The Portland daily press., 1870-10-10

To the Editor Of the Press;
The editor of the Adrerti3er seems not to UNI
derstand the railroad charters of Vermont
The Montpelier and ST. Johnsbury Railroad
Company had authority to build a line through
the towns of Montpelier, Planfie.d, Mansfield,
Cabot, Orange, Hardwick, Walden, Danville
and Peacham to s.. Johnsbury; and by act APP
proved March 2Sth, 1867, these towns were au-
thorized to aid the construction of said road
without Limitation of the amount. The COM
pany was organized, and the towns of st.
JohnsbuIy, Danvil.e and others made subscrp-
tons to the stock. On the 18th of October,
1867, the Lamoille Valley Railroad Co. was in
corporated, with the right to build railway
from some point in the town of St Johusbury
or Danville westwardly down the valley of La
, noble river, to the line of the Vermont and
Canada railroad. By the act approved Nov.
| 18th, 1867, st. Johnsbury, Danville and other
| towns were authorized to subscribe II per cent
/ of their valuation TO aid the construction of
said road. Afterwards by act approved Nov
! 10th, 1868, the Essex County Railroad Co., the
Montpelier and st. Johnsbury Railroad Co.,
and the Lamolle Valley Railroad Co. had a
right to consolidate and form single compa'
| n.y. But when the work Of construction COM
menced, the Messrs. Fairbanks, who controlled
the Montpelier and st. Johrsbury railroad, de-
clined to give up the Montpelier and st. Johns
bury road as an independent organization, for
the alleged reason that they desired to hold the
larger subscriptions made by Danville and
other towns to the Montpelier and st, Johns.
! TLo r fbornf ia corripd for.
ward from ST. Johnsbury west under the Mont
pelier and st. JohnsbuIy charter. On the 18TH
of September last there was choice of direc'
tors at the annual meeting of the company
Horace Fairbanks, L. P. Poland, Calvin Nor
riIl, VIM. B. Hatch and Jonathan Ross. At {
meeting of the board, Fairbanks was elected
President, Jonathan Ross Clerk, and Calvin
: Morrill, Treasurer. A. G. Mitchell, Chief En-
gineer, made full report, which is now befor'
us, giving the reasons for changing tho lnca
ton of the line: Instead of going Is miles t
, reach five miles in distance from st. Johns
bury, securing comparatively easy grades, Mr.
Mitchell concluded to adopt steep grades ant
reduce the distance. This change of grade tn
court held released the town Of Danville from
its subscription of 100000 Neither Danvil
Ut OI. JOnuSDuTy udVe Hduo suUsCrlPIiOHS y
aid the building Of the Lamoille Valley rail
road as such. b" $50 tfiA p
We are informed by gentleman who ha
just returned from st. Johnsbury, that tn
statements.of the correspondent Of the Portlan'
Christian Mirror, signed "F. o." under dat
of August 23l, 1870 are entirely true; tina
there is comparatively little or nothing doin
upon the line in the way of construction, eithe
upon the Montpelier and st. Johnsbury line
or the line of the Lamoille Valley railroad. A
{ the time of the annual meeting of the Lamoill
; Valley Railroad Co. in August, less tina
10000 had been expended in construction o
,, the line Of the Lamoille Valley railroad.
. Any one interested can verify the truth
these statements by an examination of the re
} ports of the company. j. A. p