Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-08
Tsrm ont a5botnfr.
Friday, DEC. 3, ls43.
CONVENTION
for the Extension of the Fitchburg Rail Road
TO and through Vermont.


The Convention is over. The great gathering
to which we have been looking forward with eager
anticipation has been and is now dispersed.
To say that there no disappointment-no
vexation felt by any among the hundreds, who on
Tuesday thronged streets, and filed the spacious
Church Of the Congregational Society of Bratile- ,
boro,-would be saying more than has ever been
true of any Convention that ever met but we be-
lieve that we express the sentiment Of all among
us, who had felt an interest in the occasion, and
who is there who had not, when say that the
Convention, in respect to numbers, character and
spirit, was all that the most ardent had dared to
hope. or we might add, could have desired. The
day was beautiful and we must confess 10 enough
of that obsolete thing, superstition, TO have felt no
slight thrill of pleasure, when we the clouds,
which on Monday evening overspread the heavens,
and threatened storm in exchange for the fine
weather of the preceding days. all dissipated early
in the morning of the 9th and a clear sky smiling
auspiciously, on what We mean shall be, great
event in the annals Of our valley and our State.
We say, shall be, but not the less also, that it
was such The assemblage of such body Of men
from the opposite extremties of Vermont, from
Northern Massachusetts, and from n. Hampshire,
in the prime Of life, with earnest inquiring
faces and self possessed demeanor, ready TO hear,
eager to communicate, and resolved to act; old
men full of honors of years, DESTROYS OF further
ing by their presence and their counsel, enter
prise the vast benefits of which, they could
pect themselves to witness, yet would gladly leave
us an inheritance TO their children; young men
too hopeful and ambitious all met for the conside
ration of so extensive plan of internal improve
b "a - 4
have come together from farming towns and
small manufacturing ones, remote from the
metropolis and have evinced emil ghtened Il self
interest, wide intelligence, and have display
ed much courteousness and mutual forbearance,
spoke volumes for the free schools and liberal in
situations of New England
The delegates began 10 pour in Monday even
ing and il not long before the crowded state of
our hotels, proved the wisdom Of that protective
hospitality which had made arrangements for re-
ceiving in private families Of visitors who
could not have been accommodated IN the public
houses. On Tuesday morning our village was
early astir. People from the neighborng towns,
from over the Massachusetts, border, as well as
from up the Connecticut and West River Vallies
came focking in BY all kinds of conveyance. Bur
llDgton, Rutland, &c, with Bellows Falls and
Fitchburg, Templeion, and Atho, were in, The night
before large delegation from Northfeld and q
most valuable one from Greenfield, arrived last
At eleven the bell toed the hour of assembling
and in ten minutes the whole floor of the large
house was filled with of the most respectable
looking bodies of men we have ever seen. The
Convention, after temporary organization, chose
fol it's President the Hon. GEORGE GRESSELL, JR.
o L ~
little of the order which characterised its proceed
ngs to the gentle yet decided dignity with which he
discharged the duties of his office. The ofhcia
account which we had hoped to publish to day, bu
which as it could not be got in readiness by tn,
Secretaries, must now be deferred to next week
will give the names of the other Officers.
We can give now but brief sketch of the pro
! ceedngs. Alter the appointment of large Com
mliee Statistics, relating 10 freight travel, pro
duce of the soil and of manufactures, &c. an'
another on Resolutions, and some important state
nents by the Rutland delegation as to the characte
and resources of the region the West side of thu
! Mountain between Mt Holly and Burlington, Col
: CRocKHR of Fitchburg the Achilles OF Rail Roads
: was called for. lie had only time before the hou
of adournng for dinner, to express the high graft
fcation he felt at being present at meeting wher
! the interests OF large and wealthy portion o
, New England were represented. 1t was meet
] ing he had long looked forward to.-He had lonl
felt that the time would come for 1.-THE time ha
come for it, and he thanked Heaven II had come
: We felt that we had, under Heaven, to thank hin
for it and we sympathised deeply with the stron
feeling which he manifested in the opening Of hi
address.
In the afternoon, he spoke of the origin and pro
: gress Of the Fitchburg Road compared the situa
ton Of those desiring its extension TO that of hmsel
and friends, al the beginning Of their enterprise. :
He showed the advantage we had over them, II
that their work the beginning of ours, and de
r cared that though Mr. Isaac Hill regarded it as
no sort OF value TO us, but would the contrary
= persuade the people of Southern as well 0
/ Northern Vermont that the shortest and only prac
q ticable way for them to get to Boston by steam
: was to jump on board his at Concord N II =
a he was sure we had still faith in the geometrica
axiom that a straight line the shOrtest toay be
tuoee,i t,oo points and that Ftchburg happene,
r TO lie in that line between this place and Boston,
/ had no doubt we should aim at If still.
Y He was followed by MIR. E. II. Derby of Boston
e a gentleman deeply versed in the management O
Rail Roads, director of the Fitchburg and recent
4 if not now, of the Western Rail Road. MIR. ID
remarks were full of instruction and of encourage
. ,nent for u.s. and were as gladly received as the.
! were happily delivered Both gentlemen inculcat