St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-02
The Railroad.


embraced in our report last week:
Ex-Gov. Smith, of Vermont illustra-
ted the rapid increase of production in
the West by the wheat crop OF Minneso-
ia. which within ten years since the first
bushel was raised. has reached surplus
of ten million bushels. while 6i0,000
acres of new land were taken up last
year by actual settlers He also spoke
of the beneficial influence of the Vermont
Central Road in developing the country
through which il runs. With the bust
ness already created bv the Vermont
Central Road and lis connections, Gov
Smith thought the Portland and Oglens-
burg would he paving route from the
beginning Ex-GOv. Goodwin. of New
Hampshire. thought the capital OF New
England would come in to aid this pro-
iect. Mr.. Getty, OF oSwe@O, spoke OF
The business of that port upon which the
new route would draw-thc eighteen
large flour miil>-wilh wafer power Tor
an infinite number more-grinding from
100. 900 TO |, 900. 900 barrels every wear;
the biggest starch factory in the world,
shipping 20,000. 900 pounds last year: OF,
OF the importation of $4,000. 600 bush
el> OF "rGin. in spite of the competition
of Buffalo. he Erie canal, AMI the Erie
and Central railroads; of The Canadian
trade. which GOES through O,wegu 10 Al
hanv and New York. ami might come 10
Portland. In reply 10 Mr. Getty'S re-
marks about the increase of business
which the Niagara e..iE,l would let down
into lake Ontario. the Chairman said lie
understood from very high authority ia
the miied STATES Senate that the MAJ
ara canal would receive the favorable al
tcmtion OF Congress Mr. Pratt, pre,i-
dent OF the O-!ru>hur- AMI Lake Cham
plain railway. favored the PROJECTED
rouie Mr. MASSEY. president of the
Rome. Waieriown and O5den>hurg
railway. enlarged upon the importance
ui this route a connecting link between
the pfcponlcran, populations OF Europe
ami Asia. Canton. Moscow. London.
Portland. O>w,gO. Chicago and Omaha.
all living on the same straight line Mr.
Edwards Of koenc New Hampshire. IA
yored the load bccau>c Northern New
Hampshire needed IL Speaker Stuart.
uf the Vermont House of representa-
tiyc>. sa:i Vermont would 10 her part
He believed railroads should be built hv
directly taxing those directly benefited
hv them. Remarks were also made hv
Mr. S;arhuck OF Wa,ertown, and by
General Nhepley of this city. General
>heplcy very happily set forth the i'm
possibility that any narrow OF petty ends
could enter into our conception Of work
ike this. which i hut the beginning "t a
Northern Pacific railway. and dwelt par
licularly upon the obligations under
which Portland has recently been laid 10y
every city. town or hamlet from last
port to II. Louis. We cannot look 70
our own promotion. 10 the injury OF any
other city or town but believing that
this enterprise i for the benefit OF mo-,
only Portland. but New England and the
whole country, we will do our part as
our friends have promised 10 DO theirs
Mr.. Fort of the O<wego Board of
Trade, SAID the West cares nothing for
Portland. or New York, or OSwego but
ii wants an outlet for the grain il is
compelled 10 burn. Provide for the Nj
agara ship canal next winter and build
the Portland and Ogdcnsburg railroad,
and Portland will he nearer Chicago
than New York * now Portland will bc
the nearest outlet.
Gen Stewart. who is at present en-
ployed on the Southern Pacific Railroad.
and who came all the WAY from 81.
Louis, travelling night and day for SIX
days, to participate in this visit. WAS the
next speaker Gen. Stewart had had
somcthin" TO do with the Niagara ship
canal, having surveyed four different
lines. varylnE from tour Ia sixteen miles
in length Tor that canal, and labored for
seventeen years 10 get it built He had
estimated the cost in 1860 at So. 000,-
600, equivalent 10 nine or ten millions
in specie. When he presented his report
10 President Lincoln, the President said,
why, General, this canal can be built
ior one days expenses OF the war lie
lad made his estimates very carefully on
the basis OF the actual amount of gram
sent forward 10y various routes at the
time. The cost of transportation for
grain 10y this route would be S cents less
per blshel than by any other. and Il tax
OF , cents buSlIel would p:ry for the ca
nal in five years. Furthermore the DIFF
ference between the cost of American and
European wheat, laid down in Paris.
had for years been about cents, and
this saving would give us a market in
Europe at once That wheat should be
shipped from Portland.
Mr.. Ferrien, of Montpelier, said it is
time now 10 60 TO work. Portland and
the towns along the route must build the
road to the Western line of New Hamp-
shire, and Vermont stands pledged for
the rest. 1t is only eight months since
this project was started. and ii already
comments itself to universal acceptation.
In less than three years the first train
will run over the completed track
The Press, under the head of ':the
prospect" remarks:
Of course, at this stage of the business.
there has not been and cannot be any
assumption of definite obligations; but on
reviewing the whole ground, We find In
the expressions of the Vermont deleqa-
tions evidence of a clear conviction
that Vermont may be relied upon TO
build the road from the junction with
the Vermont Central to the western line