The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-08-01
From the Boston Courier.
Northern Railroads.


To The Editor of The Co,uier-Sir,-Th
Belknap Gazette ofthe 9TH inst contains an
article in relation TO the affairs of the Boston
Concord and Montreal Railroad, and the do
ings of the N. Hampshire Legislature con-
corning the Northern Extension Railroad, in
which some very eXceptionabe statements
are made relative to the friends of the Con-
necticut and Passumpsc Rivers Railroad.
Allow me, sir, 10 premise, that the Boston,
Concord and Montreal Railroad is n contem-
plated railroad line from Concord via Mere
dith and Plymouth to the Connecticut River
at IIaverliiIl. The Northern Railroad is now
in course of construction from Concord 10
the Connections River at Lebanon. The
route ofthe Connecticut and Passumpsic Rv-
ers Railroad is from the mouth ofWhte Riv-
or through the valley of the Connecticut and
PasSumpsic Rivers TO Canada line, and the
proposed Northern Extension Route is from
the Northern Railroad at Canaan to the Con-
necticut River az Oxford.
The article in the Belknap Gazette indul-
gcs in free and rather offensive personalities
attributes the failure of the Boston, Con-
cord and Montreal Railroad, in no small de-
gree, TO the course pursued by those in the
Passumpsic interest, and recapitulates as fol-
lows:
ave have said that orr friends in the Pas
tnnt crisis. We do not charge upon
them untairnCss-they were DESTROYS
of railroad into their country; aud al
though they had again and again said that
they would not unite, under any circumstun-
ces, with the Lebanon road-although the
President of the Passumpsic Road, Mr. Fair
banks had formerly notified Addison Gilmore,
President of the Concord Road, that they
never would unite with.the Lebanon road
although they had cautioned as against being
drawn off by collateral issues, and had pub
hcly declared thar rhey would have The PIym-
ouih road or none. yet when Mr. Addison Gill
more and some other officers and stockhold-
ers in The Concord roads sent paper up
there promising them aid, they snapped at it
like a pckerel in frosty morning. They
Went over en- mdSSe.
They were assured, they were promised,
that the Goose Pond" charter should he OBJ
tanned. 1t had been known to them that we
had received offers ofhaving road made TO
this place, Meredth] over aud over ngan, if
we would but desert our friends north ofus.
This fact is known to every body.
| We say we do not ccnsurc them for it
they probably thought they We're doing what
was tor their intercstand, bur for the inprop.
cr use ofconfideniial communications, made
| to some of thCm. when they were tnIricl ~
! our confidence, we should not feel called
! upon To allude to their course as freely as wc
have"
The Belknap Gazette is published hy
Charles Lane, Esq, the Secretary of the
Corporation of the Boston, Concord aud
Montreal Railroad Company. The article OF
the 9Th assumes the language oi,and purports
to be, an official expose, and as such deserves
attention.
ave do not charge upon them unlairncss,
says the writer, yet ho alleges violation of
| faith, and san improper use of confidential
communications"
These allegations were made against the
! Passumpsic interest. by the counsel for the
Boston, Concord and Montreal, before the
Committee ofthe New Hampshire Lcgisia
iuro, on the bearing of the Northern EXtem-
SION, and they were promptly and Concu
sively met and rcluted,
i'hc public rcitcraIon Of these charges in
the Gazette, imposes upon the friends of the
Connecticut and Passumpsic interest the ne
cessity ofreplying. And in doiugit,we most
unequivocally deny that the Boston, Concord
aud Montreal have any cause of complaint.
When charters were obtained for the Bos-
ton, Concord and Montreal Railroad and the
Northern Railroad, the former extending
from Concord to the Connecticut river nj lIa-
vcrhill, and the latter from Concord TO the
Connecticut river AT LebanOn,thc inhabitants
ofthe Passumpsic valley. and of Northeast
ern Vermont very naturally were deeply III
tcrested in the success of that road which
should strike Connecticut river ut the point
nearest to them. They therefore co-operaled
ut an early day in efforts TO bring the Boston,
Concord and Montreal Railroad into tjNora-
! bic notice. They organized n voluntary as
ISOLATION "for the purpose, "as their articles of
association declare, ''oi corresponding aud CO.
operating with Railroad interests south of
| Wells River and north of Canada line" The
ASSOCIATION created funds, appointed a Board
of ManagerS,and continued their cooperation
with the friends ofihe Boston, Concord and
Montreal Railroad in good faith, so long as
they had reasonable hopes of success.
They had no belief that the Boston, Con
corn and Montreal, and The Northern Rail
roads would both be built. They did not en-
pect that capitalists could he induced 10 invest
the stock for building iico Railroads across
the State ofNew Hampshire, so contiguous
ly located. And it should he known that III
the communications which passed between
the managers of the Boston, Concord and
Montreal Railroad, and those of the Passump-
sic, the idea was constantly incnlcated, by the
former, that the Northern Railroad could not
succeed.
This fact was shown before the, committee
oft the New IIampshirc legislature duringthc
hearing upon the Northerh Extension Char
ter. Letters from s. G, Lytord, Esq, one of
the Directors, and Colonel Lane the Secreta-
ny, and statements OF other gentlemen in the
management oftheBoston, Concord and Mon
treal Railroad, wept fully to show that it was
the mutual expectation and bcliefoi'these gen
tlemen, and those iB the Passumpsic interest,
that the Northerp Railroad could not be built
The exposition ofthis fact, before the COM
mittee of the New Hampshire Legislature,
Il. Il