The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-04-07
VOL. l8---NO. 80.
tbf Calraunian.
RAILROADS IN NORTHERN YER.
MONT.

The undersigned citizens Of Vermont, and
corporators named in an act passed by the
Legislature of this State in the year 1854,
incorporating the Island Pond and St. Johns
bury Hallway Company, have thought it al
visable To- make known their views in regard
to Railway enterprise in Northern Vermont,
in the hope that some arrangement may be
effected at an early day, favorable to the
completion Of existing undertakings, and the
promotion Of their value as investments of
vapi:al.
In looking back over the history Of Rail-
roads in Vermont, we at once perceive how
very Inadequate. at the date of the earlier
Charter, in this State, was the knowledge
which was then had in regard to the uses and
advantages Of Railways, or the cost of their
construction. We propose, however. to speak
only of the history of Railroads as far as it
has relation to this region of the State.
In 1885, charter was granted by the
name of the "Connecticut 4 Passumpsic Riv-
ers Railroad Company" with authority to
construct, in the Valley of those Rivers, a
line Of Railway fIom the Southern line of
the State to its Northern boundary at the
Canada frontier. This line, designated in
the act of the Legislature granting the char
ter, was coincilent with the then ordinary
route of travel by land between Quebec. the
capital of Canada and the city Of New York
To a very considerable extent also, between
Boston and Montreal! For more than nine
teen years the people Of Northern Vermont
have been anxious!v awaiting the consumms-
ton of this great work, while at this time fis
ty miles or more are required to be built in
..-der to its completion.
1t is JuiIe unnecessary to 90 over the his
tory q. -he various and repeated efforts in
'setoi: Of tiis line Of Railway. till we come
W the year 1913. up to which time nothing
lad been accomplished to secure the building
OF the line, when the Charter was renewed
in that year for a further period Of fifteen
years, or till 1853.
Some exploration Of routes had been made.
aud their possibility and practicabiIity had
been established. but nothing had been done
in the way of raising money fer their con-
struction, till in 1874 some measures were
taken in Canada to secure the survey Of the
route, from Derby Line to Sherbrooke and
Montreal, the parties in the Eastern Town
ships actin. in concert with the cOrpOratorS
Of the Connecticut \ rassumpsic Rivers Il 4.
Company. Before any efficient measures
had been taken to put any portion of this lire
under contract, the plan was proposed to the
people of the Eastern Townships Of Canada
to direct their cxcrtions to Railway to
Portland rather than toward Stanstead and
the Lower Valley of the Connecticut. SO
powerfully were thu advantages of the Port
land line pressed upon the attention of the
Members of the Provincial Parliament of
Canada. and of he merchants of Montreal
and Quebec, that they finally. in the winter
Of ls44-5, gave their preference in favor
.f the Portland line. over the route to Stan
made Immediately after this, in the early part
Of lS4j, in Lower Canada. to secure the
buildin. of this line from Montreal to the
United States boundary, with a branch to
Quebec, designed to connect at the bOunda
rv with line to he constructed to that point
from the City of Portland.
The Charter of the Canadian Company
known as the ST. Lawrence x Atlantic Rail
way Company. passed in 1915, authorized
the building OF branch line to Stanstea1
there to connect with the Connecticut < Pas
sumpsic K. L.. and assurances of desire for
such connection were given by the Director,
of the st. Lawrence 4 Atlantic Railroad, i'm
mcdiately after its organizations
These movements to open up more ,lircc
route to Montreal from the Atlantic seaboart
at Portland, had the effect to stimulate to en-
ergetic action the several Railroad interest
in Vermont, and the Pa>Sumpsic. the Ccntra
and Rutland Railroads were all urged for
ward at the same time. each having in view
.he same general purpose, the securing Of
the trade of Canada by the most direct rout'
10 Montreal.
Finding the length of its line too great fo
a speedy accomplishment of so vast a purpose
as that above Indicated. the Connecticut anc
Passumpsic Rivers Railroad Company, il
1873, obtaine! an act of the Legislature of
Vermont, dividing its charter into two dis
tinct companies, the one retaining the orsi
nal name, with authority to extend a Railwa,
from White River Junction to the Northern
boundary of the State, the other to be callc,
the Connecticut River Railroad. to extent
from White River to its Southern boundar,
at the line of Massachusetts.
We are not aware that the wisdom Of thi
course was questioned at the time, but al
parties will now be willing to admit its short
sishtclncs, and folly, and the Valley Of tn,
Connecticut and Passump>ic Rivers, whicl
mi cht fairly claim to have common and IL
nited interest, are now occupied by the Rail
roads VI five distinct and separate Corpora
tons-one of them on the New Hampshire
sde,-having no unity Of purpose or commu
nifty OF interest, with no strength lett for thu
carving out Of the original design Of thu
ou;.l,tu,o in thu Char rt.r of IS2j I'nIn