The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-12-24
THE VOICE.
BRANDON:
THURSDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1916.
Editorial Correspondence.

On Thursday last | took passage at CRANKY, Ut
at 2 o'clock, P. NJ, and arrived at the Westfeld sta
ton, on the Western Railroad at s o'clock. The dis
lance was but twelve miles but the travelling being
rough most of the way, and the lad which drove the
horse missing his way, caused some delay. The
next morning | took the cars for the State line sta
ton, expecting to reach there at half past II, A. NJ,
and proceed from there in the afternoon to q place
called Falls Village, in the town of New Can aan, ct.
distance 81 miles from State line. In these antici-
pations, however, l was disappointed; for the snow
drifts on the Western Railroad impeded the progress
of the cars so much that they were behind their time
at State line about two and q half hours and when
l arrived there, or a little before that, | learned that
the cars on the Housatonic road would not COM
mence running until the next Monday. l also as
certained that no Stage would go there at all and no
chance to go within six miles of Falls Village until
Saturday. Here l was in a fx,-ncne too much
cash to spare, and no chance to go to Falls Village
before Saturday night, and possibly might have to
stop six miles short of there. Well, my stomach
cried dinner, so l went to the "Refectory,'' kept by
Mr.. }. NJ. Noble, the agent for that Station and find
ing Mrs. Noble Il first rate cook, as neat as a pin,and
one of the jovial sort,-the fare, too, quite reasons
able, l concluded to stop there until Monday, and
am since more and more satisfied that | did so. The
wind ragged furiously from Friday morning until
Monday, piling up some huge snow drifts, and the
weather was very cold. The conductor, who came
from Springfield on Saturday, said the cars passed
through drifts west of Pittsfield six feet deep.
While tarrying with Mr., Noble, he related some
hri11;,,r seq ;1rno ,ao;Io~+e o~o 80 l.aI r zrJ
late. A few years ago, he went, in company with
others, to break a path through the snow drifts hay
ing two engines and two tenders, with a snow plough
attached to the forward engine. AS it happened, the
braces to one side of the pillow were weaker than
those of the other, and as the engines were put UNI
der fullhead way to push through a heavy drift, Mr..
Noble stood with one foot on the forward engine and
the other on the tender, and as the pillow struck the
drift, the weak braces gave way,the engine wheeled
at right angle with the tender, the fore end leaping
a deep ditch, and there stood spanning it, complete
ly detached from the tender, the wheels perform
ing their evolutions with the velocity of lightning.
and %rumbling like ten thousand coach wheels on a
pavement, while Mr.. Noble had been thrown head
long into the deep snow, where he heard this hide
Gus noise, scrambling for life, and expecting every
moment that the other engine and tenders would
come down astride him. But as good luck would
have it, he dug his way out, and found all but the
forward engines resting quietly on the track, mean
while himself putting and sweating like q G%raefren-
berg invalid chased up a steep hill, after a p~lunging
in ice-water
Business appears to be rather brisk on the West
ern Railroad, not less than 100 cars passing State
Line on Saturday, but less brisk than two weeks
ago, as the Agent informed me.
On Monday morning | took passage in the Housa-
tonic cars, and was soon landed in Falls Village
| will mention a fact or two of the Housatonic rail |
road, and of its projectors and constructors, as Ipass |
along. When this road was projected, the stock |
holders,and those who constructed and superintend-
ed its construction, had not sufficient knowledge of
such matters to make correct estimates, nor to per-
form the work to the best advantage. Consequently
a large portion of the stock was lost, the flat rails
and rickety accompaniment yielding no net reve-
nue.. But a few persevering spirits held on, and in
duced others to take hold with them, and after en-
countering obstacles too numerous to mention, sue
ceeded in getting a good track of H rail, and good
They have also a gentlemanly set of conduc-
and hands on board the trains, and now merit.
md doubtless will receive liberal patronage. The
rain from Albany had AZ through and a large num-
Der of way passengers and on Tuesday the same
rain had about 200 through passengers from New
fork, and quite q company of way passengers
This is called a pretty fair beginning of q winter
The probability is that during the COM
ng year, a railroad will be built from some point of
he Housatonic to connect with the Harlem, unless /
he route shall terminate in another part of New I
city. l think l see clearly the time when the I
Western Vermont Railroad will be built from Clar- /
ndon to the south line of the State, and manned l
18th cars; when the railroad, now completed to e
'orth Adams, will be extended to the north line of It
Massachusetts,, and there waiting, with an extended "
I'm, ready to clasp in its hand the southern termi- v
lis of the Vermont road; when Troy will reach h
ut her iron paw, claiming a shake at Western YER
%lontcrs, and when the Champlain and Connecticut r
Railroad will be completed, rendering such ia O
lities for travel, that, taken in connexion with 9TH fl
railroads, a man leaving Montreal on Monday. Il
ay reach Washington (via. New York; on Tues Pr
~ night, Or Boston on Monday night. Then those re
no migrate from Massachusetts and Connecticut IL
ID settled in Vermont, they and their children may al
Up on board the cars at Rutland, Brandon, Middle Ct
Try or Burlington revisit their native hills cous- h
over night, and return the next day, Then, the til
ople of most of the New England States will very til
turally become acquainted with each other, and tn
the facilities for travel increase in these and 9th pr
states, acquaintance will keep pace with these in
.,ilities, and the bonds Of brotherhood among the 81
ople of the several States will increase and DO tn
enlightened. Let the railroads then increase. Let tn
estern Vermonters, and those mutuallyintercsted fol-
en- their eyes and their purses; stretch forth their tic
nds, grasping the ~pick-axe, spade and shovel; W
,w-bar, hoe and barrow, and c%onsummate the ito
lroads now chartered, to effect objects irstnamed, da
4 the profits and pleasure consequent thereon will NJ.
urn u rich reward. by