The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-02-14
Connecticut and Passumpsic
Rivers Rail Road.

the lowest, and as long as il is true that single
individual may do infinite good by determine
ton and perseverance; that the Legislature in
this case, has conferred abundant powers for
even individual scrutiny, investigation and ac
ton, and that corporations made up of in
dividuuls, why not speak out and act as such,
and then letaH Join together in the harness;
concentrate all their ambition-aH their knowl-
edge-dH their physical energies and they will
form a power, irresistible. ne have an object
before as which should "try men s souls; draw
! forth all their powers, mental,m moral and phys
ical with all their pecunary means for its pro-
motion, and have every possible encour-
ugcmcnt TO press forward.
Our Rail Road is beginning to be looked up
on, even abroad, not as iokc-a figure of fam
cyan cmpty sound-but as big with meaning
possessing unparalleled advantages, and dcs-
tined to success The Pop0icr brcczcs blow
this way. Tho hcalthful influences Of Rail
/ Road enterprise are now in course of unequiv-
ocul expression for this line After all, in our
onward course we may he called to fight, but
| if so, let us do il in self dcfencc--by thc as
/ scrton ofour rights and interests with cool.
ness and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. passion or
prciudicc-lct rs defend ourselves with the hes.
Of weapons, and our arsenal is well stored,
-TrCfragjbie justice and erpcdicncy If there
may yet be any .torcigH opposition, any mac
ton ON want offuith in our Osrn ranks we may
hope soon for the development and acc umula-
ton Of such body of stubborn facts as to re-
press and countcract any evil results We
may to he sure have some struggling skirmish.
rs with enemies within and without; but by
we'll disposed measures we shall conquer, and
there is wisdom, prudence and sagacity enough
among our friends to iook down all opposition
and secure this great and common good
The conclusion must be, If not already CON /
coded, that ours IS the most natural, most fra- /
siblc, and the route which promises the most
sure and ample returns 10 capitalists, pcrmn-
nantly considered, for a connection of Boston |
and Montreal by rai-way,which can be found /
/, will have for its termini two important cit.
ics;--one the emporium Of New England, the
great central depot and business mart of the /
English steamships the other the capital Of /
the British Provinces at the head of nnyiga. /
ton on the mighty ST Lawrence. It would
be- one continuous Inc at all seasons of the |
year. II would be safe and always indepen-
dent, having no formidable mountains to climb
or pass thTough;-uo large Rivers or lakes 70
pass over or compete wrth-ull the way of ca
50 grade, gentle curves, chcaply made and
through one Of the mos, fertile aud pleasant
regions of The world.
And what would bc the effect of all this'-
Why, it would be, Gas life from the dead" to
this vast country. Deserted farms and fire.
sides would become inhabitcd--our schools
all our moral and religious institutions re vvcd
and an entire new face put upon all our pros
poets. The present population between Con-
nccticut River and Montreal, which may be
rcckoncd upon, from local vicinage, ncccs-
sarily tributary to this line, cannot be less
than 100000 These must always be feeders
and in no rivals. From calculations which
have been carefully made of the eristing traffic
alone that portion Of this road which lies in
Vermont, the annual amount is 5000 tons;at
an average expense nOar of 800 per ton which
is $1,000 Reduce this one half and we
can certainly afford to pay that, and there will
be saved to the people annually the sum of
Si50,000 and the same sum given To the cor
poratlon. Assuming then, that the business
will he trcblod by the facilities afforded by
Railway communication, which is less than
what experience will warrant, and the amount
is 81 100000. BY this time, say three years
we may reduce the price of freight to 81, 90 pr
ton, the lowest probable expense, and we
have the sum of S675, 900 for the corporation
on an outlay of not more than $2,0000,000, be-
ing more than 30 per cent. so that after all the
deductions necessary TO be made, such eX-
penses over other roads to market ,depreciations
and repairs of property, SC. it never can be re-
duced to less than ~ per cent, even if the
road should be built no further than Canada
Line. But this if has no place in our vocabu-
larry. The road will be met at the line from
Montreal The st. Lawrence and Atlantic
company will soon organize with half
their capital 81 100000 subscribed and 10 per
cent or $4,000 paid in, and will no doubt,
commence their work early in the coming
spring. The Quebec Company have likewise
lately held meeting and opened their stock
books for the purpose of building the road al
ready chartered from that great city, to con-
meet with the Atlantic line at Melbourne, some
100 miles, with the most favorable prospects,
These roads and ours completed, who can cal
culate the amount of foreign business through
this line? The dangerous navigation of the ,
St Lawrence for more than half of the year, ,
indeed, at all seasons-the extraordinary rates |
of insurance, the great loss in interest upon $
goods lying on hand-compared with the ia
cilites now afforded for transportation, through
the United States-and from the fact that the