Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-01-27
MONTPELIER and the Railroads.


men designated in 1890; while to Montpelier
more credit is due than TO any other town in tn,
State for money advanced and work done to secur,
the construction Of tho Central Road, which /,
the Vermont part Of the Boston and Ogdensburgl
line'
Still again ut the same time, Montpelier in.
dictated another railroad to Concord via Barre, OF
Plainhed, Orange, Topsham, Bradford and
thence by the valley OF the Oliyerian, or by In.
dian Pond 10 Bakers River in New Hampshire tC
Plymouth, and thence via the valley of the Peril.
gewasset and Merrmack rivers and, so far as
the New Hampshire part of the line is concerned
the sagacity Of the men of Montpelier has been
substantially yindicated by the construction Of
the Boston, Concord h Montreal Railroad from
Concord TO Wells River. II passes over a part Of
the line indicated by Montpelier men in 1880
and if the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad
shall ere long be constructed, either via Marsh
| field, or Plainfeld, or Barre and Orange, the
scheme Of Montpelier in 1880 will be practically
realized In now going in zealously for this CON
nection with the New Hampshire road at Wells
River, the present men Of Montpelier are substan-
TALLY following in the footsteps Of their fathers.
Let that fact give energy to their endeayors until
the far reaching plans Of those fathers shall be
realized
The first railroad meeting Of citizens of Mont
pelier was ON the Goth of Jan. 1880, of which
Timothy Hubbard was chairman and o. H. Smith
was secretary. A committee was appointed to
report ON a road from Boston to Lake Champlain,
at meeting to be held ON the I'd of February.
This committee consisted Of Lyman Reed, for
merly of Boston, then Of Montpelier, and now Of
the city Of Baltimore and f. p. Walton, senior,
and Sylyanus Baldwin, both deceased. In their
Report, Feb. ?. 1880, the committee exceeded their
instructions and recommended an application to
the Legislature and to Congress for the survey Of
a National Railroad from the sea-board at Bos-
ton through Lowell, Mass, Concord in New
Hampshire, and thence by the most convenient
route through the valley of Onion river to lake
Champlain, and thence to the waters of Lake On
tario at Ogdensburg = which is the line now in
operation A committee of four was then APP
pointed to prepare Typographical and statistical
statement of facts on the subject, and Gen. Par
ley Davis, Joshua Y. Vail, Anunah Waterman
and Sylyanus Baldwin, (all then of Montpelier,
and now deceased were the committee. At the
same time Daniel Baldwin was appointed agent
to represent the views OF the meeting to the Mas
sachusetts Railroad Associations gentleman
now living but who will pardon us for adding
that he afterwards rendered efficient and valuable
services as agent for procuring subscriptions to
''io O'''''"' i''''u' "''' 10 ''''oi VI '"' 'O'-
pora''oh'
h. Af,,tt.,li,w tbap, oa1taI
i"e 'io"'Poi'o' niVe''"s ''on V"'ieu inee'ihs
Vi c'"@ens VI washington anu Oi""so 'ouneics'
70 near 'ne report Oh 'no'r committee. ln"'
meeting was on 'he i'th OF repruary' lo'o' ana
10 u zen farley p"Nis suDn"'leu an eiaoora'e re-
port whieh hileu iour columns oil the waterman
ana US we reau IL now, we are surprised at the
extent anu accur"cy oi 'hc kho"leuge theh AT
"lnea without actual surveys. IN l"et' the re-
port Is to-day an excellent guide ior iutnre scleh
'inc explorations between montpelier ana Con
necteut hiVer ior all except the Narshheld route
III passing we WIN only remark that the COM
mittee contemplated none but the Gulf route from
Montpelier To White River. and we apprehend
wa. "'''' we ''"V' " VIZ 'VN "''
Puplic opinion VIII approve their judgment
We have said that the committee did not allude
10 the Marshfeld route and the reason probablv
,,o, .ba, VIE. p;vor ,a,hor IT, yans r;,o,
""' ''''' "",' '"'''e' ''i"" WIS ''''
was IN thcr vlew' ior the purpose oil connecting
with alternative routes through New Hampshire,
ut either White or Waits rivers. the late John
,Jon,,g. or pr,de,r1 i;,.,o,;,,, hi .,.,.;.,
NJ =. "'l>u u'So''"s '".'' s''on''o" ~ |
"' rner- no" VIC nave no uouo' 'hat the
Marshheid route VIII DO Doth the easiest OF CON
structiOn and most advantageous 10 Washington
and Caledonio counties and tho Iamoill. VoIlev
- |
Gro,on Westward n Tho .r,o,0;, W. haa ~
nj the srmui, from tho Gro,or y;do ona
II opneored ,yondorG,lIy e.,;hIo i, c,,, Inc, 70
n nass bod hoon ,or, ho,,,oo,, ,,v, ,,,,,',n;,. g.
,he vary n,rros. Of . raurood E,or, ,ro,, ,ho,
this orn.ars 10 he ,bo bost ror,e ror Montnol;or
10 n,rs,e RI, II mos, no, ho Ga. ord ovon ;ri,
IL sbo,d the neo,,e n,o, ,h,t rorto ror,so ~ do
thoir mart and tbrs tbe best ron,o sban bo,o,oo
the mpossible route what ia 10 be dore9 w.
turn to the report of Gen. Davis and read
D." Another rorte IN d;vsrgo from, Nortre,ier
either by Plainiield or Barre, through Orange
and Topsham, by the valley Of Waits river, to
.lle Sonheetieut' mas peen proposed with much
lev runnne thron tha ridge 81 land az r,onta;n
separating the waters Of Onion and Waits river
but as there has been no survey OF the same, the
oost"; aSe ~ p"ssg '"s n1'gu' cinnot oe ns
for canal route but owing To an annarent want
of water on and near the height, has never been
surveyed From information given us by John
rroe,;,as s G nn na f., g,ea, eaper,ence IN
In reconnoitering and in aotual SURVEYS far canals
in this State and New Hampshire, as well as by |
personal observation OF some Of the committee,
oS H., ,oe ~ o o ,,n sh ~" III InsIa
Now rememberno The re,oorkobls occrro.v az
this ronort in rssnect 10 other roods hoth IN v.r
mont and New Hamnshire which bovs s;nos
been constructed tbis opinion os to tho Rarro
and Ororge route ia ertited IN oreo, ,y.;ch,
Indeed snbseouer, snrv.ys hv NJ Monrsa
and another nv Mr. Dodgs +. rroct;col en,,;neer
bave 6,ll, corer,oad ~, ,,,,,,.,s,;o,, ,r f,s, M
Wis we know indecJ ,hot ,ho ,,or,;o, 81 ,ha
line from Barro 10 the iunction oe ,bs Wosh;nn-
,o, 81 o.. h;.l,.-',,- .,,,,,e
10 one nassinS nm tbe nsrr,,v yoIlsv. h,,, "a &c
nal survey made in 1907 hv the nr;,ed s,o,os
proves that e,rtv foot Grade from Mor,noIior
will carry rnilroad am. bnrdrod o0d siv,,,- ZOO