Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-02-21

densbutgh 10 JoHN McDurrEE, Esq of Brad !
ford, has been deposited with the Secretary Of
the State Internal improvement Society. We
publish il FOR general information. Mr.. Med. |
lays no claim to tho character Of literary
man "ah," said he TO w, 1--WE had no gram
mar in my school-days-o.d Diworth taught
all" Nevertheless, Mr.. McD. is an experien.
ced engineer, and hs intimate knowledge of
tho topography Of this section, has enabled him
TO give much valuable information.
To n. c. Brown, h. b. Allen and others, oedens-
burgh n. Y.
GESTLEMEN; Your letter, dated the Goth
nit, requesting my views in relation to the inn
portant object Of opening direct communica-
ton, by railway, from BostoA, the emporium
OF Rev England, TO the outlet 9th great ives.
tern lakes, at the head of the river ST. Law
renee, | received with much satisfaction, and
will endeavor to give you my views ms far as
am capable;
l. By giving you short history of tho orig
inal cnnse ofthe enterprise what has been done
and is ding to bring the matter into public
yitw.
II. What further may be done to obtain sub
reriptons to tho stock
holders who advance the money 10 complete
The work
And FIRSTLY; Tho original cause Of the on
teIprse is to be found in the laet war. The
cost OF transporting the munitions of war from
the sesboard In New England, over hills and
mountains and through lakes, swamps &. wood
lands, 10 Canada line, led me 10 think that
winter communication, leading through New
Hampshire and Vermont into the northern and
western lakes, would BIO of great Importance 10
the United States. From my knowledge ofjhc
country that had previously obtained from
surveys | had made Of lands and roads in DIFF
irrent sections of tho route, / thought the thing
might be possible In the years 1916 -17& IS,
examined the different valleys in both states,
where thought it was probable that n water
communication might DO obtained; and in the
fall oil ISIS made II survey, at my own ex-
pense, across the height in New Hampshire,
10 connect the waters OF Connecticut river, by
canal, with the waters Of the Merrimach, by
Bakers river, at Plymouth. engaged Dan
Young, then an honorable senator of New
Hampshire, to explore and examine The route.
and report the facts 10 the Hon. Ichabod Bart
lott, OF Portsmouth, N. H., who was at that
time appointed an agent by Gov Pummer to
receive such information, by communication of
internal improvements, as might be made in
the same with the United States, in order to
receive from the U. S. their share Of the bonus
10 be given by tie U. s. bank for internal i'm
provenents in the states. This report was
made by Mr. Bartlett TO the legislature at Con.
cord, IN June lSl9 which was the first nfor-
nation given to the government OF the aforesaid
route In the year 1919 grant was made to
connect, by canal, Winnipiseoge lake through
squam AXE with Merrimack river at Plymouth,
near the mouth Of Bakers river; and in the
year 1924 the grant was extended by Bakers
river to Connecticut river. The grant was oi-
thor for a railway or canal This was the
hrst railway grant on the route. Canals at
that time were thought tho most practicable
method of transportation the benefits of rail-
ways had not then beer brought into public no.
lice. The grant was called the Grafton canal
and il completed it would have opened wa
ter communication from Connection! river BY
Bakers and Merrimack rivers TO Concord and
through the Middesex canal to Boston, which
is one ofthe proposed routes for the railway.
In the winter Of the same year, made q
communication 10 the War Department at
Washington, by the Hon. Thos. Whipple, NJ.
c. from n. Fl. and the Hon. Daniel Webster,
of Boston, that canal or water communication
could be extended from Boston, on the route
aforesaid 10 Connecticut river, and by Pas
ada; and that there was a probability that a
water communication could be found by Mont
peer down Onion river into lake Champlain.
On this information being given in Boston by
the Hon. Daniel w ebster, convention was
ealled and committee chosen 20 convene nj
Concord, N. II. with such inhabitants Of that
rtate as wished TO promote this great enterprise:
bat not meeting with the announcement from
some Of the inhabitants Of N. Fl. expected, the
committee turned their attention towards max
ing improvements from Boston westerly, in
their own state towards Connecticut river.
Gov. Clinton being at Washington the same
winter, and seeing the communication that
had mae and lodged al the War Department
solicited his son Dewitt Clinton jr., who was ap-
pointed a civil engineer, 10 call on me for an
assistant, and to examine the several cana
routes proposed, as far as time would admit
that season, by actual survey; which was done
as far as possible in the summer of 1926, and
report was made TO the War Department il
the winter following, from which, together with
other surveys made that summer and previou.
BY private subscriptions, il made it certain thu
water communication could be opened lhro
New England into the northern and western
lakes. The Erie canal having been opened
in lis whole extent through New York the same
year, New England was all alive TO the enter
prize, and the government OF the u. S. at tina
Time being friendly TO internal improvements
the next summer sent Col. John J. Albert, will
eight engineers under his command, TO max,
further surveys and examine the several routes
applied for to the u. S. Government 10 be sur
Veyed, either for canals or water communica
lions, from the mouth Of Connecticut river /,
the mouth Of Kannebec river inclusive, aHt
from the sea shore through New England I,
Canada line and TO lake Champain, and to OK