The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-06-08
Ogdensburg Railroad.
From the Burlington Free Press.
WANTED TO KNOW,

Who pays the extra million of dollars to
bnild the Railroad and Bridges from
Rouses' Point to its intersection with the
Vermont Central Roadl
Who obtains the grant from the State
of Vermont, New Hampshire, and the
United States, and quiets Great Britian's
claim to an nter-communication between
Canada and the United States, established
by the comfy existing between the two
governments, ifnot by treaty.
We on York side feel anxious to know
who is to be at the enormous expense-Is
it our stock holders? or the Central Road
stockholders or is there to be a new
company formedl We desire to know
something on the subject, as the value of
our stock depends OH our road being con
nected with others.
A MALONE STOCKHOLDERS.
Malone. May %, ls47.
The foregoing communication comes
to us by mail, and is accompanied with
the name of the writer whose character &,
reputatio as an intelligent business man
leaves us no room nor right TO question the
motive that prompted it. We therefore
very cheerfulIy give it an insertion.
The queries OF our correspondent sug-
gest considerations in reference to the
great project of connecting Ogdensburg
with Boston by railway, of the most seri-
Gus consequence; and such as, in our o.
pinion, should have occupied the gravest
attention Of Mr.. Hayward. We allule
more particularly to the question of the
praetieabiHty of obtaining the right to
construct bridge across the navigable
waters of Lake Champlain. Our reader
will bear us witness that we have never
denied the disturbances Of dry road
from Ogdensburg to Boston. 1t is alpdys
desirable that all railroads should be con-
tinuous. We have expressed our readi-
ness to aid, SO far as we might be able,
any feasible project for such road. But
our conviction, on the first agitation of
such scheme. (bridging the Lake, was
that it was wholly and palpably impracti-
cable, and nothing has occurred since in
the slightest degree to disturb that convic-
ton. We look upon it as project utter
ly and preposterously visionary, and as
suredly destined to disappoint those who
have built castles on its accomplishment.
Every man is entitled to his own opiI-
ion, and ours is that Mr.. Hayward COM
United very capital blunder and thereby
placed great interests in jeopardy, by max
ing the project of bridging Lake Cham
plain the sine qua non in Ogdensburgh
railroad enterprise. This he has plainly
done in his Report. 1t is apparent that
the success of the effort to connect Og-
densburgh with Lake Champain is made
in MIR. HIS. Report, to depend almost en-
tirely upon the plan of bridging the Lake.
If the latter fall through, the road is in
danger of being lost! This is a singular
and unaccountable instance of an Engin-
eer of conceded ability and wide reputa-
ton endangering the whole Of great
Public Enterprise committed to him, for
the sake of a part and that comparative
ly insignificant (though desirable) part
Mr.. Hayward grossly and unwarranta-
bly, exagerates. in his Report, the impor-
tance of a continuous railway from Og-
densburgh to Boston. This is sufficiently
maifested from his own showing. All his
statements and calculations respecting the
business of the road, are on the assump-
ton that Ogdensburgh is to be its western
terminus, and that to and from that point
freight aud passengers are to be transport
ed on the St. Lawrence River some 60 or
TO miles to and from Lake Erie Every
one who has read his Report will easily
the special parade that he
makes of the capacity otthe River at Og-
densburgh for a sufficient harbor, and of
The entire practicability of constructing
The miles Of ,oh0rues' that may be de-
handed. Now all this imposing array of
circumstances becomes quite an everyday
flair with those who know when it is
observed that Lake Champlain is perfect
y narigable, for all the business purposes
'ftbe Ogdensburgh Road. for from six to
light weeks after this 60 or 20 miles of