Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-10-12

aVcuUcs TO the Atlantic. AZ recent
commerce., cUuvI Oton i'll tho West. ii
was declared ~ the deliberate scnsa Of
the large assembly, that: " The canals
and various lines OF railroads leading To
and from The Lakes, while they have
contributed vastly to develop the resour-
ccs, increase the wealth and promote
the permanent union of OR country, -
are wholly inadequate TO the demands .
OF the increased and rapidly growing
commerce.
five can secure, though the ncyotia-
tons now pending, the construction ota
ship canal, connecting The waters OF Tie
st. Lawrence and Lake Champlaii Il
new and desirable route would hc open
to the great trade which passes between /
tide water in the Hudson RiVcr,--thC
RAILROADS of Now England and the
Western States and Canada. The OPEN
ing OF this route is OF vast Importance 20
] Canada rs we'll as on selves, and | have
reason to believe that she is ready to
construct this work ii a reciprocal trca y
can be secured, which in Its operation
should he mutually bcncicill.
This proioc. is not new. 1t has at
tractcd the attention OF many lea ing
minds, and been approved by eminent
and practical engineers. In 1Ss1, care
mi and n citrate surveys and cstiua o.
were made under The dirccti n Of the
anadian Boa d of public Works, by
Mr.. jarvis, well known ircm his con-
ncction with the public works OF the
state of New York. The survey Of SOW
c.al routes was made, but Tie preference
: was given to the direct line from Caugh-
, nawa q TO st. Johns, the country bcin.
. very favorable, requiring but little
heavy work ut any point Oil the line
with II distance Of but twenty six mil 8,
: and Il summit to be attained Of only
, twenty-five feet, and involving cost
OF construction o., say thrc2 millions OF
dollars for II canal that woIld pass vcs-
scls OF six to seven hundred tons,
: As freight and tolls then stood, it was
) asccrtainc0 that the cost of taking prop
crty irou Chicago 70 Frey, n. y, With
; the enlarged canals OF the State OF New
York, then in contempt ition Would be,
3 via Dutlllo $l.Sj, via OsWc@o, "a ,0l, via
t'ic st. Lawrence and Lake Champaign
) $3.50.
Mr.. McAlpine, al engineer of high
standing came to the same conclusion.
lie declared that, with the Caughua-
wara Canal, the cost o. transportation
: by the New route from Chicago, would
I be less chan by any otltr.
; 1t is stated as follows by Mr.. Meal
: pine:
: Chicago to Whitehall, 1,451 miles, at
Expenses ON Tic Canadian canals,
/ CaUGhnawaga inciuicl-JJ miles,
!, at Tn &C mills, - -
/ Transfer OF cargo at Whitehall - "
5 Transfer on present Cham plain
i canal, IS .
/ Tot ii cost, $500
With connection of th:.; clarac ter,
70 other route, from the Wet to the
tide waters OF the Hudson, will possess
any advantage over the route via the
j So. Lawrence and Lake Champlain to
the same point And this rOutc IL great
! ly superior to the trade between the
c West and that portion OF New England
Il and New York, which borders upon and
! can be reached from the waters of Lake
I Cham plain. 1t is demonstrated that
v produce from the West can be delivered
II on Lake Champaign, by the St. Law
e renee route, at onc-iOurth less cost fOl
|. transportation and in less time than by
II the other routes, while the connect vi
e with the Ottawa valley Will b. shortc \
ed ninety miles, ana the rise AMI ia /
l. lcsscncd one hundred and eighteen feet
e an i'm orOvcment Of great impo lance, ~
9 We are dependent largely upon this
y source 70 oar supply of lunbcs which
rs an article of commerce, stands next
&c almost grain.
It The saving upon the single article OF
flour, TO the people OF Vermont alone
in opening this new lnc, woud amount
to nearly or quite fifty thousand dollar:
annually, in the cost of transportation,
Is If we did not succeed in retaining this
'e sum in our own pockets, it would go tC
q the producer which would be Il like ben
III eft TO the country rs whole.
re ShOt Id not the building of this cana
to under proper guarantees, be made Il car
dinal point in the pending negotiations
n for II new treaty? Has it not become
+ almost a commercial necessity to the
It. producing states of the West, rs we'll a
ne the consul. ing states of the East >
ne There can be but one answer to thes
he questions. Believing that an cXprcs
y, sion of your views may have an eilec
Ill in promoting the progress OF this work
p | rccommt nd the adoption of resolution
of instruct. Ons to our Senators and Re
n PIE scntatiVcs in Congress on this sub
" jcct.
,d RESOURCES OF TIE STATE.
G. The opening of this new line Of trans
I portation will largely develop the inter
~ nal resources OF ,he country, and it ma
ae be well briefly to consider this ASPECT {
s the case in its bearings upon Vermont.
VI The railroads extending east from 81
Johns, Rouscs Point, Burlington an
~ Whitehall, with their numerous con
W, nections, would distribute and colloe
US the trade on Lake Champaign. 70 SUI
~ ply the New England States wi6n West
~ crn products for consumption, would, {
C. itself, be an immense trade, which, |
=, connection with thceXp0rt trade, woU'
y a. require the enlargement to at least = Y
, 10 % fold the present capacity of al. our .oat
80 81 The increasing business of the G ount
, hu woul not only furnish, such 40 amou
nc ~, of business rs to require double tracks {
On the roads now huilt, but nnsur, n