Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-25
from the I;ichford Sentinol.l
he R0iivO0d II 'et;ny.

The meeting of the Missisuuoi Rail-
road Commissioners resulted quite diff
ferently from what was expected. The
Commissioners from Orleans County,
being in majority, elected their Prcsi-
dent and Secretary, opened the books,
subscribed for the stock themselves, lin
an sunlawful manner, it is true, and
closed the books. Now they can eject
their OSn directors, and act their pleas
lire about doing anything more.
The appointment of so many Commits
sioners from Orleans County was a great
mistake in the trainers of the act. Meth
CT the population II u the wealth Of the
towns in that county interested in the
Missisquoi Railroad, nor the length of
road to he built through those towns,
would entitle them to near 50 large a
proportion.
The Charter OF the Missisquoi Rail-
| road was granted by our Legislature to
Of building Il railroad from some point
on the Vermont and Canada II. X. up
the valley to Newport, there to connect
with the Passumpsic. In order to avoid
| the mountains, the road must run
through the township OF Potion, =. O.,
| for Il distance of eleven miles; and this
could not be done until such permission
was obtained from the Canadian govern
ment. Until such permission was OBJ
tanned the road must, ii built, be in two
S eparate links: the western link from
some point on the Vermont All Canada
to Richtord-a distance OF about p or
% miles, and the eastern link from
Newport to the Province line in the town
of Troy-a distance of to 10 miles.
Lat winter an attempt was made TO
| In lln 1,n
ject OF road to connect the road with
the Stanstead, Shefford and Chambly
Railroad at st. Johns or West Farnham.
The reply was that the road could rem
der no assistance, a it was about to ex-
tend its line up the Massawippi Valley
to LcnoXville. The town OF Newport
was apparently indifferent to a new road
as the Passumpsic accommodated them
very well. Thus, Troy and perhaps JAY,
appeared to be the only towns interested
in the building of the road. These towns
have an aggregate grand list of only ST.
1875. 1t would thus seem that the
probabilities OF the builting of the east
ern link of the MissisquOi Railroad are
very small. On our end OF the road,
the towns of Sheldon, SwantOn and
Iighgate, voted money in aid Of the
Lamoillc road, AID of course can not
be expected now to assist the Missis-
quoi road. Lately, however, s.. Adams
has expressed a desire to cooperate with
us, such men MS Ex-Governor Smith,
Hon. Lawrence Brainerd, Hon. Bradley
Barlow and other men of means in that
town offering, if st. Adams, Sheldon,
Enosburgh, Berkshire, Montgomery
and Richford, will vote the amount al
lowed by the enabling act-$270, 0O0-to
raise the rest of the money-say about
$50, 000-and build the road to Richford.
With this view the meeting of the
Commissioners for the opening of the
books, preparatory to organizing the
company, was called at Richford, on
, the 10Th inst. 1t was supposed of course
that the Commissioners from Orleans
County, with view to connecting with
us in the future, would be glad to CO.
operate with us, so far as they could by
, the use of their names in effecting an or
ganiZation.
The presence of all the Commissioners
from Orleans County at the meeting in
dictated that something was "up.h
Upon the opening of the meeting III. G..
Wilson, of Troy, was nominated and
elected Chairman. Some one then
nominated, S. p. Carpenter, of Rich
ford, for Secretary, and some one else
nominated L. IL. Bisbee, of Newport
The Chairman put the molten on Mr.
Carpenters nomination, and the ayes
,, and nays appeared about equally di'
yided The Chairman, however, who
) was possessed Of very fine auriculai
powers, declared the motion lost, and
Mr.. Bisbee was then elected. 1t was
/, then evident that the Orleans mel
wanted to control the business, and
take the charter into their own hands
An attempt was then made to come to
some understanding with them to find
out what they wanted. They professeG
the most pacific intentions they didn'l
want us to control the road, and prevent