Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-11-27

winch, II tncy n00 railroad facilities, tney
would take from 20 900 to 40 900 tons Of ore
annually.
The ore they have taken from this mine
has been drawn by animal transportation to
North Bennington, something over three
miles and, since the quarrel between Mr..
Park and the Troy and Boston road, has also
been drawn by animals from North Ben
nington to the State line, nearly two miles
further, making five miles of wagon trans
portation. The Mcssrs. Burden asked for a
charter of Il railroad from their mine directly
down the Walloomsack river to the State
line and from the State line they would
have to build road about one-half mile to
connect with the Troy and Bennington rail-
road in New York, thus giving them direct
railroad communication from their mines to
their shops in Troy. The saving to them IN
the expense of transporting their ore, by
rail, over the cost by the present method,
would be from one dollar to one dollar and q
half per ton. thus making an annual saving
of from $4,000 to 50.00O, according to
the amount of ore taken.
many of the business men of Bennington and
along the line of the Western Vermont rail
road opposed the charter; and with the help
Of the Vermont Central. and the Rutland
and Burlington railroads, and we presume
every other railroad in the State,-brought
a pressure upon the legislature sufficient to
defeat this just application. Elsewhere we
give, in the proceedings of the legislature
Mr.. Parks remarks in the House on the
subject. 1t is due, however, TO those asking
for the charter, to say that Mr. Park :
speech was filled with misrepresentation
The effort of those opposing the bill was
most persistent, and in some instances I'M
scrupulous, in attempting to show that the
road was really asked for by the Troy and
Boston railroad company, and not by the
Messrs Burden, but no proof whatever of
that fact was made before the committee
There was evidence that the managers of the
Troy and Boston road had stated that they
should like q road 10 Bennington, but they
were not shown by any evidence to be asking
for road to the iron mines of the Messrs
would benefit them and the applicants for
the charter testified that they had no con-
nection whatever with the Troy and Boston
road in their application. So far facts
were pres nted and the truth Is, the APP
plicants We're asking only for road to their
iron mine, for the purpose of enabling them
more cheaply to transport their ore 10 Troy ;
ana this application the General Assembly
refused 10 grant. lite action was most unjust
and extraordinary. and can only be defended
upon the ground that citizens of New York,
owning property in this State, have no rights
which Vermont legislature is bound 10
respect
We are not 80 much surprised. however,
NJ the decision. as we might have been if the
legislature had not in former sessions been
driven by the railroads to unjust conclusions
on similar applications We remember how
many times the people OF Essex County were
obliged to come 10 Montpelier before they
got charter for railroad but we confess
t. some astonishmcnt to find the representa-
tyeS from that county, after their e1pe-
EltiCt. voting WIN tho railroad lIOnOpo hos
against more railroads. Existing railroads
look with distrust upon projects for other
railroads. Having got their charters they
prefer TO keep anybody else from building
railroads and their money and other favors,
sometimes ut least, make the legislature
little more than clerk to register the edicts
OF these corporations. New Jersey has
had bad name rs state governed by rail
,ads. but Vermont is rapidly gaining sim
liar reputation. Whether the people will
ever set the matter right, and conclude q
legislate for their own good, and not according
to the dictation of railroad operators. is some
what doubtful. II cannot, however. do the
public any hurt to know that one legislature
has refused to grand facilities for the bcne-
fetal use Of an IRON mine IN this State, be
cause the managers of railroads opposed such
a grant.