Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-22
Railroad.

The work of giving our railroad a
final shove, comes on satisfactorily as
to the amount raised by the number of
subscribers, and the general feeling
shown, but somewhat enthusiastically
as to time; it takes too long to bring
everybody to full understanding of
the matter. The enterprise had lain
still until it had got "cold, so to speak,
and naturally started slowly, and un-
fortunately time is precious. A delay
now will be dangerous to the whole
scheme, and fatal to the completion of
the road this season. There are some
men who intend to take some bonds,
but for no particular reason, delay sub
scribing from day to day. Such in
tentions are now worth n premium if
expressed upon the subscription paper,
but are doing no good otherwise.
But there are a good many other
men who see the Importance Of having
a road, and are inclined to take some
bonds, but hold back for what seem to
us to be insufficient reasons. We often
hear something like this: There's
Mr.. such y one has plenty of money,
and doesn't do his part, or does moth
ing, as the case may be, and I'm not
going to help build a railroad to bene-
fit him! Now there are some men
who cannot see their own and the gen
eral interest as others see it, who re-
fuse TO do their just share in any pub
lie work, and once in while there is
Il cantankerous old curmudgeon who
never lifts finger for anybody or any
thing but his own mean self; we may
have few of this last sort hereabouts,
and there are certainly some of the
other. Of course nobody wishes to
favor them particularly, but it is well
to consider whether it pays to cut our
own throats to keep n few coppers from
getting into their pockets. But then,
if we are to look at others for an ex-
ample in such a case, we should not
look to any one man, good or bad, but
to men i'll general. Now there are
men on this earth who willingly do
more than their exact proportion in
public enterprises, and there are
enough Of this sort in this village to
offset the other kind, and good deal
to spare. For instance, Hon. Prosper
Merrill, who has spent much of his
time this last spring for the road, sub
scribed for $4,000, Of the bonds. Mr..
Merrill is Il rich man to be sure, but
his money is so locked up in more
profitable enterprises that we under
stand he will be compelled to borrow
this amount, which is great deal
more than his share would be if all |
subscribed just their proper part.
Other men of smaller means have done
fully as well, and all things considered,
we feel sure that this village is raising
its full share, u heavy one, Of the S7j,-
900.
Again, some say that when the orig
inal stock Of the road was being sub
scribed for, they were told that the
road would surely be finished, but as
it was not finished, perhaps it will not
be under this arrangement. In the
first place, it is ridiculous to suppose
that the other roads will put S1jO,O0O,
into this road and let it lie idle for any
time, and further as we said last week,
by the terms Of the subscription papers
becomes due until the com
oleting of the road is assured-"guar-
anteed by responsible parties is the
wording we believe, and also, if the
plan fails in any way, the subscription
papers become void on the first Of Ap-
ri next by their own terms. 1t seems
to us that if every one knew the facts
and probabilities in this matter thor
Oughly, we should certainly hear the
whistle before New Years.