Evening star., 1907-09-03

part Of the country Is a reflection upon the
intelligence Of the Yankee race. They are
famous for their ingenuity' and certainly
ought to have had brains enough to find
names for their towns without resorting to
the different points of the compass. Up in
Vermont and New Hampshire it is bad
enough, but it's still worse in Massachu-
sets. If you want to find anybody in a
small town you generally have to search
three or four different places. for example:
There is East Rutland. West Rutland.
North Rutland, South Rutland. Rutland
City and Rutland Center: there is North
field. East Northfield. West Northfield,
Mortified Farms; there is East Brookfied.
West Brookfeld. South Brookfed North
Mills and Brookfield Center. There are
| four Chicopees representing the four points
of the compass. Chicopee Falls. Chicopee
Junction and Plain Chicopee. There are
four or five towns bearing the humble name
of Long Meadow: the Hamptons are quite
as numerous, and are duplicated in New
Hampshire, and there are seven towns in
Massachusetts of the name of Ashfield.
which suggests that a committee for the
revision of the nomenclature of New Eng
land could promote the convenience of the
public 1t would also relieve the post Of
flee officials from a great deal of anxiety
and concern. At present a newspaper cor
respondent searching for the picturesque
in an automobile has his patience sorely
tried when he searches for place like
| Granville. for example, and finds four or
five villages of that name, when he hasn't
been told which one he wants
Indian history and tradition will supply
an abundance of musical and appropriate
names for all the East Westtields and West
Northfields in New England The Indian
nomenclature is very generally retained
for rivers and mountains. lakes and ponds,
and it is a source of qualification.
For the vindication Of history also it
would be advisable to change the boundary
line between Vermont and New York
states in order to get a famous battlefield
where 1t belongs. Some years ago in Copen-
hagen the grave Of Hamlet was removed
to another part of the city, where 1t would
be more convenient for tourists, and pro-
mote the expenditure of money by them
for the commonweal and there is no rea-
son why the site of the battle of Benning-
ton cannot be removed to Vermont, al
| though it was really fought in the state Of
New York. The boundary line Is invisible,
but the surveyors ran 1t SO far east that
| the scene of Gen. Stark's great military
achievement is now west of the line and is
almost nearer Saratoga than the town
of Bennington. But SO long as the YER
/ monters are willing to accept this situation
| | suppose that tourists will have to put up
with 1t.
Investment in Summer Hotels.
| Another matter that impresses stranger
| very forcibly is the vast amount OF money
that has been invested in summer resorts
up in this part OF the country. told you
! the other day that five million dollars had
| recently been invested In hotels In the
| been invested in Vermont; ten millions In
| Massachusetts, three millions in the Cat
| skills, seven millions in the Adronda cks.
| four millions in Connecticut and more
! than fifty millions In New Jersey. These
figures come from one of the best In
| formed hotel men in the country. Another
authority estimates similar investments in
| New Jersey at a hundred millions. but that
| seems to be an exaggeration. The seacoats
| from New Brunswick to the mouth of the
/ Delaware is lined with hotels and summer
residences, and for a great part of the dis
/ tance they are never out of sight Of yachts
that cruise along the coast.
The increase in the price of land has been
| equally great. My friend tells me that
| four acres of land in the village of Beth
1 lehem, N H, which were purchased for
$500 in 1856. were sold for $4,000 the other
4 day. In Lakewood, N. j.. he knows Of Q
piece of land which cost a dollar an acre In
1865 and was sold for 25,098 last winter;
at Lenox. Mass. farms that could be
bought for twenty and thirty dollars an
acre. twelve fifteen years ago, are now
selling at three and four Thousand dollars
an acre.