The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-18

without mOlestation or surveillance on
the part Of municipal authorities.
These and others OF that persuasion
may have been influenced also by a
knowledge Of the fact that in every
township granted by Governor Went
worth the English church had been
subsidized to the extent of two town
lots, one for a glebe for the Episcopal
rector and one for the benefit of the
society for the propagation of the
gospel They could hardly have been
insensible to the fact that about one
thirtieth of the land in each of 1873
towns had been sequestered to the
uses Of the Episcopal church.
There is reason too for thinking that
few of the Baptists who came into
Vermont before 1890 were moved by
a desire to escape the church taxes
levied in Massachusetts, SALISBURY
seems to have contained some such.
as also, perhap, Pownal, Guilford and
Dummerston. The two towns last
named, lying respectively to the north
and south of Brattleboro, were favor
ed by the Baptists, because Brattle.
Dor had been so preoccupied by Con
gregationalists as to secure to them
controlling interest in all parish
matters.
But the religious motive was only
one among many. The Baptist church
historian, Backus, writing between
1777 and 1884, gets very near the
truth, think, when he says (III., 1851
"The folly Of many in Connecticut and
Massachusetts who ran into debt at
the close Of the wars in 1863 and 1888,
caused the planting of the wilderness
in New Hampshire and Vermont be-
yond what human wisdom could pos
sibly have done" There were many
everywhere who had nothing to lose
by a removal to new territory and
saw chance Of gain thereby. The
lands in New Connecticut were cheap
could be had almost for the taking;
and their situation and fertility were
such as TO make them very attractive.
This point is clearly enough illustra-
ted by the relative productiyeness Of
farm lands in Vermont. when compar.
ed with that Of large tracts I'm such
sections of New England as had then
been settled. The successful termin-
alton of the French wars removed the
occupation Of the region west Of the
Connecticut river and north Of Mass
chusetts. The Champlaln Valley
ceased for a\time to be a battle
ground and military highway and In
dian raids were no longer feared. SO
steadily northward foyement began
destined to be checked and forced
backward indeed upon the outbreak
of the Revolution, but at the close Of
that struggle to be resumed and push
ed with greater energy.
Besides a general restlessness
seems to have characterized the pop
ulations Of Massachusetts and Connec-
ticut Families had not yet taken
root in the soil. We can hardly say
that they have done so even yet. They
found It easy to change their abodes,
If their prospects were likely to be
bettered thereby They moved from
Massachusetts to Connecticut and
Rhode Island from all three and from
New Hampshire as well. to Vermont
Immigrants from Rhode Island surely
did not come in quest OF religious free
dom! Even in Vermont in 1895 not
a few gave up their holdings attract.
ed by the richer lands then offered by
the United States government in ives.
tern New York And this readiness
to abandon a half-reclaimed farmstead
for one Of deeper and cheaper but
wholly unbroken soil has character
lied their descendants as We know,
ever since.
And further there were special pri.
yes held out to the earliest Corners.
The proprietors OF Arlington, e. e.. OF.
fered so acres to the man who would
set mp grist mill at a place designa.
ted. by such a day then Is months
distant Remember Baker accepted
the offer and built the mill. About a
year before, they had voted a bounty
to the first 10 settlers who should set
tie within a year; six pound to the
first, five pound 10 shillings to the sec.
ond, and so on, the 10th getting one
pound 10 shillings. To the utterly inn
pecmious such prizes would be
enough TO hasten, II not TO determine
their action.