St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-12-20
The Application for a Railroad
iH bennington County.

The application for a charter for the
Walloomsnck railroad, which was re-
fused by the legislature, excited more IN
terest and provoked more controversy
than any other subject presented to the
attention Of the general assembly. The
application was made by Messrs. IL.
Burden Il Sons, of Troy, y. Y. The
Messrs. Burden are large manufacturers
OF iron. their establishment in Troy be-
inc one OF the largest in the United
States. They own an iron mine Ill Ben
nington, VT, from which they have
taken the past year $1,000 tons OF IRON
ore, and from which, if they had rail
road facilities. they would take from 90
600 to 40, 900 tons of ore annually.
The ore they have taken from this
mine has been drawn by animal trans
portation 10 North Bennington, some
thing over three miles; and, since the
quarrel between Mr. Park and the Troy
and Boston road, has also been drawn
by animals from North Bennington to
the state line, nearly two miles further,
making five miles of wagon transporti-
ton The Messrs. Burden asked for Il
charter of Il railroad from their mine d.
rectly down the Walloomsack river TO
the state line; and from the state line
they would have TO build road about
unc-half mile TO connect with the Troy
and Bennington railroad in New York,
thus irving them direct railroad comma
nication from their mines 10 their shops
in Trov The saving to them in the cx-
pcnse OF transporting their ore, by rail.
over the cost by the present method.
would be from one dollar TO ole dollar
and Il hall per ton, thus making an an
nual saving OF from SD, 900 TO $50, 600,
according to the amount OF ore taken.
Mr. Park, on behalf of his railroad.
and many OF the business men of Ben
nington and along the line of tie West
ern Vermont railroad, opposed the char
ter, and with the help OF TIE Vermont
Central, and the Rutland and Burling-
ton railroads, and We presume every 9TH
er railroad in the state, brought Il pres
sure upon the legislature sufficient 10 de-
feat this Just application. We
are not So much surprised, however, ut
the decision rs we might have been il
the legislature had not in former sessions
been driven 10y the railroads 10 unjust
conclusions on similar applications. We
remember how many times the people of
Essex county were OBLIGED TO come 10
Montpelier before they got a charter for 4
railroad but we confess 70 some aston
l>hmcnt TO find the representatives from
that county, after their experience, yot-
in" with the railroad monOpoiies ;Igain,;
more railroads Existing railroads look
with di>trust upon projects for other rail-
roads Having got their charters they
prefer 10 keep anybody else from huill-
inc railroads; and their money and 9th
I'll tlvor>. sometimes IL least. make the
legislature little more than 4 clerk 10
register the cIici> o: these corporations,
New Jersey has hal Il bal name - a
state Governed hy railroads, but Vermont
i rar;'iIy gaining similar reputation
Whether the people will ever sci the mat
ter right, ami conclulr to le.islate for
their OWN GOOD. ant; not according TO the
'Ijciatiun Of railroad operators. i some
what doubtful. Ii caun"t. however. 10
the public any hurt 10 know tia; one
legislature las refused To- grant facilities
lur the beneficial lie "f an iron mine Ia
This slate, because the managers OF rail-
reads opposed such 4 @rt.t.--Vgalejss,
Ei-aUfH.