Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-09-09
SEPTEMBER 9, I847.

euualize the condition Of men. Tho richest must
trovel in the cars, for there they travel fastest
the poorest can travel in the cars, while they
could not travel otherwise, because this mode Of
conveyance costs but little time or money. Prob
ably there are in the multitude before me those
who have friends at such distances that they
could hardly have visited them, had moi railroads
come TO their assistance to save their time and
to save their expense. Men are thus brought to-
gether as neighbors and acquaintances who live
two hundred miles apart.
awe sometimes hear idle prejudices expressed
against Railroads because they are close corpo-
rations but so from the necessity of the case
they necessarily must be, because the track of a
Railway cannot be road, upon which every
man may drive his own carriage. Sometimes, IL
is true, these Railroads interrupt and annoy in
dividuas IN the enjoyment of their property for
these cases the most ample compensation ought
to be made have myself had little taste Of
this inconvenience. When the Directors Of the
road resolved to lay il upon the river, las must
say they we're wise in doingO they showed them.
selves little too loving to me, coming so near
my farm house, that the thunder of their engines
AMI the screams of their steam Whistles, 10 say
nothing Of other inconvenience, not a little dis
turbed the peace and the repose of its occupants.
There is beside an awkward and ugly embank-
ment thrown up across my meadows. IL lnhres
the looks of the fields. But | have remarked
fellow citizens that Railroad directors and Rail
road projectors are no enthusiastic lovers of land
scape beauty; handsome field or lawn, beauti-
cl copscs and all the gorgeousness OF fures,
scenery, pass for little in their eyes. Their bus
mess is to cut and slash to level or deiace fine
y rounded field and fill up beautifully winding
valleys. They are quite unitarian in their creed
and in their practice. Their business is to make
good road They look upon well construc'
ted embankment as an agreeable work of art
a long, deep cut through hard pan and rock, sucf
as we have Just passed, gives them delight to be
HOLLAND If they can find fair reason TO rur
a tunnel under deep mountain, they are half il
raptures. To be serious, gentlemen, must say
admire the skill, the enterprise, and that ra,he
bold defiance Of expense which have enabled thr
Directors of this road TO bring it with an easl
ascent more than 500 feet above the level o
the Merrimack river. We shall soon see it eros
yonder mountainous ridge, commonly called, IS thu
Height Of Land" and thence pitch down int
the tair valley Of the Connecticut.
"Fellow citizens, you who live along the lin
Of the road must already begin to feel its bene
fetal effects. Your country is rather roug
one. There are, indeed, good lands about In
base of the Kearsarge, on Beach Hill, Babcock'
Hill, and other places adjacent to the road
There are other portions not so fertile. We ma
infer this from the names they bear. We hav
come through "Llttle Gains" Hard Scrabble,
and Dungeswamp," which latter understan
is an Indian word to signify the poorest land i
creation But fellow citizens, health and indus
try, good morals and good government have mad
your homes among these mountains prosperou
and happy. This great improvement comes /
your farther assistance. 1t will give you me-
facilities, connect you more readily with otht
portions of the State, and most assuredly, acco
ding to all experience, create new objects for til
application of your enterprise and your labor
You do not yet begin to know the benefits whc
it will confer on you. | rejoice most hearth
that my native State has adopted policy whic
has led to these results. trust that policy ina
be steadily pursued TIL internal improvement
some really and intrinslcaly useful form sha
reach every glen and every mountain side of tn
State.
"And now, my friends, having thus short
complied with the wish that was expressed tn
| should address you IN a few words, | take
respectful leave Of you, tondering to you all
parting my best wishes for your health and pro
perty"