Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-01-20
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1870
The Railroad Meeting at Bridport

The Railroad Meeting at Bridport.
A large audience assembled at the
Town Hall, in Bridport, on Saturday
January 10Th, to listen to the railroad dis
cussion and take informal action in rela-
ton to aiding in the construction of the
/, Addison County Railroad.
The meeting was called to order by
Henry N. Solace, Esq, and organized by
the appointment of Mr.. Marshall Smith
as Chairman.
Governor Page was the first speaker.
He said we come to present you this pro-
ject for your convenience and comfort.
There are some false rumors afoat which
may lead to some misrepresentation, and
D they are that the rcuate has been already
selected. There has been no discussion
q or decision as to the final route. 1t is an
open question, and is to be determined by
the action of the towns. If the towns on
the northern route manifest the most in
terest they will get it if not, it will go
by the more southern route Ihere Is
some prejudice, am aware, in reference
to the building of railroads, growing out
already constructed. The Rutland Road
was built in 1849 at cost of six and a
half millions of dollars. 1t was run by
the original corporation until 1854, VIII en-
one of those periodical revulsions swept
over the country, causing business men
and corporations to suspend, and the Rut-
land and Burlington Railroad succumbed
to the storm. Its property was attached.
The first mortgage bondholders refused
to take it, because it involved the raising
of large amount of money to release its
property frS4n attachment. It was de-
oided to put it in the hands of the second
mortgage trustees to pay the floating debt.
1t went into the hands of the President
and Superintendent of the Cheshire Rail.
road, foreign corporation, as trustees.
It's business had been built up to four
- hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and
under the new management it was re-
duced to merely local road. Such ar
rangements were entered into with con-
Meeting roads that there was no Compel
ing business. In 1868 its earnings had
. become reduced to about three hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. About this
time both of the trustees deceased, and it
became necessary to appoint new trustees.
Persons were selected who had no interest
in the Cheshire Railroad. From that
time forward its earnings have constantly
increased, and notwithstanding the dis.
asters by food the past year its earnings
have yielded threefold increase. Had
there been no interruptions of its traffic
its earnings would have exceeded what
they were, some forty or fifty thousand
dollars. Its earnings are sufficient to pay
its interest.
The number of miles of railroad in
operation in the United States at the
opening of the Rutland Road was only
$3.50, and at the present time there are
opened and travelled nearly fifty thousand
miles. Railroads have now become a
public necessity, as all our people desire
equal facilities. The various communi-
ties that are not now enjoying the priv
ileges and benefits of railways are awake
all through the land, and we hope that
y notwithstanding rumors that may have
been set afoat, and the prejudice that may
exist financially against railroad building,
we hope to awaken an interest in this
community. Four routes had been sur
veyed, one of which is through the centre
of your town. He then gave descrip-
ton of the various routes and the esti-
mates, similar to that presented at the
previous meetings. The crossing was
more favorable at Grown Point than at
Tieonderoga-as facilities are afforded at
that point, on account of the shallow
water, of docking far into the lake, so
that the opening for the draw for boats
to pass would be but little more than two
hundred feet. The road would run near
ly in straight line for ten mifs. There
is not road in Vermont but what has
a heavier grade than that on either of
these surveyed routes. Bridport has
probably much smaller proportion of
waste land than most towns in Vermont
Bridport has stood about the same for the
past thirty years. What is true of your
town is also true of other towns. The
population within that period has fallen
from 2,000 to 1900 Shoreham and Bird
port have stood nearly equal. Most o.
the towns in Addison county away from
railroads are in about the same condition
He concluded his remarks by contrasting
the increase in towns having railroad
facilities, and the decrease of those which
were deprived of them, giving valuable
statistics of the increase of production
and prices of various farm products al
effected by railroad influences. He alst
presented the plans of aiding in the en-
. terprise, to which their attention hai
been called.
The chairman next introduced Colone
Nicholson. He said in opening he die
not enjoy military title, although h'
once had 9 narrow escape from being
made general, and probably would hav,
been but for his we'll Known peace proclivi
ties, He didn't suppose any person il
that audience expected that he could add
anything to the solid arguments of fact
and figures that had been presented t.
them by Governor Page. 1t had been
solid feast to which they had been treated
and his presentation of this subject wa
reliable. Gov. Pages business plans hat
stood for the State during the dark ant
dreary monetary hours of the war, ant
the truth was he was constitutional,
level and solvent. In the early histor,
Of Rutland there was much speculation
abroadhin reference to them, but that da,,
has passed. What was then speculation
has become settled fact, as sure as tn
laws of the universe You have alon
this eastern shore Of Lake Champlain
IL