The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-09-17
INDUSTRIAL VERMONT"


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country manufacturing chairs an
hehoea furniture At South Shafts
bury u located one Of the three larg
ct plants In the country manufactur
ing paint brush handles. Bristol con
tainf the largest burial casket factor
In Ncw England
Under the head az "Nermont's In
dustrial Future" attention Is called !
the abundance Of cheap water powe
IN the State 70 our transportation
facilities. and TO our proximity TO mar
keis. Some figures are quoted fron
the last census reports, showing ID
standing Of Vermont In indusiris
matters. II il shown that 1851 pc
cen; Of the people Of the state are en-
gagged in manufacturing compares
with a percentage Of 8.3s for IN
whole country.
Following the portion devoted I,
Manufactures Is the third genera
topic, Vermont Water Powers At
ttn,ion Is called TO the fact that Yer
mont 10 peculiarly favored with ar
abundance OF natural water powers
and many opportunities to develop
water power. There are twenty-fonr
that may be counted as independent
streams that rise in the Green Noun
tains-streams that have been or may
1e developed for power purposes
and large number Of tributary
streams, not a few Of them dignifed
by the term river, which are valuable
assets as actual or potential producers
OF water powers. There are literally
hundreds Of brooks, creeks, and rivers
and hundreds Of ponds and small lakes
within the borders Of this State. II is
doubtful IL any area in this country OF
less than 10000 square miles is so well
watered as Vermont, and the steep
ness Of the slopes Of the Green Noun
tains furnishes a swiftness of current
very important in power development.
Vermont is one Of two States in the
Union in which water generates more
power than steam. According to the
report Of the National Conservation
Commission, compiled in 1908, Yer
mont ranked ninth in number of wat
er wheels and eleventh in water horse
power developed, and there have been
large power developments in this
State since the date mentioned.
While no governmental policy is
advocated, attention is called to the
Importance Of some system Of water
storage TO tide over the summer
months when the flow of the streams
diminishes materially. A report Of
United States engineers on the Win
ooski river system shows that from
two-thirds to three-quarters of the
total yearly stream flow runs off in
the spring months. Thus the State
loses not only vast amount of poten-
tial power, but many towns and cities
suffer heavy losses as a result of
spring freshets.
Attention is called to the fact that
electric power is the power of the
future; that power generated by wat
er generally is cheaper than power
generated by coal; that manufacturers
will find great inducements to locate
where cheap, water-developed power
can be obtained; that Vermont, handi-
capped when power must be developed
from coal. 1t is rich in natural adj
vantages for developing cheap water
horse power. Cheap electric power
also means great benefits to farming
communities for lighting and other
domestic purposes, and for the opera
ton Of certain kinds of farm machin-
cry.
Appended to the portion Of the book
dealing with the general subject of
the Water Resources of the State are
descriptions of "The Wells River Wat
ershed" and Of "The Winooski River
System" the first by Vermont engi-
neer. and the second consisting Of
liberal extracts from report made by
United States Government employees
who made survey of the Winoosh
river system. These are used because
Of their intrinsic worth, because they
were available, and because they indi-
cate what needs to be done for all the
important water systems of the State.
The book is designed primarily to
give information TO persons outside
the State who are seeking facts con
corning Vermont's industrial resourc-
es and opportunities, but il will also
be useful TO many Vermonters who de-
sire to know more about the manu-
featuring industries and possibilities
Of their own State.
To feel strong, have good appetite