The Mkrits of our State. 539 



suited to any of the higher or nobler purposes of life ?" 

 But taking into consideration the question of property alone, 

 it may well be doubted whether the 200,000 absent Ver- 

 monters average any better than they would have averaged 

 at home. We have statistics that throw some light upon 

 this point, B}' the census of 1870, the value of real and 

 personal property averaged to each individual in 



Vermont about $7 43 



Michigan " 6 05 



Indiana " 7 00 



Wisconsin ^' 6 47 



Minnesota " 5 13 



Iowa " • 6 00 



Kansas " 5 06 



It will be seen that the average in Vermont is greater 

 than in any one of the six Western States named. In Illi- 

 nois, one of the most fertile and wealthy States of the West, 

 excepting the city of Chicago and its neighborhood, the 

 average is about the same as in Vermont. In the older 

 States, having large and wealthy cities, the average, as 

 might be supposed, is somewhat greater. 



The value of all the products of the farms averaged to 

 each inhabitant, by the last census, in 



Vermont $104 



Michigan 68 



Indiana 73 



Illinois 83 



Wisconsin 74 



Minnesota 76 



Iowa 95 



Kansas 75 



