Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-28

were attracted to Sandgate by tho low
prices at which the farms were offered.
which WAS less actually than the value
cost Of the buildings. The newcomers are
all men with families and had some ex-
perIence I'm agriculture in the old coun-
try, Their coming TO Sandgate was due
to no local effort. but to the activity Of
a New York real estate agency, assisted
in Sandgate by town representative Ray
Bentley. The outcome OF the arrival OF
this colony Of thrifty foreigners will be
watched with interest. or course, 1T Is
probable that, coming here at this season
Of the year. one Vermont winter may
discourage them and send them hurrying
back to New Jersey.
At the same time it is possible that
having invested their savings In farms
for which there Is no local market, they
may by necessity, II not otherwise. stay
long enough to get over any homesick-
ness, and II they do they are very likely
TO make O success of their venture. On"
thing has been evident for some time
and that Is that II our rural towns are
TO he repopulated the people mus, in
all human probability. come from the
immigrant races rather than from our
American stock. Now here Is an ex-
pertinent that is making itself. and on
The outcome hinges one Of the possibli-
ties of the future growth and prosperity
of rural Vermont
The people of Sandgate and Arlington
who have public spirit and are anxious
for the welfare of their towns. should
see that the newcomers get the best pos
sible treatment and are not taken advan-
tagc OF III any way. If they need advice
and assistanc" to aid them in getting
; located. and to get THEW work under
way, it should ne given them with ali
proper tact and good faith. The rood
people of the Green river and Batten-
kill valleys should call on the new
corners and make them welcome
OF course they are strangers. but they
come from honest. hard WORKING thrifty.
honest, moral. God-fearing races. If they
like and prosper they will attract their
friends, and in time the moderate priced
farms of rural Vermont will again he
repopuated A great responsibility rests
on the neiahbors and townspeople of
! SandGate and Arlington.
/ In this connection 1t IS interesting to
glance at the history Of SYNDICATE. which
is so typical of a large class Of rural
Vermont towns One hundred years ago,
when the census OF Vermont was taken
in 1919. the population of Sandgate was
| 11S,. In 1910 it had shrunk to 401. Think
of it-a decrease of practically 70 e in
one hundred years In 1850 the populs ton
had dropped to S5. but even then was
double what it was flfty years later
! In what is known as the southeast"
district OF Sandrate there has been with
/ in the memory OF people now living,
and not so old either a public school of
! forty pupils, Now there is only one fam
lily in the district and that is family
OF poor whites. and we are coming to
know in Vermont what that means The
entire district. with the exception Of a
few acres has grown UP to woods. In
fac'. timber has been cut there in recent
years on land that was once plowed and
cultivated.
1t is most probable that in the early
days Sandgate was over-settled. and that
land was cleared and cultivated that
was never fitted to grow anything but
timber. This ovcr-settlinG Was common
not only in Vermont. but everyw here
when new countries are opened up and
The shrlnkace Of certain towns in pupula-
ton is not only proper. bu, necessary
1t IS likely that the population Of Sand
gate in 1860, after over seventy wears of
settlement sos. was about what the town
should naturally and normally have.
Sandgate is not one of the poorer of
the rural towns OF Vermont either in
soil or location. The valleys are narrow
but fertile. and not as stony rs the
towns along the line of the Green Noun
.pt H..