Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-10
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 9. 1870.
Railroad Meeting mt FAIR Haven.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1870.
Railroad Meeting mt FAIR Haven.
A large meeting was held at the Town
Hall in Fair Haven yesterday, of the
residents of Fair Haven, West Haven,
Orwell and Benson, with several of the
managers of the Rensselaer, & Saratoga
Railroad present, to see what measures
would be taken by interested parties 70
aid in the construction OF the Fair haven
and Lake Shore Railroad. The road
would form an important link In the con-
nections of the Rensselaer, & Saratoga
Railroad, north and south, it running
> from Fair Haven to Ticonderoga, and
Lake Champlain being bridged at that
point, as is proposed, would connect the
Saratoga with the Whitehall and Platts-
burgh Railroad at "Ti," thus forming a
epew and important route from Montreal
to New York. Here, then, is the import
ance of the route to the Rensselaer, q
Saratoga Company, as it would afford a
competing line for through freight and
travel between the metropolises of the
United States and the New Dominion
slSyrter than any now in existence. For
this reason Che Saratoga Company is anx-
ious to see the proposed road completed,
while the people along its line find their
interest in it from the fact that it removes
them from an isolated condition to rail
communication with the world, and opens
marts 10 their already vast, yet constantly
. increasing agricultural and mineral pro-
ducts. ..-
The meeting was called to order at p.
IN, by the selection of Col. Alanson Al
len of Fair Haven, as chairman, who,
upon taking the stand reviewed the neces-
0sities of the community for this link OF
\ roas, as also those of the Rensselaer, 81
Saratoga Railroad in the same direction.
Itogould be IN advantage to both, an
they should 30 act in concert as to bring
abolYS the desired end. The road was to
% y, sun through an agricultural country,
an9l his former experience in building
railroad told him that farmers were gen.
orally opposed to railroads, they fearing
they would upon the construction of such
highways, be deprived from the
avenues of trade. He had ever pointed
tefarmers their error in this, and though
a took time to convince many of them
they had at last seen the error of their
theory, railroads leading them to greater
markets and they obtaining greater pri-
ces for their produce. He now wished to
caution over again farmers against such
idS3s. 1t cannot be doubted, said the
Gbeaker, that there is not the interest that
q there should be in the project. He
thought there were obligations between
the Saratoga Railroad Company and the
people on this subject, and they should
u act IN concert, even to the extent of en-
croaching on private rights on account OF
public necessity. He alluded to railroad
tariffs being high, concluding by saying
ysthat the proper way to force railroad cor
DO porations to reduce tariffs, was to open
new avenues of connection and thus
bring them more freights, as the more
freights they have the more advantage
tain themselves.
L. NJ Wright of Orwell remarked tina,
he came here, az did large number OF
the people of Orwell. at the invitations OF
the officeraof the Lake Shore Railroad to
hear what the officers of the Rensselaer,
SSaratoga road propose to do to aid in
its construction. Let them, here repre-
sented, say what they would do, and we
would then act as people. We are not
Dead, but are isolated. We are helpless,
but willing to show the officers of the
Saratoga Company that we are willing to
, do our share in this matter but want
fist to hear from them.
% Horace c. Wood, Esq, of Fair Haven
pade a statement in reply as to what i'm.
portuned the Saratoga men to be present
here to-day. The construction of the
Lake Shore road is for the purpose of
giving their road northern outlet by
o way of line creeping down the west
eide of the Lake, known as the White
hall 81 Plattsburgh, as yet unconstructed
even TO the northern terminus of the
Lake Shore road. There were other
roads. one the Addison County Railroad
and the other line from Whitehall tc
"Ti" talked of in opposition TO the Lake
O.. Shore but the road on the west side o.
the Lake would have to be constructed &c
make any of them Of value 1t is known
this will be built, and it is important the
F. & s. road should connect with it. The
country through which it runs is full o.
minerals--enough to give it ell the
freight it can haul The r. a. S. people
were DESTROYS of securing this business
and they came to see what the people
"a slong the line of the road to connect Fail
Haven with Ticorderoga were willing tt
do to build it. They do not come t.
make promises they cannot fulfill
as it is we'll known they have the ability
to fulfill their promises. They now say
to You if you can help us We will built
this, instead of the one on the west sid
of the Lake down TO Whitehall. th'
last mentioned line was an important one
the people wanted it and offered induce
sSents for it's construction. Would WI
aot offer similar for the building OF tn
Lake Shore2 The r. & s. people came
forward and had a survey made of th'
Fair Haven route at their own expense
and at heavy cost, and they do not pro
pose to throw away the advantages i
would afford them. But if our peopl
wanted this advantage to themselves, the.
must aid and tell their neighbors wha
course to pursue in this direction, whel
the Company would inform them of thei
terms, and what they would do upon re
ceipt of such aid.