The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-01-09
A New Hampshire Lesson

The success of New hampshire In
developing the summer tourist lhdus-
try is in direct contrast to our own
failure to make the most OF our oppor-
tunities. II we desire TO attract sum
NOR visitors TO Vermont we VIII 90
well to study conditions among our
neiphbors across the Connecticut In
n recent address ex-Gov. n. }. Bach
elder said:
NO business In New Hampshire is
susceptible OF such indefinite expan,
sion as the summer boarding ana
summer home business by reason OF
the natural adaptability OF the state
TO IL. Fine scenery, sparkling water
and invigorating atmosphere are as
legitimate cash assets in the inyen-
tory of the state as are fertile soil
and mineral deposits in the inventory
of other states, all of which need at
tention before finding a market. In
our case the purchasers come to us
instead of our sending the goods TO
market. Only four states east OF the
Missouri river Maine, New Hamp-
shire. Vermont and New York. have
the natural advantages which may be
classed as the raw material for the
prosecution of this business, and
when based upon area New Hamp-
shire leads every state east OF the
Rocky mountains in this valuable as
set. Her possible customers for this
product are counted by millions for
more than twenty million people or
one-fourth the population of the coun-
try. are so near that they can eat
breakfast in their own homes and eat
late supper on the same evening at
the base OF Mount Washington. The
rich deposits of coal and iron in the
mines and the fertile soil OF the great
prairie states remained for ages in
seclusion and the elements which
constitute New Hampshire's most
valuable assets were unknown, two
generations ago.
Upon the extent to which these
peculiar advantages of the state are
made known will depend the demand
among the twenty million people for
New Hampshires best product. AL.
ready more than fifty million dollars
haze been invested In the state. near.
/ ~ all of which came from outside the
I state in summer homes and summer
| hotels. Ten million dollars are an.
nually left here by summer tourists
reaching every town In the state.
/ When We appreciate the fact that
towns can be named where the valua-
/ ton has doubled In ten years by rea-
son of the summer business. one
town having within It's borders ten
summer homes costing one hundred
thousand dollars each: that instances
can be named where the purchase OF
small farm has been followed by the
expenditure OF hundred thousand
dollars In improving t. that building
sites Of one acre each upon hilltops
have been sold for more than one
hundred acres OF thesame farm would
bring for any other purpose: that a
thousand elegant boats now traverse
the water of single lake dependent
upon the surrounding land for sup.
plies where n few years ago there
were only score and that there are
about three thousand summer hotels
and boarding houses that for three
months In the year become the dis.
tributing center for millions OF dol.
lars brought into the state. we get
faint idea Of the financial benefit TO
the state from this great business"
While disagreeing with the speaker
regarding New Hampshires superior.
ity in natural attractions. We must
admit that his argument is sound and