Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-04-25
KaiI-Road Correspondence.

Rail-Itoad Correspondence.
generous efforts, and good intentions, IN whatever re.
laies to the publ interest, you will permit, me, with
out finding fault, | trust, 10 question the ~propriety of
your views, on q pending ques ton Of vital Importance
10 the State. A deep interest perceive is awakening
on the choice OF a Raii-HoId Route from Boston 10
Burlington, and ! can but hope that 8 rh a decision
Will lie made as rH best ansieer HE end Of public
justice, and The most enlarged and durable prosperity
81 the STATE: No Just and honorable man, | think,
will doubt the propriety of this position What course
then should the people and press at Burlington take
on this subject? First Of all, should they not give
countenance and support TO that route which will
best promote the public interests ; and second, to
look TO the growth and prosperity of Their own town
and county? But is there a rational doubt, on a due
cons Iteration Of the subject, that the Central Rail
Road will best promote both Of these objecls-lhe
public interest and the interest Of Burlington also?
As to The public interest, il may be assumed with
saie'y tina, the capitalists at Boston, on whose aid the
success of the enterprise must be mainly depending
VIII not invest their money TO build three RAILROADS,
side by side, through our State, 10 peform the work
of one. If three were built, the stock Of all would
doubtless be of little or no value-ii but one, il would
pay o good interest on the capital employed, and the
Market, in all public objects of the like kind, is the
great purpose-it is this that gives life and vitality TO
the farmer, and activity TO the business Of the mer-
chant, manufacturer, and merchanic. Which route
then opens the greatest extent of country, and brings
a market 10 the doors of the greatest number of our
population Does not the Rutland route, which you
duNpcu,t anu HNO1, pass tnrOugn q SectiDn Of inc
State already accommodated for two thirds of the
year, upon a line of navigation opening TO the most
extensive market on the continent? A railroad thro'
that lection of the State does not open a market TO
them during such time, but merely gives them the
choice of marhets-the choice of going to Boston, If
they can do better there than at Troy or New York;
while ii dooms the middle, northern and northeastern
Counties OF the State, containing alou! one-half of our
whole population, 10 an improbable horse cart trade
with a distant market; or to the s,crifice OF 'frir sur
plus products upon their hands. This to me does not
look like DIIbIc juSftrr Iuet lnnk n the Vnur
proposed route does not open any destitute section Of
the State 10 a market, BIZ, only secures to The two
counties of Addison and Rutland the choice of two
markets instead of one. You a, first thought, no
! doubt, will be inclined 10 say that this is not the case,
then let US see.
Bennington County has its marke, fixed for all
time, at Troy and New York, and she has little or no
e interest in the establishment, of any Of the proposed
routes through this State. Chitenden, franklin and
} by any Railroad 10 Boston; aud these Counties, TO
say the least, would be as well convened by the Mont
peller as the Rutland route hence they have no
greater interest IN the one and the other, and may be
is regarded as neutral on the question. A continuation
of the route ftom Northampton TO Brailleboro', or
from Fltchburgb to Connecticut River, opens n mar
ket for the county of Wlndham-these roads do not
> depend upon the establishment of the Rutland route I;
but would equa'' be pushed forward, to pass up the
valley of the Connecticut to unite at White River
IS with the Montpelier route.
4 Thus ii will be seen that the Rutland route. in point
" Of fact, produces no other result, in the several coun-
ties named, over and al owe the Montpelier route.
than his Tint II extends to Addison and Rutland
counties the choice of The Boston market. in connec-
ton with Troy and New York. These two counties
contain a population of 81, 282, to whom, in exclusion
te Of near half the State, from any additional privileges
whatever, you propose to confne your pariialliies A
al poor return, | am thinking. for the hopes and expec-
tatl1ns of the Legislature and People at large, whose
liberal efforts, IN preparing the way for those i'm
provcmenis, were designed to open the isolated sec.
tons OF the Safe, to the Indispensable benefits Of O
ready and constant market.
N, But a more enlarged view of the subject leads us to
nd contemplate the results tina, would follow the estab-
ID lshment Of The Central or Montpelier route. II II Il
We the case, that this route opens the greatest extent Of
ng country to market, covers The most business, accom-
er modates the mos, people, and does the mot good
ri. then, surely, it is the duty Of every man to prefer anC
his encourage It's construction. This line would opsr
not mot give a choice of merely a market 10 the coun
lat ties of WINDSOR, Orange, Washington, Caledonia. Or
lie leans, Lamolle, and Essex. containing in the aggre
Ter gate a population Of l4i ,96l, nearly e-half of IN,
on whole State while the Counties Of Windham, Chit
ng tenden, Franklin, and Grand Ise, with a population
- of 1883, may be set down ms balanced in Their inter
TO est on The question, Thus seren Counties, with neal
q. treble the population and their al undani products
b. timber and mineral wealth, opened 10 market, are
ea flung into the scale on the one hand, as an offset &c
id The mere c'oice Of markets, on the other hand, in t,ro
MS counties only. In freight and profits 10 The line, anc
he every other interest can imagine. the prepondercnc.
on is marked and great in favor of the seven counties
lat and the people OF Boston, no doubt, will weigh 'h,
N, matter well before they invest their capital IN III,
IN Rutland route.
What then is the duty as well rs the interest q
Burlington, IN this matter? On The principle of pub
e- lc ju tice, we have already shown thar the Contra
~. Route is the one that should be established. An
Burlington now, as ever, will, ! trust. take her wont
BY ell high position, and stand IN the attitude Of IusIic
and devotion % the public %good-an object paramount
u" 10 all others.
he Blu, is it certain, as yor would seem to indicat,
. that the Rutland route will be most favorable TO III
III growth and prosperity Of Burlington 2 1t is the OF
IN, Iect of Burlington, SO far as her own interests are cor
-" cerned, 10 become the great depo, on the Lake, wher
Mt passengers, and freight, and business will concentra
NOT a mere passing through, bu, a point for trad
exchange, and market. Now, will n northern an
southern line, or an eastern and western, best PR
IF mote this object? Will not the former place Blu
" lngton in competition, eight months in the year, wi
DnS every port upon The Lake? Whitehall, being at Il
head o. Lake navigation, and much nearer Bosto
or perhaps Nergennes, Saying nothing of 9th
ow points where the road would come in coniac, WI
the ~na,lgable waters of the Lake, mi hi find i, f
The their interest to carry freight 10 81. Johns, snd recei
,rv il upon their wharveS, for nothing if by SO DOH
~ hey.could become rivals to Burlington. And VII
ow should Burlington, in such case, have any very DEF
-. ded advantages over these other points? To becon
lo'' the great liepot on The Lake, Burlington must b
DOR come the terminus, or point, where The line sing
connects itself with Lake navigation. If there is b
re- one point for this object, that must become the
30 important one. If every port upon the Lake is or,
{" 10 competition, then the object is los, in the mul,ip
op- city of interests, and the division of business. 1t W
- be understood tina, ! am now speaking Of the mo
the immediate interests of Burlington, separately and
so dependenrly considered. Ant would not The Cent?
or Montpelier line strike the Lake at Burlington, a
me there only? lfso, il would become the sin gle poi
'E'f .,' ~ ~
y! sengers going to or returning from the north a
or west. Besides, il would become the receiving q
forwarding point to and from every section Of I
one Lake. Even Vergennes, and other points south, i
stead of standing as rival competitors, would Sc
their vessels to the wharves at Burlington, freight
with the products Of the Counties of Addison and H
mn land, for Boston market. Should the Railroad fro
Lake Champlain 10 Ogdensburgh Gust rsctartere
eat be built, it wonld render this view Of he subject do
Nd bly, important. And a continuation of the Road fro
Burlington to ST. Johns would in no way deiri
from the same.
Indeed, the simple idea of a great Eastern a
ms Western thoroughfare, connecting Boston with Il
western Lakes, and passing through the vast IRON
eions of Northern New York branching in the me
nse time at Burlington, and forming a connecting link b
tween Boston and the Capital Of the British Prov
'"S' ces, making Burlington the great and only depot up
laid the Lake. for n business so extensive IS these In
=. would gather, would raise the highest hopes as to h
riv- growth and prosperity. Such a line too would OF
M a market TO the whole State-confcr a great and la
- ing benefit upon our oltizenn and give permanen
of and success to a gigantic, and most useful en,erprl
SELDEN
April l6, lS45.