Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-03-04

themselves as the manly champions Q
their noble aim, but seemingly ashame'
to gather SO small and purile a matte,
they jesuitically employ their emissarie
to mouse about and secretly undermin
the honest feelings and prejudice tn
minds of those whom, with their overflow
ing means, they cannot purchase. The,
came not forth manfully, and Knight,
contest the open field and honest ground
but covertly elbow forward such instru
ments rs offer-one-idead as the Hoten
tot. They stand not up to convince b,
fair and cogent argument; but by EN-
ploying the subtle and skilled artist b,
surreptitious reasoning, false figures and
fallacious estimates, to undermine princi
pie, put down that which is logical, tina
which is true that which is alike patri
otto and sure, and right, for the good O
the community. In the opposition to tn,
! Woodstock Railroad, there is not a mar
of business who has not more direct in
terest in a corporation than he has for tn,
prosperity and success of the town. Th,
rest of them are led "by the nose, yield
| ing without reason,-submissiv withou
/ thought
In Rutland are two men, the memory
of whom should ever be cherished by tn,
people of Rutland. To the facts in tn,
case | will ceig brict7y allude. For it i
important to this argument, that they
should be known to those of this genera
ton; those who this day stand in tn,
place once occupied by the fathers and
progcnitors of this road that they NAV
learn what the people of Rutland have
done, and ON what rests their claim
These facts | have serupulously CLEANED
partly from memory and partly from
manuscripts | have seen and from papers
preserved.
So soon as the Fitchburgh and Boston
company had determined to commence
operations upon their road, and its sue
cessful completion was deemed sure, the
possibility and importance of a railroad
through Vermont occurred, almost stimuli
taneously, to Governor Paine, upon the
east side of the mountain, and to John
Cain, Esq, and the Hon Ambrose
l.. Brown, of Rutland The mind of Mr..
Cain was active, clear, energetic, of quick
perceptions and far-seeing, but impulsive
well adapted to a pioneer of great en-
fIbat g L. i
not easy to rouse, but of rare good sense
and of sound Judgment, we'll fitted as a
lever, to lift aside and overcome great OBJ
staeles. Conjoined,-a powerful engine,
to prospect, dig out and draw forth the
wealth of mine, to be lavished along the
length and breadth Of the yerdant valleys
of the beautiful Otter
At that day, railroad through Yer
mont was deemed by its people almost as
chinerical as the steamboat Of Fulton or
the telegraph of Morse, to the world In
the east, the route of Governor Paine,
however, On that side of the mountain,
was regarded SO feasible, that its practical
bility stood acknowledged and although
doubt and: unbelief in the subscriptions of
the stock pervaded every mind of the Leg
stature, yet with little difficulty he OBJ
tanned his charter.
In the west it was far different. When
he line of the Boston road through Shir-
ey to Fitchburgh was adopted, it became
apparent to Messrs. Cain and Brown that
nature had designed and prepared direct
md an unmistakable route through the
passes of the mountains, and along these
valleys, to the Canadas And that other
wise, Western Vermont would be almost
deserted by, and isolated from, the world
around it. That this road, therefore, was
not ninrnly desirable for commerce. but
.bsolutely necessary for existence. Fro--. /
DESIRE Of the object sprang HoPE, to-
wards the PROBABILITY of attaining it,
nd reached forward to POSSIBILITY
f accomplishing it, when the three
'ressed forward to the PRACTICABILITY, ,
Who stood in allegiance. leaning upon his
ever, ready to lift aside every obstacle
nd to plant the first stake.
II the road of Gov Paine was deemed
" the legislature chimcrical, then, in
Iced, when the scheme of Cain and Brown
or second parallel and rival road in the .
vest was discussed, it was looked upon
lot only as illusory, bat as an astounding
resumption, Their application, there
ore, for a charter was met with ali the
pposition. power and influence of Mr..
'aine, as governor of the State, and in
EDITION, with the yet undemonstratcd
disability of crossing the Green Noun
ain. To confirm him i'll this ground Of
bjection, an emissary was coyer,ly sent
D run over that part of the route, accord
and reported its imprncticabtltty in con-
,rmity thereto. Mr.. Cain, on the other
and, nothing daunted by all this OPPOSE
ON and influence against him, and es-
ecially by the insurmountable mountain
l his path, was stimulated by these diff
ulties. and his zeal and energy were
reused to the occasion. 1t was the win
n Of 1913 that Mr. Cain. having obtained
he sum of $lG0, by the contribution of
40 from the citizens of Rutland, and
dvancing the remainder from his own
ocket, procuring sufficient number of
ands, and with the assistance OF Judge
rown, who was himself an engineer,
lade preliminary survey of the route
trough the snow at the depth of three
,et from Rutland to Ludlow That
lrvey finally settled and established be-
ond question, not only the prncticability
ut the decided feasibility of an easy
assage of the Green Mountains, and
hereby overcame the supposed greatest
btacle to their success. The clouds over
ne horizon began to be dispelled, and
ne hearts of the friends of the road be-
anne buoyant. They obtained their char