Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-05-28
Oydensburgh Railroad.
For the Burlington Free Press
W ANTED TO NOW.

Who pays the extra million of dollars to build the
Railroad and Bridges from Rouscs Point to its inter-
section with the Vermont Central Road
| Who obtains the grant from the States of Vermont,
New Hampshire, and the United States, and quic,s
Great Brtains claim to an nter-conmuncaon be-
tween Canada and the United States, established by
the comfy existing between the two governments if
not by trca'yl
We on York side feel anxious to know who is to be
at the enormous eXpense-ls it stockholders or
the Central Road stockholders or is there to be
company formed! We desire to know something on
the subject, the value of stock depends on our
road being connected with others.
a MALONE SrocKHoLDLR.
Malone, May %, lsi7.
The foregoing communication comes to us by
mail, and is accompanied with the name of the
writer, whose character and reputation as an
intelligent business man leave us no room nor
right to question the motive that prompted it,
| We therefore very cheerfully give it an inser-
ton.
The queries of our correspondent suggest con-
siderations in reference to the great project of
connecting Ogdensburgh with Boston by rail-
| way, of the most serious consequence and such
rravest attention of Mr. Hayward. We alludc
more particularly to the question of the practi-
caJiify of obtaining the right to construct
bridge across the navigable waters of Lake
Champlain. Our readers will bear witness
that we have never denied the desirableneSs of a
= dry road from Ogdensburgh to Boston. 1t is
abrams desirable that all railroads should be
tnuous. We have expressed our readiness to
aid, so far as we might be able, any feasible
r project for such road. But our conviction, on
the first agitation of such a scheme. (bridging
: the Lake, was that it was wholly and palpably
= impracticable, and nothing has occurred since
in the slightest degree to disturb that conviction
We look upon it as procc, utterly and prepos
y tcrously visionary, and assurcdly destined to
disappoint those who have built castles" on
its accomplishment
Every man is entitled to his own opinion and ours
is that Mr. Hayward committed very capital blunder
and thereby placed great interests in jeopardy by max
ing the project of bridging Lake Champain the sine
qua in the Ogdcnsburgh railroad enterprise. This
he has plainly done in his Report. 1t is apparen, that
the of the effort TO Ogcnsburgh with
< Lake Champain is made. in Mr. HIS Report, dc
y pend almost entirely upon the plan of bridging the
Lake 1.-THE latter fall through, the road is in danger
OF being lost This is n singular and unaccouniabe
iiiT'nfice VI an rnrinccr OF rnn.I -liiy md WIDE
reputation endangering the whole Of great Public
Enter prise committed TO him, for the sake of part
and that comparatively insignificant Though a de-
sirabcl part.
Mr.. Hayward grossly and unwarrantably exagge-
rates, in his Report, the importance OF continuous
n
# cently manifest from his own showing All his state
ments and calculations respecting the business OF the
road, are the assumption that Ogdensburgh is to be
its western terminus, and that to and from that point
freight and pnssengcrs be be transported on the
ST. Lawrence River some Go or 20 miles TO and from
l. Lake Erie Every who has read his Report will
Il easily remember the special parade that he makes OF
; the capacity OF the River Ogdensburgh for su
cent hartor, and OF the entire practcabity of con-
Z sructing the mites of mhdrres" that may be de-
mamded. Now all this imposing array of crcum-
stances becomes quite everyday affair with those
who know when it is observed that Lake Champain
is perfectly navgabe, for all the business purposes OF
the O1dcnsburgh Road, for from six to eight weeks
after tins or 10 miles of the St Lawrence Is mpcn-
ctr;by closed by ceglving ample time Tor the trans
mission to market OF all the Immense produce OF the
y limtable West" that may be able to reach Ogdens-
. burgh on Mr.. Haywards own assumption
Mr. HAYWARD also permits himself to be easily i'm
+ noscJ mon and to impose upon those who relyupon
his statements by stating the Distance from Rouse
h Point to Darlington to be more than tao cfrc per Gem
d less than il is The distance between the two points
c is certainly FORTY miles instead OF 30 as stated
in his Report This is error for the com mission o
- which we have but little charity because Ralroae
= Engineer has right 10 make Affirmative statements
$ in regard to the material matter OF distance that are
he so far from the truth as this is Ten miles Of distance
ID consideration OF serious consequence in raoa'
n calculations.
g, The line of the Oqdcnsburgh road projected b,
Mr. Hayward, has nothing in its favor but the easl
ACTIVITY OF its grades and its alleged dlrectness; Whit
it is liable TO the following substantial objections
u.s. / 1t runs in direction as it purposey to avoid TIN
OF entire business region of the rich country between Og
~ dcnsburgh and our Lake, through a section that cal
20 never furnish any considerable amount of way-bu5i
B. ness for the road-a section well known to be unpro
ductiye in agricultural mineral wealth, or in um
Der.
d. . 1t indicates n railroad that would in no respec
IS subserve the great commercial and business
as the Counties of Clinton, Franklin and st, Lawrence
Ms Astounding they do in mineral and timber resource
an that are OF unparalleled richness and extent.
- 3 1t runs for large proportion of its whole dis
~ lance within almost stones throw OF the Canada lin
and crosses the Lake precisely at the CANADA lint
u The considerations that render such location in tn
We HIGHEST degree objectionable will occur TO any oil
MA who understands the peculiar character OF the popuio
we feeiue and the intercourse between the citizens an
,ss subjects of the two Governments whose territorial bo
ders il is thus proposed approach. These consd'
rations acquire especial force when We remember Tia
ic' the diplomatic ink is scarcely yet dry that happ
by ayered an unprecedented WAR between those Cover
his uents and when we in Vermont look back on II
IRA very recent border difficulties that threw our Sta
liz into angry ierment
L. In addition this il is said that an appcatiO
'' hns been or is about to be made To the Canadian Pa
" iamen for permission to carry this great Ogdcnsburg
leu Road for ten or twenty miles or more into al
hat through the British Province OF Canada a proe
i'm Than which it is impossible conceive OF any thin
., n more absurd The notion of running magnitce
-, and UNNECESSARILY important American road like hi
through foreign country has none OF the shrewdne
'nc of calculation ola" Tankee notion" by long shot
M These are of the objections to the practic'
lot b,y Of the line of the Ogdensbugh Road, as re-
fail commended by Mr.. Hayward, They are has