Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-11


Western States turning Vermont and other New Eng
land States has been evident in this region for considerable
period We have recently called attention to the develop
ment of beef production in Grand Isle county by capitalists
from Missouri and have the best of authority for
the statement that residents of Iowa. long regarded as the
garden of the Central West well other Western States
also looking back to this section of the country the
most promising field of land investment In soliciting adj
versng of Vermont land for people who likely to
to the Green Mountain State the Des Mones Register and
Leader makes this significant declaration:
During the ten years intervening 1900 and 1910 land
values Iowa became high that they almost pohb
tive to Iowa farmers especially those who rent
ing and making effort to get started for themselves
Western, Northwestern and Southwestern land companies
recognizing the wonderful opportunities this State offered
secured agents and began advertising campaigns and as
result Iowa furnished settlers for every State west of the
Mississippi say nothing of thousands of Iowans who mi
grated to Canada
But conditions appear be changing Practically every
Western State has had it's inning and the East is
ing into the melght Many Iowa farmers learning
that they buy farms in New England, improved and
close to the biggest markets in the country, close to rail-
roads, at prices often low the price of lands in
and unsettled communities
Residents of Vermont who have been thinking about
seeking land investments in Western States will do well to
carefully ponder these statements made by Western
actual conditions prevailing in that section today
Now what about the Iowa farmers and others who have
the Canadian Northwest response to the aurng
inducements held out by the Canadian authorties 1t is
tmaed that under the influences pointed out by the Iowa
dren have from Iowa and other Western States to the
Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan carrying
with them 5000 100000 $7O0,OOO,OOO in money.
For long time talk of productive crops cheap land and
big profits in land drew thousands annually but the tide
is turning degree which has caused Canada to become
frightened The migratory movement Of Western farmers
to the North has fallen off to striking degree while the
stream from the prairie regions toward the East is growing
and swelling large percentage of the American farmers
who went to the Canadian Northwest looking for profits
rather than for permanent homes have cleaned up Num-
bers of eXed Americans did not hesitate to they in
Canada simply to make stake and that when they made it,
they proposed return to Goods country They have found
their isolation reary and in their loneliness they dream of
the land they left where conditions of comfort prevailed and
where they enjoyed privileges not to be dreamed of in the
great undeveoped Canadian Northwest.
In western Canada the marketing conditions have
been good the transportation facilities utterly inadequate
and with the bare possible exception of few weeks in sum-
when crops growing the whole region is declared
to be unsght swept with desoatng winds and blasted by
biting Arctic weather is declared be altogether such
a country person would voluntarily choose for
manent home if he had vesge of memory of better land
which he had known in earlier years"
With the Canadian Northwest thus losing its hctional
attractions for farmers from the northwestern States what
the Iowa paper has said about the trend of migration
take additional force and the movement toward Yer
mont will increase at rapid rate.
We may not realize how fast land in Vermont is being
up by people from other sections of the country for
farming purposes the raising of fancy horses and cattle and
other live Stock for the of establishing summer
homes There is not single county in the Green Mountain
region which is not feeling the impulse of this movement
and what is true of Grand Isle county is still tuer of the
larger counties in which industrial openings have helped to
draw both capital and population from beyond the borders of
Vermont
Several morals are to drawn from all this One of
these is that young of Vermont have been dream
ing of Eldora1o in the American Canadian North
where land be gained for song will do well to
aze that the best field of investment right here in Yer
mont Another is that the who has become discour
aged and is trying to sell his Vermont farm for half its
value has properly worked and he is to realize
much larger price later especially in the meantime
he tides his premises and his land if he did not
intend get everything Of it and put nothing back into
the soil.
Vermont is of the most beautiful regions in the
world and destined become the prosper
agricultural States in the Union, the home of vigorous
and contented and progressive people.