
present situation and place the state
where she rightfully belongs. We should
keep our money at home. A savings
bank at Springfield lent money to start
an industry there which now pays thou
sands into the town treasury. The tow
also turns many hundreds into the state
school fund. The prosperity of eacl
town helps the rest. The new law con
corning savings banks will produce re.
suits that will aid much in building W
the state. Vermont has to pay twent,
thousand dollars in extending the state
prison. There ought to be an increas,
proportionally in school appropriations
Schools educate in matters too far from
home. The new school laws give al
opportunity to place the state in it
proper position and every one shoul'
eudeavor to aid the fullest development
Of our state.
There was good attendance in tn
hall, the speakers were given the closes
attention, and their most telling points
emphasized by good stories, were fire
quently applauded.