Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-09-05
From Walton's Journal.1
Railroad Connections.

The Montpelier and Wells River roads
are the natural termini Of link connect
ing the Passumpsic Il Central Vermont.
Nature has cut the channel through the
Marshheld and Groton hills and removed
the greatest obstacles. The intersection
Of the Ammonooosuc road at that point
also gives prospect OF road through
the White Mountain notch In few years,
perhaps In few months, and then Port
land will be connected with all the
West. st. Johnsbury must be content
ed to use this outlet to the West as the
most practicable and feasible of any, or
build one from Newport through the
Missisco Valley to st. Adams, or Swan
ton. But that need not be mentioned.
Wells River and Montpelier are by ma
ture connected, and no local interest
ought to overlook, nor neglect to con-
meet these points with a good road.
Likewise, Bethel and Brandon are poi..ts
between which connecting link mic'.t
run, between the East and West sic C :.
the State. The distance Is about tn. :.
miles, and the location favorable. Nalr re
has cut deep through the Mountain side,
and, although much work would be re-
quired to grade three miles Of the road,
1t doubtless would be easier to do 1t than
it was to run the Rutland road through
Mount Holly. These two connecting
links would be OF immense value in every
way to the State. 1t would afford mil
lions of wood and lumber, and be useful
In transporting Iron, Marble, Salt and
Flour from West to East; facilitate
travel through and over the State, and
increase the value OF water powers along
the routes, at least half enough to pay
for building the road. We hear o. q
road from White River Junction and
Woodstock to Rutland, and it would
doubtless do good business II built but,
II road can cross the mountain,
where they propose to run this, 1t must
be at immense expense, and be done
through the fear Of rivalry more than BY
utility. Nevertheless, it may go; 50,
from Montpelier to st. Johnsbury via
Danville route, not perhaps be impossi-
BILE, but 1t would be building light
houses in the sky" overlooking natural
facilities, and calling upon the purses Of
men to supply route by untold expense
which is half furnished for them by ma
ture, and few miles further South.
II, then, the road from St. Johnsbury
to the Grand Trunk ria Moose River
Valley, already chartered, should be
built, good outlet from the Northeast
to the South west of Vermont should be
completed without employing long cir
cuitous routes, and all the resources OF
the State be called into requisition. Ali
the existing lines will also be employed
to the best advantages, and every line
will be interested to do the best possible
thing for every other line, and the value
of all railroad property In the State be
Immediately enhanced. Would that
these three lines through these natural
passes In the mountains, and connecting
so many important points, might be
built. Then the pine of Essex will
freely mingle with the iron and marble
of Rutland and Bennington. The scales
Of st. Johnsbury balance evenly across
the mountains with those of Brandon
the -four and salt Of the West be easily
exchanged for the butter, beef, pork and
horses OF the East, and Vermont become
most enterprising mercantile and
manufacturing State. Let these lines
receive the attention they deserve, and
capitalists can hardly Withhold the funds
requisite to build them.
T. 8. II.
1.-THE foregoing gives the views OF q
gentleman Independent Of all railroad
lines and interests, and as such we
publish 1t. From his knowledge Of the
State, he judges the routes named to be
the best natural ones, and he may be
right; but we, nevertheless, regard tn
direct road from Montpelier to st.
Johnsbury as very desirable, and it is an
agreeable fact, that considerable part
Of the line would be common both to st.
JohnsburY and Wells Riyer.-E1.l