The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1843-11-29
HE GALLANT.
MIDDLEBURY:
Wednesday Nov. 90, ls43.
MORE ABOUT RAIL ROADS.

What seemed to us few months sincea
hopeless project, is now fast Transforming it.
self into most invaluable reality. So great
are the advantages to be derived from rail
road connecting Boston with Lake Cham
plain, both to the city, the country and capi-
talists seeking an opportunity for profitable
investments, that its final Accomplishment
even within another decennary may he rc5--.
ded as highly probable. At leas; it is SO rs-
garded by all parties interested ini,s con'Euc-
ton in Boston, Massachusetts, New Hamp
shire and Vermont. The route which sll1d
be pursued is the thing now to Is settled.
Spirited meetings have been recently hell
at Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Rutland AMI
Burlington to decide upon the arguments Of
preference between the two great routs which
have been marked out, TO wit one extending
from the Concord rail road via. White River
and Montpelier to Burlington. The other
from Fitchburg through keene to Bellows
Falls, and from thence to Rutland, and via.
Brandon, Middlebury, and Vc:gennes, to
Burlington the common terminus. That
which should prove the least expensive in
construction and repair, the most convenient
for the population, the most productive to the
stockholders should be selected. and in all
these respects the Southern route has we be-
lieve vastly the advantage. As to the dis
tance between Boston an Burlington it is
said by the Bellows Falls Committee to be
at least twenty miles nearer by the Southern
route. A writer in the Rutland Herald al
lows still greater proximity by this route, md
asserts that the whole distance from Boston
to Fitchburgh, thence by the shortest routo
through Rutland to Burlington, is less by
more than As miles, and by the longest p
miles, than from Boston by Concord Lebanon
and Montpelier; and that it will require less
length of rails to reach Burlington from
Bellows Falls through Rutland than from
the mouth of White River by Montpelier to
Burlington.
As to expense of construction no one at all
acquainted with the geography of the couuir!
can doubt thai so far as the road passes
through Vermont it wouh be comparatively
vastly less expensive TO build it between Bur
ington and Bellows Falls, than between
Burlington and that, or some other r lace on
Connecticut River. From Burlington to the
foot of the mountain at Mount Holly, inc
face Of the country is nearly level F''m
thence to Bellows Falls no elevation metz De
encountered over GO feet to the mile. Indeed
it is believed by some that such will be tn
expensive of grading road from 8uriln;
ton to Montpelier that it would cos m-:e l0'
that distance than from Burlington tc iicun'
Holly, distance of70 miles. And beside the
difficulties of surmounting the 3hlaH1s =
tween the Connecticut anu Montpelier must
be much greater than up Black rivss. SI1
over Mount Holly to Rutland
In relation 10 the expense of repairs : =
well observed by the Bellows Fai!s Gonna;
tee, that the removal OF snow rs every e.
monter knows, would be much less exTer-
sive by the Middlebury route, than the Nor
pelier. Probably not more than half IL
quantity of snow falls in western Vermont '
in eastern.
As to the income from freight, it seems 10
US the comparison is as favorable to the wes-
tern route, as it is in relation to the expense
of construction and repairs No country 70
the union can boast of a greater amount OIL
agricultural products than western Vermont
Here are your cattle and sheep Upon tfou-
sand hills. Here is your wool, beef, tu''s''
cheese, pork and coarse grains all IN ncn
abundance. Our mountains are cove!ea
With the spruce, hemlock, bi.'i. line, as''
.herry, and from the sides gush ont n,;-', eroua
treams upon which extensive manufactures
AVE been erected. Otter Creek It Middle
ury. vGyennss and several Intervening