The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1867-04-12

donia and Essex counties Connecting
roads were SO jealous that they would
throw more cold water on this project than
they would give it money-thongh he be-
lieved this road would ultimately help
them all. Mr.. Davis said that former ex-
perience of railroads in Vermont would moi
hold good with respect to this road. Ex-
perience in building and running railroad;
in the last twenty years had not been val.
ueless-bOth were done on a much more
economical plan than formerly. The
speaker then alluded to some remarks
which he made here at previous meet
ing, several weeks ago, respecting the ul-
innate connections OF this road. He spoke
of the two splendid harbors Ghe best in
the world) on each side of this continent
the one at Portland and the other at Pu-
GETS Sound. He said it was not the wild
imaginings of any brain that saw in the
future the English trade with China and
Japan coming over this road from Puget's
Sound to Portland, thence to Liverpool.
Mr. Davis then caused to be read leading
editorial in the Boston Journal of March
IS, respecting the new route from Japan
to Liverpool, via San Francisco, the Cen
trail Pacific railroad, and New York. He
said the route via the Northern Pacific and
the Portland and Ogdensburg railroad,
would be between six and seven hundred
miles shorter than this one which was Sc
highly commended by commercial men.
The speaker then touched upon the in
teresting subject of "would the road pay?''
He didn't want to call upon the towns to
help build this road, but he hadn't a par
ticle of doubt but in twenty years, if the
towns did build the road. it would be the
best paying stock they possessed. And If
good stock for towns, it is good for indi-
vidualS
iona. Ross, Esq, was the next speaker
called out He too was one of those who
believed this road would be paying ell
terprise. The speaker went into some
computation, bv which he showed that in
the last fifteen years the valuation of our
state had increased as much as the entire
cost of all our railroads-and this increase
| had been on the line of the railroads. Nor
did this fact alone show the financial value
OF railroads to our state, for had they not
been built, the deterioration in real estate
would have been tull as much It's its pres
ent increase. Mr.. Ross spoke also OF the
competing markets this road would open
for both the purchaser and the seller
while we are now confined to the Boston
market, the new road would give us in
addition Portland and New York. He
spoke of the value and necessity of healthy
competition-of the local support the road
would receive-that the towns through
which it would pass, compare tayorably
i'll business and wealth, with those along
the line of the Passumpsic road He
spoke also of the western freight which
this road must of necessity bring be-
in" the shortest linc.-into Northern Yer
mont, New Hampshire and Maine Mr..
Ross made a strong plea for the enterprise
and closed by saying that there was much
in the idea presented by former speaker
that it was worth ones effort to do some
thing for this generation.
Our limits will not permit even brief
abstract of all the speeches made The
remarks OF most were short, pithy and to
the point Hon. c. S. Dana was quite
enthusiastic, and short speech from him
received repeated applause. A j. Viii
lard, Esq, believed there were u. $.
Bonds (now idle capitaD enough in the
towns along the line, to build the entire
road. He went into the figures relative
to the increase of wealth since the intro
duction of railroads Since the Passump-
sic road was opened to this place, the val
uation of real estate in st. Johnsbury had
increased nine hundred thousand dollars
and that of the county over two millions of
dollars-and he believed this new road
would cause a still greater increase.
Samuel X. Remick, Esq, from several
years residence on the Pacific coast. and
full knowledge of the capabilities of its
harbors and the increase of its commerce.
would endorse all Mr. Davis had predict
ed, and was ready to 60 even farther
Franklin Fairbanks, Esq, spoke briefly
illustrating and giving point to his re-
marks by two incidents which had come
to Ills personal acknowledgements showing
the value Of railroad facilities to the farm
er, and the other to the manufacturer.
The chairman, Hon. Calvin Morrill,,
was called out He spoke at length and
with evident effective never heard him
do better. He made several strong points