Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-02-03
Bridging Lake Champlain.

The meeting Of the Troy Board Of Trade on
Thursday evening l,st, to protest against rail-
road ferry at Tioouderoga, was largely attended.
Speeches were made by Hon. Thomas Coleman,
President Of the Board Hon. Geo. c. Burlett,
and Hon. James Forsyth. Mr. Coleman ,aid
The free navigation Of Lake Chsmplsn has
been one great source Of Troy's prosperity, and
we cannot remain quiet and see that source Of
our prosperity obstructed Besides the obstruction
to navigation, the proposed bridge will divert
the trade and travel which naturally come here
across the lake into Vernon; and East to Boston.
Portland sud other places. know t is sSid by
Vermont paper that the object Of The proposed
bridge is to give to the commerce Of the Northern
counties Of the State an outlet by that route and
50 benefit this locslity as well as the Northern
counties. Il is very clever in Vermont thus 10
invite the people Of this state into her paror,
but il she gets them there they will lnd that TO
get cut they viii have to 90 through a door and
over a route that viii lead them TO Boston or
some other place East They will find few iac-
lities for getting south. Our true interest and
the interest Of the people Of our Northern coun-
ties Is to oppose an propositions in whatever
form 10 bridge the lake, and abide the coustruc-
tion Of the whitehall and Plattsburgh road.
NR BURDETr's REMARKS.
Mr. Duriett said About thirty years ago
certain number Gf New England railroad men
joined hands With as many more from st Law
renee and Franklin counties OF our own state,
and came into our Legislature in = very humble
way, proposing to build a sort OF railroad hr ge
al Roase's Point. The plan was 10 build piles
out from 10th shores and erect a track On the
top Of those piles, leaving an open channel Of
three hundred feet, over which they proposed to
build a floating bridge which was TO be swung
around when steamers and sail vessels were pass
ing This call the first slice Of the bridge
About FIVE years after this they obtained suthori-
ty 10 fill IN around these piles, and thus formed
dam across the north end of Lake Champlain,
having the effect to raise the water from & ve 10
six feet along its entire extent, destroying hun
drels Of thousands Of dollars worth of properly.
About ten years later these Vermont railroad
men joined hands with the members Of Congress
OF the State Of Massachusetts. and in the absence
Of our Congressman from this city introduced
and passed bill through Congress declaring the
route a post route and giving them the right to
place an ahutment in the centre Of the aforesaid
three hundred feet, which has literally ruined
navigation on Lake Champlain, our large tteam-
ers no longer passing north Of this bridge The
building Of this bridge and making the railroad
the effect to take from Us the entire commerce of
five of our richest counties in mineral and agri-
cultural products. The Whitehall and Platts-
burgh road is now either finished or in process
of construction as far as within thirty miles Of
Whitehall. The Vermont men see the effect, and
are s;rsining every nerve to tap the road. They
have Joined hands with a few Of those Essex and
Clinton county gentlemen, and are now about TO
take their first slice by building these ferry land
ngs. Their second will be the building of an
abutment in the centre their third, having it
declared post route.
Mr.. FoRsYTH's REMARKS
lion. james Forsyth was the next speaker.
He said the act Of 1869 gave power to the Platts-
burgh and Whitehall Railroad Company to build
a ferry and 20 ask fare Of FIVE cents per mile
upon the part of the road already built, with
the privilege of ferrying scross the lake until
the completion Of the road 1t is to be sppre-
hended that every pile driven for the purpose Of
a railroad ferry is going to grow up into per
uanent structure. We have been in the hsbit Of
looking up north for business connections and
trade, keeping the Chsmplsin Canal in order,
and our revenues open with that section, which
we have regarded as our peculiar field. Since
the construction of the Rouses Point bridge We
have had to fight New England for this trade,
but the grown oI the country mas peeh sucn thst
we have gained rather than lost. Now It is pro-
posed to interpose obstacle to the free navigs-
tion of Lake Champlsin. This ferry means a
bridge-that is what it is coming to, unless we
resist it. an in favor of opposing this sggres-
sion. We should procure the repeal of the
statute which gives the Whitehall and Platts-
burgh 2ailroad Company the right to operate
the ferry Another thing-somebody must build
q railroad to fetch that northern trade into this
valley. Ali that is needed is the link OF the
Whitehall and Plattsburgh railroad Perhaps
the people up there only threaten US with this
ferry, and are willing to forego an eastern con-
pection to get their road completed and posi-
BIZ the road being built from Whitehall to II
conderogs, Ee shall never hear Of the bridge
again. Somebody must build that road; It
won't do to let the northern trade get into YER