The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-11-24
OUR VACANT FARMS
A Call for Tenants from a Windsor
County Nelghborhood

comes from a neighborhood rich In
unworked lands, empty houses and
deserted school buildings
ITO the Editor of the New York
Herald:
4 am requested to write you in re-
gard to the vacant farms in this vic
unity. There are fifteen or twenty
empty farms of good land and with
large orchards, but the buildings are
fast going down. All have steam
mills every three or four miles and
the buildings can soon be put in
good shape.
ION some of the farms is more
than enough lumber to pay for the
farm. We desire TO have neighbors
and nave the place inhabited. Many
Of your people have settled in the ad-
Joining towns 1t is a good country
Please see what you can do to get
some that have no homes to come
this way and will give them warm
reception. For further particulars
address,
"E. j. Johnson
Briggs, W., Oct. |, Ill"
Mr.. Johnson-and Mrs. Johnson,
who really wrote the piece upon
which some Vermont editors have
focused their wisdom and panied at
tention-are telling the truth about
conditions up their way, up beyond
Bridgewater Chateauguay (or "Shad
dageer) in Little Sherburne." They
want neighbors; there are houses al
ready built and waiting, there is good
soil. though there are some acres on
edge: deserted houses are out OF
repair, and the land once cleared is
again largely given over TO brush and
second growth trees not ready Tor
the axe
Il was the uphill mission OF TWO
newspaper men to call on Mr.. John
son the other day, and get more infor
nation about these abandoned farms
why the former owners left them,
where they went, and why the farms
are still tenantless.
There is some grade from Wood
stock to Bridgewater Corners, and
from there It is an eight mile climb
to Mr.. Johnsons 500 acre farm. The
road ends in his dooryard-that is,
a branch road TO which the traveller
is directed by a guide-board which
saws ITO f.. j. Johnsons." An arrow
makes ii more emphatic. This sign
post is informing and useful for the
traveller leaves Mr. Johnson's last
neighbor four miles down the road.
It is a beautiful drive all the way
from Briggs, the postofice depart
ments abbreviation of Bridgewater
Center. to Mr.. Johnson's place, l749
feet above sea level. In some places
the highway is cut into the banks OF
the narrow valley; hundred feet be-
low Is seen a fast flowing stream;
the tree and brush covered slopes
give not much hint of agricultural ac-
tivity, but now and then the road
energies into the open; there are
patches of green. perhaps a few graz
ing cattle. and deserted houses.
Twenty-Five TO forty years ago, the
folks up that way tell you, it was
more thriving, prosperous region
The farms were worked and worked
proftably, the farmers were content
ed: there we're school districts that
counted forty children where there's
not one today.
The folks up that way are pleased
to see interested strangers and to
talk of matters and things contribu-
ting TO the rising number OF deser-
tions from their hillsides There's
nothing 10 do in winter; it's lone
some and the people move TO the vii.
lage TO get factory work" said Henry
Hubbard, farmer, teamster, lumber
man. who has views and some gold
land. Some OF the folks didn't like
to work any too well and didn't know
how to farm; got discouraged and
quit.
you don't want to buy a farm
said Mr.. Hubbard, before he fully
understood that the inquirers were
looking solely for information.
well. | can sell you a gold mine
Mr. Hubbard is quite as positive
as to the futility of former gold min
ing operations in Bridgewater as he
is about farming methods but seems
TO be very sure that the hills hide
plenty of gold for those who will tao
kle the mining job in business-like
way.
Gold mining has done the town no
good. 80 the neighbors said, that II
has even been positive injury TO
1 the immediate field OF operations was
/ a quite general complaint The gold
mining craze reached its full flower
about 80 years ago; men, teams and
much expensive machinery were as.
sembled II not put to work farmers
having land whose soil showed a
trace of the yellow stun were quick
to sell at a good price, and occasion
al renewal OF operations since that
day has resulted ia more transfers oil
real estate. Result--a hole or two
In the ground, no gold, and idle for
est and farm land.
Lewis n. Spauding, first select
man of Bridgewater. a lifelong resi-
dent OF the town. living on the edge
of the vacant farm region, and who
knows the people and conditions as
we'll as any one. was found working
on the road near Briggs. He was
willing to stop and talk, and seemed
to 20 to the bottom of things when
he said the misrepresentation OF
real estate agencies were partly res
,co.tht. for much of the dignDDOiut.