The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-07-26
From no Bo,lm Aaas
THE CONNECTICUT a PAssUMPsIC
RAILROAD.


papers, giving such prominence % the Bos-
ton, Concord 4 Montreal Railroad and iis
prospects, as has unAyoidAbly led many 10 the
conclusion that IL extension 10 Wells River
must sahoualy iniure the HAsaumpaie Rail-
road, We publish the following from the pen
Of ono who IL evidently familiar with his sub
ieot
The only ground upon which parties inter
esied IN the B,, q, \ Montreal Railroad rely
for their prospective advantage over the Pas
sumpsic Road, in competing for freight aud
passengers, between Bosion and Wells River
aud immediate vicinity, isthe difference in
distance In their favor. This, however, IL
much less than has been represented ,f'he
actual distance from Wells River % Con-
cord, ~. H., 10 100 miles. The distance from
Concord 60 the point on the Connecticut Riy-
or opposite 10 Wells River, where Il IL inten-
ded that the H., T., < NJ. Railroad shall ter
inmate, taking the routs proposed by the
company, Is % miles At least, aud Il - sup
posed by many that the distance will be- IN
creased when the road " located. Here then
We have m actual saving IN distance of %
miles only,
The difference in grades Is altogether In
favor Of the fassumpaic and Northern ruads'
The grades on the first SO miles OF the b., q.
X NJ. Railroad, from Concord 10 Plymouth,
| frequently are NJ great a. 90 feet per mile,
corresponding with the Northern Railroad,
| from Franklin 90 White River Junction
! From Plymouth 10 Warren the grade Is light,
| like the Northern Railroad botveen Concord
aud anklin--but from Warren over the
height Of land 20 the Connecticut River. the
grades for considerable distances, on both
sides Of the summit, will be nj least 60 feet TO
| the mile aa annaara AZ raeHut lV the
/ Engineers.
/ The Passumpsic Railroad, between Wells
| River and White River junction, has no grade
exceeding 20 feet per mile, and great pOr.
ton Of IL Is level, and either on a straight line
or easy curyes. No road in the country can
be safely run at greater Speod or loAs OK onSe
for motive power.
Hence Il will be seen, that the transit Of
passengers and freight trains, between Wells
River aud Concord, by the Paasumpsic and
Northern Roads, will always be NJ expeditions
NJ by the Boston, Concord 4 Montreal Rail
road, and the autual expense no greater, but
probably less. Tho rates for freights and
fare FROM Wells. River 10 Concord and points
below, must bo the same by both routes, when
the Boston, Concord 4 Montreal Railroad is
extended through. This opinion il sustained
by abundant facts in relation 20 the other
Railroads.
There is n difference Of distance from w.
r. Junction 20 Boston 10y the two routes, 10y
| Concord and by Keonc, but the rates Of
| ircights and fares are the same so also by
the two great lines between burlington and
Bostnn, although the difference ia distance Is
greater than in the case under consideration.
This result is inevitable. Facts are abundant
to show that when one competing line (bc-
] tween two commonpoints or pointscommon to
| both,) reduces its rates. the other conforms
The Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad,
in the spirit Of competition, may commence
on low or even ruinous fares The other line
will conform, and the result can be in no way
advantageous to eithor, until better counsels
IT'ritirr frrsssir - esl1sxrit ia uri inter
est by establishing remuncntiye rates.
The question then rccurs, whether with
prices alike between this place and Concord,
business 20 any great extent can be diverted
from the Passumpsic road.
IL should bc known that il is now open ST.
bloomsbury, 30 miles beyond Wells River, at
which point and at Barnet, intermediate, il
receives the travel and freights of the entire
counties OF Caledonia and Orleans, the East
ern townships of Canada and part of the coun-
~ OF EsseN-thc whole country OF the Pas
sumpslc Valley and Of Northeastern Vermont.
wan this business be transported 10y teams or
coaches past the stations OF the Passumpsic
!
treat at AYells Nvor, or having taken the
cars of the PaSsumpsic Railroad ut St Johns-
bury or Barnet, which run through 10 Con-
cord, viii 1t be transferred at Wells River to
the Boston, Concord and Montreal, when no
advantage is to be gained either in time or
price ?
We think full consideration Of thc,subiect
will fully demonstrate, that the business nat
urally belonging to the Passumpsic Road, viii
not be nnfavorably affected by the Boston,
Concord aud Montreal Railroad route 10
wells RIVER, But however this may be. ONO
I iat-t affecting more nearly the interests of
the TOAD in question than any other, is that
the trade between the whole northern section
ot Vermont and large districts of Canada and
New York, and the populous valley of gthc
lower Connecticut, must forever exclusively
pass over the Passumpsic road. Tho line OF
railroad through the valley of the Connect
cut, from New Haven to St. Johnsbury. is
now complete, diyerging from Rstraight line
4 not more than seven miles at any one point,
and the trade of populous country must
naturally flow in that direction.
The pleasure travel, and the travel from
New York and the lower valley Of the Con-
necticut, TO the White Mountains-from Sa-
ratoga aud the Lakes 10 the White Mountains
must forever pass over the Passumpsic RAFT
road. Pine lumber which at present consti-
-tntes a large portion Of the freight of the
Passumpsic Railroad, will always, as now, find
its best market down the valley of the Con-
necticut. q
There is still another view. The opening
Of the Boston, Concord and Montreal Rail-
road will, TO certain extent, add to the bus
mess of the Passumpsic Railroad. Flour,
mails, &c. sc from the West, for local con-
sumption in a portion of the towns on the
! Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad, will
come over the Passumpsic to Wells River
At the present time, the stations of the Pas
sumpsic Railroad at Wells River, at Barnet
and st. Johnsbury, are more than 20 miles
nearer TO Littleton and the White Mountain
! Motel than any point which can DO reached
by the Boston, Concord and Montreal Rail
/ road
--Warren- its present terminus. is more than
twenty miles from Wells River, and there
being no direct passage through the noun
tain region, intervening stages from Warren
TO Littleton necessarily come past Wells Riv-
er, arriving about an hour AFTER tho arrival