The Portland daily press., 1869-07-01

PORTLAND AND RUTLAND RAILROAD.

Whaty' NOx.
Rntland Convenfien.
PORTLAND AND RUTLAND RAILROAD.
WOODSTOCK, W., June 26th, 1862
The convention at Rutland on Thursday, of
which you have had knowledge through the
papers, was held in the Opera House, one of
the finest in the country, and much larger
than our Deering Hall.
At this meeting very many interesting facts
were brought before the public, bearing upon
railway projects under consideration, which
gave great courage to the friends of the Rut-
land and Woodstock line. A great railroad
centre, with rival interests competing for su-
premacy has grown up at Rutland
The Rutland railroad, proper, extends from
Rutland to Brattleboro " miles. connecting
at Bellows Falls, "a miles north of Brattleboro
| with the Cheshire railroad, extending to Fitch
burg and Boston. The same line extends
north to Burlington 81 miles, where it con
meets by the Essex branch with the Vermont
Central railroad, and by steamers across Lake
Champlain with Plattsburg, thence by rail to
the Ogdensburg railroad at Meoer's Junction,
IL miles from Rouse's Point.
The Western Vermont railroad runs south
from Rutland to Bennington, distance of IS
miles. A due west line extends from Rutland
to Whitehall, now forming q section Of the
Rensselaer, and Saratoga railroad.
The Rutland and Washington railroad,
forming part of the Rensselaer, and Saratoga
railroad, extends rom it at Castletor1, II miles
from Rutland, to Eagle Bridge, distance of
81 miles, extending thence to Troy, over the
ior,d ro,l
The Rensselaer, and Saratogarailroad compa-
ny was formed by the consolidation of six
| separate lines, partly in Vermont and partly
in New York, embracing 175 miles in all be-
tween Rutland at the north and Troy and
Schenectady at the south. The three lines last
named lie west of the Green Mountain ridge.
running mainly north and south, there being
no railroad across the mountains, between
Rutland and the line of the Boston and Alba
ny railroad at Pittsfeld, Mass
The Hoosac Tunnel is designed to ac com
plish the same purpose as that contemplated
by the Rutland and Woodstock line, only that
this railroad is to pass over instead of through
the mountains.
The friends of the several lines approaching
Rutland from the south and west and the bulk
of the people favor an independent line by
way of Chittenden and Woodstock, while
some of the friends of the Rutland road are
anxious to utilize section of their line be-
tween Rutland and Mount Holly summit, and
extend a line by way of Healdville, two miles
south of the summit, through Plymouth and
Bridgewater to Woodstock, using twenty miles
f@he Rutland road.
The mountain group OF Killington Peak is
the summit, rising 1921 feet above tide water,
lies directly between Woodstock and Rutland.
Following up the main branch of the Quebec,
northwest from lthe junction in Bridgewater
through Sherburn, Chittenden and Mendon,
the distance is somewhat less to Rutland than
by the east branch Of the Quebec through
Plymouth. Mount Holy and the line of the
Rutland road.
The friends of the Northern or Chittenden
route, insist on having an independent line in
to Rutland connecting directly with the lines
running South and West, and urge the impor-
tance OF this measure as essential to secnre
proper Western connections, asserting also
the superior value of an independent line from
Portland to Rutland, over one subordinate to
the Rutland railroad interest,--the building of
eAS INV %AAS Wy tAC way Vi i1Cdlutlll6, Only
bringing an accession of trains and business
by way the Rutland road land not an inde-
pendent connection.
This statement will explain the division of
opinion at Rutland, and the friends of both
routes are urging the respective claims of
each, in order to secure the $500, ,09O corporate
subscription authorized by the Legislature.
II would not surprise us if this agitation
should secure the building of both lines giving
two routes from Woodstock to Rutland
The town of Rutland which voted 100000
subscription to the stock of the Rutland and
Woodstock railroad, has now become the lead
ing town of the State, leaving her ancient riy-
al Burlington quite far in the rear The valu-
alton of Rutland according to the grand list of
1868, is $3.763011 Burlington has valuation
of $l730,329. st. Joensbury of $172O, $780,
Springfield of 81 568 ,755. Woodstock of ST.
551, GIL st. Albans of 81 ,491 ,487 and Mont
pelier of 81 ,25S 034
These nine are the largest towns in Yer
mont.
The friends of the Rutland railroad in Bos-
ton defeated consolidation as originally pro-
posed, and Joined hands with the Ogdensburg
railroad company of New York, moved for an
independent line from Moore's Junction to
Rutland by the way of Plattsburg and Ticon-
deroga, making a saving in distance from Og-
densburg over or by way of Rouses Point to
Boston. Rutland has become the objective
point of railroad movements towards Ogdens-
burg.
The friends of consolidation in Mass achu-
setts, therefore, finding themselves defeated in
Vermont Central and Ogdensburg lines, ter
minated their consolidated line at White Riy-
eF junction.
Byway of Woodstock and Concord, the dis
tance from Rutland to Boston is not much in
creased over the line by way of Bellows Falls.
while it gives direct line to Low ell, Law
renee, Nashua and other manufacturing towns
of New England from Ogdensburg = from
which point these places draw their supplies
of produce without coming to Boston, as in
former years. While there is dimnution in
the receipts of -four at Ogdensburg from the
West, it is not so great as that indicated in the
falling off of the receipts at Boston by the way
of. ogdensburg, which declined from 319,56o
barrels in 1862, and $4,000 barrels in 1868, to
80, ,004 barrels in 1868.
The Rutland line having been found the
cheapest route from Ogdensburg by means of
boats from Plattsburg to Burlington-aetive
measures are now in progress to secure con-
tinuous line of railway between Ogdensburg
and Rutland, crossing the lake at Ticonde-oga
Freight from Chicago by the northern trans
portation company's boats to Ogdensburgsis lis
n cents per 100 pounds, on grain, and from
ogdensbnrg to Boston &C cents per 100 pounds
by railroad. But Notwithstanding these low
rates, the northern transportation company's
boats now run through, from Chicago to Mon
trsal, and their cargoes take ocean steamers or
her vessels to Liverpool
These statements, interesting to railroad
men and -four dealers, concern also the public
But the length to which they have been ex->
tended, must suffice for to-day. In nv next /
hope to give you some account of the route
over the mountains