Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-18
Vermont Daily Transcript
ST. ALBANS, VT.
MONDAY, JANUARY, Is, 1868
The Missisquoi Raiirood.

III We are 10 bcllcNc tht lclV' ~ 49,
come to our ears from the towns around
us, the exci.eme..t throughout the
county i'm relation to building new
railroads, is considerable. Every town
is getting to be interested in he all
prevailing idea Of each one having a
railroad of their own. 80 lar as the
TRANSCRIPT is concerned, it Goes not
object to the building of either one or
all of them, but somehow we cannot re-
sist the conviction that too many rail
roads will prove to be very oppressive
luxury TO the towns bonding themselves
for this purpose. But as these are mat
ters which more appropriately belong
to the towns that are directly interested,
to decide for themselves, it is less of our
business to give newspaper opinions.
As matter of interest however, to the
readers of the TRANSCRIPT, we copy the
following from the Richtord SFntihQ
of the 18th instant, in relation 20 the
Missisquoi Railroad :
We are aware that there is strong
feeling of jealousy against 1T. Alpahs
and the Vermont Central Road in the
otLer towns of the county. st. Adams,
without possessing the natural advan-
tages of many of her neighboring vii
lagos, has, by the enterprise and shrewd-
ness of her people, increased rapidly in
wealth and population. They have
made it central point for the trade OF
the adjoining towns. 1t is the great
butter market of the country, and it has
the best depot in New England. The
growth of ST. Adams is in great mea-
sure owing to the Vermont Central
Railroad. The Vermont Central Road
is well conducted, does an immense
business, and we think accommodates
the public as well as railroads in general.
1t has a monopoly of business, 1t is true,
and probably has charged higher Tor
freights than it would have done If there
had been any other railroad lines to
compete with it. But it has enriched
the country to which it has passed-as
ali railroads do. 1t has afforded US the
means to take our produce to market !;
and now money is plenty with us, and
shingles are no longer tegdt tender
Our farms have doubled and treblcd in
,,rice since the Vermont and Canada
came through our county.
There is a want of confidence with
many in this and neighboring towns in
the offer of some of the wealthy men OF
st. Adams to help to build the Missis-
quot Valley Railroad. The Lamoille
folks say it is merely Il bait to kill their
road and many of our people are half
inclined to believe it. They say, !" If
the people of st. Adams want a road up
this valley, why aave they not pro-
posed to build one before?" Simply be-
cause it has not been for their interest
Il &c hot l.
bans people should work for their own
interests, as the people of Swanton,
Enosburgh or Richford do for the inter
ests of their respective towns. As long
as ST. Adams could get our trade just
as we'll without it, it was not their in
terest to help to build a road. Now it
Is different. If the Lamoille Road runs
through Sheldon, and the Mississquol
Road is not built, st. Adams loses good
deal of trade. If the Lamoille Road is
not built, the people of this valley are
able to unite and build road from
Swanton to Newport Clearly it is now
for the interest of st. Adams to help t.
build a road up this valley; and as it is
equally for our interest also, we ought
not to hang back. Some are afraid that
ton ON the Goth, that the st. Adams
people will take most of the stock, elect
their own directors, and then have con-
troll of the business; and that will be
the last we shall hear of the road. We
are able to prevent this if we choose
Enosburgh, Berkshire, Montgomery and
Richford, united, have a larger grand
list than St Adams, and can control the
matter if they wish. But, supposine
st. Adams should take all of the $780,,
600 stock, which must be subscribed II
order to have the company organized
and should elect their own directors
and then kill the project entirely, We
should then lose nothing, for we shoulC
stand just as good a chance to get roat
without the aid of st. Adams as we dc
now. But we believe the foregoing
fears are groundless, and that the offers
from st. Adams can be depended upon