St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-01-10
From the St. Albans Messenge-.
LamOi{Ie Vdlicy RdiirOad.

be present. and the friends of the route
are confident of being able to put the
road under contract in season 10 COM
mencc work by the opening of the
spring.
The early history of Vermont Rail
roads was so unfortunate to the stock
holders that many people have come to
believe it impossible to raise money to
build new roads in Vermont and the
people in this vicinity have no confidence
in the success Of this scheme. We be-
leve that such people do not fully I'M
| dcrstand the situation. The proposition
is to build new road from Portland TO
connect with the Vermont Central at
some point and so make direct com'nu
nication between Portland and Ogdens-
| burg. OF this route surveys OF the
whole line have demonstrated its teasi-
bility and the only question is that OF
raising funds to build il. From Port
land 70 Connecticut river parties i'll Port
land have secured pledges OF stock sutli-
cent to ensure its completion and II Is
now only waiting the development of the
Vermont connection TO pat it under con-
tract. OF this the city of Portland in
its corporate capacity takes over a mill
ion of dollars in stock.
From the Connecticut River 10 81
.Johnsbury, a distance of about twenty
miles, about three hundred thousand dol
] lars have been subscribed in stock. which
] 81, Ill 4, -,
ing that part of the rad, and response
bic parties in New York promise TO ne
gotiatc the bonds for its completion. OF
this stock the Town of Concord takes one
hundred thousand dollars, the town of
Lunenburg fifty thousand, AMI st. Johns
bury and the AIessrs. Fairbanks take the
balance. This is incorporated under the
name of the Essex County Railroad.
From st. .iOhnsbury westward on the
chartered line of the Montpelier and St.
Johnsburv Railroad. stock is taken TO
ensure the building of the road to West
Danvile. CT this the town of Danville
takes one hundred thousand dollars, and
the balance is taken bv ST. JohnSbury
and the Fairbanks. The town of St
.Johnbury has subscribed to the Essex
County and Montpelier and st. Johns
bury two hundred and Twenty-Five thou
sand dollar, and the Fairbanks one hun
dred and fiiIv thousand
There is then only the link from West
Danyille 10 the Central road 10 be pro>id-
ed for This is the route incorporated
under the name OF the Latnuillc Valley
Road. This is chartered to run down
the Valley Of the Lam"iIe 10 connec:
with the Vermont and Canada at som"
feasible point, leaving the western ,er!ni-
nus open.
The point of termination most talked
about, and the one reached by the sur
vey. is Georgia. near the crossing Of the
Lamoi.lc, The prospect for raising the
money tor this route i as follows. The
distance from West Danvile is ab ut
sixty miles. The friends of tie line
have assumed that if they will raise in
stock subscriptions ten To twelve thou
sand dollars per mile. money can he rails
ed on bonds to complete the road. II
this way il six hundred thousand dollars
of stock can be taken the road will suc-
coed. Tie enabling act OF the last se>-
sion authorizes the towaS to invest to
the amount of twelve times their Grand
List. The towns on the line will do
This from Walden to Ctmbrilre inclusive.
This gives four hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars by town subscriptions count
ing nothing from Fairilx and -. Al
bans. 70 complete the six hundred
thousand dollars it is expected TO rAi%c 4
portion by private subscriptions along
Although the heavy subscriptions by
towns, will cut oil great share 0t what
would otherwise be secured 10y private
subscriptions. it il expected Il good show
ot the remaining one hundred AMI fifty
Thousand dollars viii he taken in La
mobile County. One concern in VOL
colt will take five thousand dollars sew
eral have promised subscriptions OF one
thousand dollars each. ana q mDeI many
farmers will take one, two or three share.
each.
Ii, however. no aid should he secured
hundred and tiltv thousand dollars could
not be secured on the line Of the road.
then the alternative must he to leave the
Lamollle at Cambridge and run down TIE
Sheldon Creek through Fairfield. Shell
don, &c. to Swanton. This route has
not been surveyed but ia claimcl to make
the distance four miles less than by Gcor-
gia. There Is no difficulty about the
grade, 1t being almost a perfect level me-
tween the Lamoile and Mississippi riv-
ers. THIS route would require about fiji
teen miles more of new road whic
would require one hundred AMI fifty
to two hundred thousand dollars more oil
stock. To meet this, however. are the
towns of Bakersfield, Fairfield, Sheldon
HIghgate, Swanton, Franklin, Eno>burg
and Berkshire. If these towns subscribe
at the same rate as the LamUillc town
do, and they would have quite as much
interest 10 DO so, that would give tire,
or four hundred thousand dollars, which
would insure the road. The four hun
dred aud fifty Thousand dollars of tow
subscriptions on the upper end Of til
route would he given wherever it shoull
be necessary to have the western term
:, nus. Most of the people in LamoiII,
= County would prefer the Georgia termi
:, nus, others, as the Messrs. Warner O
, Cambridge, are very anxious for th'
Swanton connection.
Although it Is a very serious uniertak
, ing, the friends of the route are contiden
v and we think with good reason, of sue
ceeding in getting road either to Geor
gia or Swanton.