St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-09-30

: are deep trOuglS IN Il paratlvely lcV(
table, and to reach the last it Is ncccssar
/ to cut through a high. rocky ridge w
then followed down this valley till III
: bottom dropped out from under us, whc
: we re-cro~>cd the same valleys we la,
} run over, higher up, and reached th,
: south bank of Slcepcr's river at Nortl
Danvillc, with Il grade line some sixt,
feet highcr than Mr. Linsley's at tha
= point. 1t is true tlat by continuing TIA,
: same Grade TO ST. .Iohnsbury We migh
have overcome this difference Of clcya
ton. but enough had already bccl
learned TO cause the abandonment of th,
h route. Our reasons for doing 80 were
briefly, because the pass was - hLh a
TO require almost as much distance I,
overcome It's elevation is it would {,
reach Joe's pond itself; and that TIN
distance had TO be made in the wrom-
dlrcction-0cros> He co,ult,y1-ani finally,
We could not maintain our elevation
without fearful work or materially in
creasing the length OF the line, the yer,
( points TO hc avoided.
Failing in this. aud assuming that
with our amended grade line from =.
Johnsbury, We could reach up at North
| Danvillc to the same point we had at
tanned IN our descent with the last line.
we next tried the practicahility OF taking
out the loop made by Mr. LuSlul'- line
on Nhcl lon brook. In this We succeeded.
and saved some mile and Il ihirl in l.~-
tancc. The success OF another route
however, made it unnecessary TO decide
as to the cNprdcncy OF changing tnc
Grade for this saving OF distance.
Nothing now remained hut trial at
the "Badgcr Gap" \ short prrlim.-
, nary survey, extending about two miles
in either direction To connect i with sur
vcyS already madr, satisfied me that it
was not only practicable, but that wh.lr
,avin4 ~ | hoped some four miles in ai--
tauce, 1t would also he 10y tar the cheap
ct line. PR mule, which could hc placed
upon the -rouud from Nt. Juhu~bury o.
". Danville. In accordance with vaur
Instructions, the line was located upon
this route, and am happy to lay thrt l
I ''''N '''''' ~ o'N''E'''i' ''' N'''''-'I- ''lN
vpnl"n either a- 10 distance or COS. OF
construct N.
10 make It ~ clear 70 others u- II is
t" myself, tLis. 1t - absolutely Tia. ,.,al-
1T line. some explanation may be- nee
,->1ry.
ms great rt'-' winch have 80 often
mentioned. running almost parallel T.
or lime. bat not qai;r. thi- very r.I-.
which proved such a hu@hear at first. and
rave IL - much trouble to g't over ur
through, tni~ AT last proves our friend
and hclpyr, - long IL We Dn,o ad"p,
such q grade a. to compel u 60 lor~.,N"
the rIi-e IN order To e"t sufficient Il--
Iam"r To- ovcTc.mc ii. wc were sue To-
-rt either too much distance or too much
work.. But when tn ugtt Grade VA
taken and our oh cnrmy Lrrar.c uu
ally. AL went well. t.iu-,u- To- It un
the one side TIL our elevation WIS -u.-
l.icn'. we passed over to the other. AND
>liI chn.rng to that iii, We at i.u-,u
reached our desired elevation. In short.
10y the Use oi this rid. We uh,a.u iin,
streams and not ACROSS th,m. The a.
crud.u. Grade commences from the cross
in. Of the pa-,uul,-ic R:IlraaG. ami
from thence to Joe, pond not al inch u.
elevation j. los:
1t i proper to ~av that the nr;.lc and
curtarure~ adopted upon your road hr-
tween 1t. .Iuhn,bury and West Dau-
willie. Will not exceed the maNimum
grades aul cuIvaturcs upon the Boston
y ALBANY T. H.. and other Iradius trunk
lines in New England And lew cen
crul remarks urun this subject will 10,
be out ui place.
Low grades are desirable when they
are attanahic at not too urcat cost. Oar
first road, were built after Eu,li~h mod
els, in "a part OF the country where money
was ma>t abundant. and the character
of the GROUND permitted a cumparatiyyly
light 4rade Gradually however, as road~
came 10 l., muliiplicd, the means with
which to build them were not 81 readily
furnished. while at the same time. the
character OF the country through which
they were carried, called for additional
expenditure Now If sensible man
tries to wear No. seven boots. and they
crowd his corn>. hc resorts TO No. ci@ht~.
Not so with engineers They cndcav-
orcd to bring the foot to the boot. Not
approaching the true state of the case.
they fixed upon certain arbitrary limits
which, under other circumstances and
surroundings, light have been proper
and right, and would not permit them
to he exceeded. They made Il Procru--
lean bed with their grade lines and the
Door country WAS conurllrJ tn lie in If