Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-03


should be run by that company to connect
with the said Bennington Il Rutland road,
and those trains were at such hours
would not allow travellers to connect with the
trains of other roads. This arrangement for
dlverting the through business from the Ben
nington 4 Rutland Railroad, was carried in
to effect during the period of the lease of the
road to the Troy Boston Company, and
said company, in case 1t should ever again
connect with the Bennington & Rutland road,
is under an obligation by its contract to con-
tinue it for about nine years longer.
In the mean time two of the citizens OF this
State, John Gregory Smith and John b. Page,
had become lessees of the Bennington & Rut-
land road, to commence at the expiration OF
the before mentioned lease to the Troy Bos
ton Company, and had made preparations for
operating it, bv sending engines and ears to
the State line to connect with those of the
Troy 4 Boston Company. No such connec-
ton was however made, and although the
lessees are de,rous Of making such connec-
ton and have applied to the managers OF the
Troy & Boston Company for that purpose,
they utterly refuse To agree upon any terms
of connection or to run their cars to the
State line and since the said 10th Of Janu-
ary last there has consequently been no rail-
road outlet to the South and West, there
being a break of about five miles between the
State line and Hoosick Junction. from which
latter place cars are running daily to Troy. a
distance of twenty-six miles. This intcrme-
diate five miles of road is stated t. have been,
since the 10th of January last, permanently
leased To the Rensselaer, Il Saratoga Railroad
Company, thus placing all the avenues from
Rutland to the South and Nest under the
perfect control of that corporation.
The manufacturing interests that have
i No 1t RpnnIQ *
Rutland Railroad are very extensive and inn
portant, probably more SO than any other
section of the State of equal population, en-
bracing those of cotton and wooden III their
various branches of paper Of iron by blast
+ and cupola furnaces of ochre for paints or
machinery for cotton, woOlen and paper
mills tanneries establishments for making
chisels, carpenters squares, chairs, bedsteads,
doors. sash. and many other articles OF both
wood and metals The railroad transporta-
ton required to furnish supplies and to send
10 market the products Of these establish
ments must be very great. That portion OF
the State is also very rich in marble and tim
ber. many thousands of tons of each being an
nually sent away by railroad If these
business operations. and others connectet
with them, are to be permanently shut Of
from railroad communications with the outer
world. they are at present, 1t IS easy to ee'
that all must scTiOus suffer, and that very
many of them, which can only prosper by
cheap and speedy transportation, must be ut
terly ruined.
This appearing to be the situation Of af
fairs in that portion of the State. and be
lieving that every considerable portion Of tn
State. when suffering or in danger. Is entl
tied to the sympathy and protection OF tn
residue. and that the whole State. and par
ticularlv the whole Western part of 1t. /
deeplv interested in having free and un
trammeled outlet for freight and travel to tn
South and West from Rutland and feellnt
that any remedy for the evil complained OF
in order to be effectual. must be prompt am
speedy | have felt il my duty to call you to
gether on this occasion that you may tax
into consideration the whole matter, an
f adopt such measures in relation thereto a
YOU shall deem right and proper.
1t is understood that the excuse for break
ing the railroad connection before mentioned
is founded on a complaint of the Troy * Bps
7on Company against the proprictors (nc
the lessees) of the Bennington Rutlan
Railroad, and that the officers of the CONF an
publicly declare that as long a. the road
owned by the present proprletors no conne(
tions shall be made with it. Whether thl
complaint is well or i'll founded, docs not seer
worth our while to inquire, for whatever ma
be its character, il is difficult to conceive ho'
it can form any justification for inflcting II
discriminate, and perhaps irreparablc, inJur
t on an innocent public.
1t is understood that the Rensselaer, & Sar;
/ t0ga Company, owning the two rival roao
from Rutland. desire u purchase the Ber
, nington & Rutland Railroad Such purcha'
/ would give them a monopoly of all the bus
ness and travel passing through that place
/ and from the South and West, and enab
them to impose such terms upon it rs the
f might choose. 1T is alleged that the preseI
' stoppage OF the road is prompted and su
: tanned BY Il desire To force a sale of IT t. I'll;
company Whether it would be for the II
terest Of the State to have all the avenues
E business and travel in the hands OF one co
: poration, and that forei IN one. may we
V be questioned. Since the before mentIont
r contract in February, lS6G. 10y which II
e Bennington Il Rutland road ceased to he
rival road. it appears that the charges #
r freight on the road between Rutland Al
j Troy have been largely increased-the il
i crease on some portion of it exceeding ninet
= per cent-thus imposing an additional bu
: den upon all the business Of the State, whl'
e masses over that road to and from the Mort
G and East.
j 1t is represented to me that the people {
s the line of the Bennington Rutland ro'
s strongly distrust the inclinatIons of these To
G eign corporations to do them justice, and pr
: test earnestly against any sale of the road
2 them, and certainly the facts herelnbeio
i stated, of their efforts to make permane
G diversion of the business away from said roa
q and their present hostile attack upon it,
n not seem calculated to inspire confidence
h anv future management of 1t by them
: To guard as far practicable against
long cotinuance of the embarrassment unc
: which the people in the southwestern qua
Y ter of the State are laboring, 1t IL prOros
n by them to open another outlet for the BE
e nington & Rutland road to the South al
: West, by constructing a new railroad ire
the vicinity of its present termination to co
; meet with the New York Il Harlem Railro
e at Chatham Four Corners. This, it is allege
: would supply the only link that is wantl
n to form the shortest and most desirable rou
i. between the cities of Montreal and New Yor
e running through the whole length OF o
d State and furnishing our people better ra
IT road facilities than they have ever before c
d joyed
1t is represented that thorough and acc
IS rate SURVEYS have been made of the route
Z this road that it is about fifty miles
IL length: that its cost will not exceed !
d 400 900. and for it's construction 5000
lie have already been subscribed IN the state
e New York In order to make up the dc
h ciency. or Il portion of it, it is understo
|. YOU will be asked to confer authority on t
10 Remington & Rutland Railroad Company
a issue bonds and mortage its road, and on
IF the towns interested to lend their pecunia
aid towards it's construction.
> The action of the Troy Il Boston Compan
n in suddenly refusing to run their cars TO CO
10 meet with a road with which 1T had unlntt
20 ruptedIy connected for fifteen years, there
d inAicting great and certain injury on t
IL NJ G