Litchfield enquirer., 1863-12-31
I'sss Raisrcad Topic.

IS amusing blmseif and the readers 0I that pa per by series of letters from his ancient town;
 in which. among other things, he gravely dis
 cusses the projected Boston s Erie R. R., and
 from gravely funny point Of view, more fun 1 ny than grave in his estimates of the advan- ttages to be derived from the possible route 1 through Woodbury, and more grave than fun 1 ny in his mistakes as to the feasibility and
 practicablitr of the rallload taking it's course
 through this direction
 Mir. Pomperaug" very well states, however, an admitted fact, as follows :--
 1 First, we ,cant h1is rdilroad to traverse Con
 7recticut. Nothing could be more magnificent l for us as State. All onr north and south
 lines put together, would not be equal to it. They would not, put together, do the work of 1 1t. All the immense amount of material that.
 comes ont of the long and huge Erie road, and
 that seeks it's market in Boston, or otherwise
 east. would pass right through us and how
 much of the East also. through this same chan.
 mel, should go West, and to New York Ido
 not think the people of Connecticut, or even
 ot the West and East, as yet, appreciate, at all
 the grandeur and importance of this under.
 taking.
 But next he falters, and grows visionary,
 though still good natursdly, when he says :--. Again, we want it. of course, right tArougA
 thss httlc 'vaRey. Why? First, because this
 IS nearest the direct line, and this is always, as
 a general fact, necessary to economy in the
 construction of railroad facilities. There is no
 route, on this ground: to be compared with it. l We have nothing to say against the good peo- pie of the county north, wishing it, or getting it, if they can-that is, we'll not quarrel with
 them, as doing anything We would not do in their place still the fact stands, and suin lstand, that the short route, and so the cheapest
 on the general score, lies not across the middle
 or northern, but the southern section of Litch- field county.
 ! But finally, the correspondent becomes abso-
 utely fanciful, when he exclaims :-
 Then, again, the backs of hills north are
 higher and sleeper, and the valleys deeper.-
 The route generally, we understand, has greater obstacles of water and rock. while the business , it would accommodate, and the amount of busi
 ness capital it would be likely to set in motion, and the capacity for further development be- yond what is now seen, arc, taken together, far greater by the south route, than anything even , to be hoped for in the north.
 More light then to your benighted under.
 standing, MT. Pomperaug Who told you l that there were greater obstacles of water and ) rock" on this route, than on yours Have you ever seen the suruey made directly through Plymouth and Litchfeld and Washington and
 Kent, for 8 railroad !? Did that tell you so ? 3 And where did you get tue idea that the mid : de" route was the "shortest' between Hartford 3 and Fishkill A glance at tho map will set you straight. Why, even the Chief Engiueer, who was as innocent as you seem to be, three 7 weeks ago. acknowledged that the route via } Ltchfeld, would be five miles the shortest, but , he had heard something about tunnel, two mics long, which would have to be dug if the road ran hitherward. Pray. Mir. P, have yox ] been in correspondence with the innocent En 5 ginesr also
 And, finally, how is it about the 'business it . will accommodate, and the amount of business = capital 1t would be likely to set in motion, and : the capacity for further development" and all that sort ofthing, which you fondly imagine, 1 UT iuhdEluc JOu iiNaSltiS, ldhtIi tOSGlEef, LO
 be "far greater by your route than is " even
 to be hoped for. by ours Pray let us have your taccount of stock" and learn how much |" business capital and ''capacity for further development &c.,. &c., we may be led to ''hope for" from the staid and dignifed and highly respectable old town of WoodburY, not to
 speak of the immense resources to a railroad to
 be furnished from the shades of Southbury and
 the sands of Newtown ? Let us hear from you
 what further developments" may be eexpected, or ''eYen hoped for" from those classic locali- ties. And meantime let us hint at, rather than call your attention to the various develop ments" which may be confidently hoped for by : the penetration of the great trunk line through the county by the "northern route"
 Thus,-not to speak of the agricultural re- sources of old Litchfezd, or the fact of it's being the county seat, it's earth is teemng with ores of the most valuable description,
 which are already being vigorously worked ,and
 only need the development of a railroad to supply the aeorld with nickel. Then we have q water power here. on our Bantam River, with 5 the large lake to back it, sufficient to make another Lowell and Lawrence combined, and r turn the wheels of a thousand mills. Thiswili
 sometime be brought into use, and the railroad : will hasten it. Then Goshen will send it's
 cheese by the thousands to market via this ;, route, which are now trundled to Cornwall and
 Wolcottville ; then the inexhaustible quarries :. of Neao Preston and 1Mar5ledalc will forward :, their marbles onward east and west then the . mines of Kent will pour forth their richness O! :, . nickel and iron and cobalt and sulphur and :, porcelain clay, and great will be the reward : thereof to the railroad and the county.
 But we are exceeding our limits, and must
 brake up' here. We'are willing to test the :. matter fully with the southern, or middle, or l any other route, as to the business or deveope- ment which will be likely to accrue from the opening of a railroad and if we are mistaken
 lolsn Il c- I.