St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-08-27
The Montpelier ana st. JOhns6nry
Rdi{rOUd.

A committee OF the citizens OF Mont
pelier, consisting of Messrs. Denison
Taft, J. II. Langlon, G.. c. Shepard
Jos. Poland, John a. Page, T. p Pit
kin and James G.. French, with the Hon.
c. w. Willard as legal adviser, met the
directors OF the Montpelier and St Johns
bury railroad at this place on Monday
evening of the present week. The origin
OF this committee, and the object of the
meeting was this : On the return of
Rev. VIM. ii. Lord from his trip with
EX-Guv. Smith and others, over the
proposed route of the Northern Pacific
railroad, public mcetin" was held in
the town hall at Montpelier, at which
DIR. Lord rave an enthusiastic account
OF his northwestern trip, and dwell at
length upon the great advantage the
opening of the Northern Pacili, road
would he 10 the Portland and OGlens-
burg road, and the consequent impor-
tance 10 Montpelier that this great trunk
line should pass through the capital, as
once contemplated. Other prominent
business men and capitalists in Montpe-
licr also spoke at tins meeting, which re
suited in the appointment of the above
committee to meet with the directors OF
the read at tits place and ask that the
books for subscriptions to the capital
stock of the Montpelier and ST Johns
bury road he again opened, that Mont
pelicr might have an opportunity to take
stock in the road and thus secure this
trunk line OF railroad 10y the way of
Montpelier.
This committee met the directors at
the st. ,Iohnsbury House on Monday
evening, by appointment, when Mr..
Taft, rs chairman, made known the OBJ
ject of their visit, and asked that the
books be opened for subscriptions, ad-
hitting that Montpelier had become con-
WINGED that it was for her interest TO
have the road constructed through her
borders, asserting that she was now
willing to aid i'll it i'll every possible
way. Mr.. Taft was followed by Gen.
Pitkin, who corroborated the former in
his statement in regard to the interest
now felt in Montpelier for this road, and
made q demand to have the subscription
books opened, that they might show
their faith by their works.
MIR. Horace Fairbanks, as president
OF the corporation, replied to these gen.
tlemen, reviewing at length the history
of the enterprise, from its inception to
the present time; and if his statement
was not creditable to the course Mont
pclier had taken from the very COM
mcnccment, it is the fault of Montpelier
herself Three years ago, when there
was an effort made to get charter for
this road, and when it was supposed
Montpelier would be most Interested in
the enterprise, no interest in the matter
could be aroused among her citizens and
no help was received from her. Not
wIthstanding this, the charter was OBJ
tanned. After meetings Lad been held
at this end of the line, and st. Johns
bury and Danvillc at least had voted to
largely aid the enterprise, a public meet
ing was held in Montpelier, lin March,
1861 at which a committee of twenty
prominent citizens was appointed to
''comsiler what the town (NIontpelier)
ought to do in aid of the enterprise of
building the Montpelier and st. Johns
bury railroad" Not until the June fol-
lowing did this committee report, and
then it reported adversely to the project.
his report was signed by fourteen of
the committee, four of whom were also
on the committee which met the directors
here on Monday evening last, and who
demanded that Montpelier now, more
than two years afterwards, shall have an
opportunity to take stock in the enter
prise.
The friends of the enterprise were I'M
willing to take the report of this COM
mittee of twenty as iinal, but tried in va
rious ways to work up an interest at the