The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-08-28
From the Boston Courier.
TO THE PUBLIC.
S. M. FELTON, and the Rutland Road

| ~ IL IL ~ - L1Ss
s. NJ. Felton and the Rutland Road
1t is well known 10 those who take al
interest 10 the Railroad enterprises lha
are how before the public, that surve,
of the ChampIain and Connecticut River
Railroad Route from Burlington 10 Bel,
lows Falls, by the way of Rutland, ha:
been made by Mr. w B Gilbert, whose
report on the feasibility and general char
acter of the route, with approximate esi-
mates OF the expense Of constructing the
road, has been published. 1t is also wei
known that official communications from
Mr. Gilbert, detailing The results of his
survey as ii progressed, have been. from
time 10 time, printed in the newspapers oil
the city, accompanied 10y necessity, in Or
der to exhibit the improvements made) by
statements of the results of the survey OF
the same portions of the line, as made IN
der the direction OF Mr. FELTON,. Mr. Fell
ton, In repeated instances, has felt called
on to "reply" TO these communications OF
Mr. Gilbert, confning himself, however,
in his "reples," principally to general
and indefinite denunciations of the Rul-
land Route" and general and indefinite
appreciation OF the Central Route" The
latest and most offensive ebullition of his
temper appears in the Courier OF the 18th
instant, aud is of such character as 10
demand from the undersigned The notice
which they propose, in this communication,
10 bestoW upon 1t.
The undersigned are we'll aware how
little interesting or instructive are the per-
SonaI alterations ofparlies who are endeav.
orng to enlist public favor in behalf of
projec which are supposed to be con-
fllcling; and how little likely such alter
cations are 10 benefit either party 10 con-
troversy. Ii has been, therefore, their de-
sire, and their intention 10 managing their
side of The public discussions which the
proposed Vermont Railroads. have elected,
to avoid as far as possible, any statements
or comparisons which were not directly
calculated to eucidae tie merits of their
great enterprise. With Mr. FELTON,, espe>
ciaIIy, they have invited no controversy.
They knew that HE made no survey of
the Rutland route. They have uniform
" spoken of the previous survey of that
route as having been made "under his d.
reclon'' merely. They knew that his
report, estimates, &c. were made before
he had ever sci his foot upon the line of
the proposed road, and exclusively on the
reports TO him of his subordlnates, They
knew that the only time that he ever per-
sonaIIy traversed the route, he lray-
ersed il with almost railroad speed,
land partly IN The mighO and could
not have been able to speak of its gen.
eral character with any rational APP
Proclamation to certainty. Under these
circumstances, the friends OF the Rutland
route, anticipating no acrimonious oppo~
silon to their enterprise from Mr. Felon,
have supposed tha,they should be permit
ted to prosecute their re-survey, and to
present the merits of their claim upon the
citizens of Boston, without the applehen-
sion of especial hostility from HIM. But
they have been mistaken. The wors, en-.
envy TO the Rutland route has been Mr.
Samuel NJ FELTON,. 1t is he. in the garb
of the Engineer Of that road, who has,
from the outset of the present controversy,
magnifed and multiplied thedificulies of
the route, exaggerated its grades, over-es-
limated its expensiveness both as respects
its construction and furniture, uniformly
under stated its superiority over his favor.
tie Central route ia shorness OF line, as
sailed in the grossest manner the survey
and The estimates Of Mr. Gilbert, and Ia
every way attempted 10 embarrass and
thwart the efforts Of its friends to commend
it 10 public favor. The undersigned, there
fore, entrusted with The duty OF advocating
and defending great project, which in
timateIy concerns and Interests a large
portion ofthe people of Vermont, on whose
behalf they are now 10 Boston, are obliged
10 ask public attention 10 the following
statements -
Before the survey OF the Rutland route
was commenced under the direction of Mr.
FELTON,, he was fully appraised of the gen.
eral nature OF the difficulties to be encoun-
tered in crossing the mountain at the |
Mount Holly Gap, and also of the advan~
tages OF the C,ntra route; that the re-
spective merits and difficulties of the two
routes were " frequentIy and freely" COM
pared and discussed, in conversations held |
by him. in the autumn Of 1874, with Gen.
Brown OF Rutland, one OF the commission.
erS, and Mr. Tracy, one of his assistant
engineers; that he accepted the Office of