Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1868-07-31

| destructive of the interests of individuals.
Only some twenty-five years ago, some of
the most sagacious men in New England
predicted that sad consequences would fol-
low the introduction of railroads in this
country. They raised great hue and cry
that the country would be undone; that
British money must build the roads and
control them; that the hay raised by the
farmers Of New England would not find
sale that horses would be of very little
worth; that wood, butter, cheese hay, &C..
would be brought from Maine, Vermont
and New Hampshire, until our market was
glutted, and many more evils, not necessary
to repeat, were predicted.
In 1884 the Boston and Providence rail-
road company commenced operations, and
as the pioneer company with indefatigable
zeal, surmounted every obstacle in the form
of bog, fen, swamp, ledge and mountain,
and finally united the two cities, and de-
monstrated to the whole country that rail-
roads were safe investment, oven in the
snowy, billy region of Massachusetts, Low
ell and Boston, it is true, had built road
in 1872, but as Lowell was a city of spin
dies, owned by Boston merchants, it was
not called a fair precedent. The Boston and
Providence having settled the question of
maintaining itself with good dividends, &c,
Immediately other roads sprung up in all
directions, and not only have the cities
united been signally benefited, butthe whole
country through which they pass has been
dotted with villages filled up with mechan-
les and manufacturers, and a good home
market created for all the products of the
farm, instead of carrying them to the dis
tant city to stand till near night-fall, and
finally to be disposed Ct at such prices as
buyers might offer, by taking half pay in
goods.
All communities l suppose have croakers;
certainly we have them. Though we have
good home market for all our produce, all
are not satisfied. Some complain that these
companies are making money too fast.
| Such persons forget that in 1888, the New
England press generally invited moneyed
men to come forward and take stock in
these roads, and many were shy of subscrib-
ing. Now those who entered into the expe-
riment, and have been successful, surely
ought not to be envied. Suppose the expe-
riment had been q failure, and entailed loss
on the shareholders, as many roads have
done, would these croakers have shared
their loss? Every man who has occasion
to visit the city is more directly benefited
by railroads in the saving of time and ex-
pense than most people realize. Not long
since as some of these faultfnders were
making complaints, an old gentleman made
the following statement:
In the year 1880 he went to Boston, thirty
miles, in stage coach. The stage went but
once day. He paid Sl.50 for passage, so
cents for dinner, so for supper, so for bed,
so for breakfast, so for dinner, and sl.50 for
passage home; making $3.50, besides two
days time, worth $780, total expense of
| $3.50. Now we can take the morning train
to Boston and stay four hours in the city,
and return at noon for 49, and half days
time, 81, making $500; saving of $3.50 by
railway.
And thus it is with many other inventions
and improvements. Let us count up our
blessings, and look on the bright side of
things whenever we can.-D. P.-NeU Eng
ldnd Farmer.