Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-13
From the Chicago Railway Rsview.l
John Gregory smith and Vermont
Railways.

H01lW0yss
Our remarks upon vermont Railway
Consolidation" in the Reuieao OF the 18th
inst, rather naturally suggests the query,
how Vermont-considering her size, sit.
uation, population and wealth-a small,
isolated and agricultural State, of but
little commercial Importance. and export.
ing but few surplus staples,-has acquired
and yields so much power in the railway
homogeneous of New Englsnd,
Her position, lying in one of the great
pathways of commerce between the North.
west and the Atlantic, has had much to
do in endowing her with this power. But
as much, or more, is due to another happy
fact. The projectors, the fathers and
sponsors OF Vermont railway enterprises,
from their very inception, and their sue
cessors in management to this hour, have
always been men of great abilities and
unquestioned integrity and honor. To
such men, for example, as Charles Paine,
John Smith, and Lawrence Brainerd,
founders of the Vermont Central, and
Timothy Toilet, the brothers John and
Harry Bradley of the Rutland and Bur-
lington R. R,'s-all now deceased-Ver-
mont owes her railway 8, and to them much
of her prosperity.
They assumed the labors of procuring
the charters. subscriptions to stock, and
took heavy responsibilities many times {;
and their successes were owing to their
characters. "There were giants in those
daysl' Nothing less than the high char
acters of those men could have prevailed
over the deep. seated prejudices of the old
fogies in the Legislature of Vermont, in
the struggle to procure charters, which
were strenuously resisted.
All the mantles of these railway elders
have well fallen upon their successors,
now managing these great corporations.
The virtual consolidation of these two
railroads-the principal ones in the State
has brought them mainly under the
general management and control of Hon.
John Gregory Smith, Ex-Governor of
the State, and President of the Vermont
Central R. r and also of the Northern
Pacific Railway.
No man could have had better school
ing for his laborious anil responsible po-
sition. Bred lawyer, and for several
years partner with his honered father
in large and successful law practice,
they both abandoned that profession to
assume the weightier cares and labors of
railway management. In this they be-
came associated, among others, with Hon.
Charles Paine, ex-Gov., ETC., and Hon. L.
Brainerd, whose brilliant and accomplish
ed eldest daughter became the wife of
Mr.. J. G. Smith. Mr.. Smith (senior) lived
long enough to see all his railroad pro-
iects succeed, to leave his son we'll versed
in all the details and duties of their man
agement, and the Vermont Central be-
come thoroughly systemized and popu-
lar road. He died in the fall of 1868, to
the poignant regret of the people Of Yer
mont, among whom he had so long held
commanding position as man both of
honor and ability, welding an influence
in the welfare of his State which is felt to
this day.
We alluded above to the struggle had
in the Legislature TO procure the charter
of the road. Few who were not eye-wit- |
nesses can appreciate the difficulties and
delicacy of the situation. A charter was
granted in IS47, we believe-stating from
recollection. At that time there were no
roads chartered nor running in the State. !
There was strong feeling against such
Gigantic monopolies," such mammoth
corporations" etc, which it was predict
ed, would Override all other interests"
respect no privste rights, and corrupt
And again, the projectors
of the rival line (the Rutland & Burling-
tom were not only demanding their char
ter, but were using all means in their
e., all means known to or per-
miss able in Vermont-to defeat their
Then, too, the Vermont
haifauad could no
operated successfully without bridge
across Lake Champlain at Rouses Point,
fraught with ruin to navigation, and with |
sundry disastrous consequences, such as
raising the water and flooding the ceun-
try, by making ice dams, and in all sorts
of WAYS till then uuheard of in any phil |
osopby extant. And in addition to this
strenuous resistance, came difficulties in
procuring money and securing its Judi
cious outlay. bodybuilding was but little
understood; appliances and machinery
were rude and inefficient; the country
traversed was mountainous, and it seemed
to many to be impracticable to build 8
road or maintain it profitably when built.
1t was against such manifold Difficult
ties that the Messrs. Smith soon found
themselves contending, and that, too, as
master spirits. They were often, in the
infancy of the railroad, compelled to give
pledges which many men, less sagaoious,
pronounced over-hazardous from which
many less bold, less conscious of their
own abilities, shrunk back, and dare not
follow. And these pledges to the people
of Vermont have been honorably re-
deemed. To no other living man do
those people owe more gratitude and hon.
or than to John Gregory Smith.
While corgratulatlng him on bis last
and GROWING success, the control of tie
Rutland & Burlington r. R., we are safe
in the prediction that if his life is spared
it will not be bis last triumph. Those ac-
auainted with the relative situation of
the two corporations, have long felt that
they ought to be under one management.
The objections which might be urged
against fostering great consolidated
monopoiies, and perhaps properly enough
sometimes, do not obtain In this case, for
the people have had experience enough OF
Mr.. Smiths management, to feel assured,
that as long as he has the control, their
interests will never suffer nor their pre-
negatives and privileges be encroached
upon.
PRESIDENT GRANTS FATHER.-Ihe
aged father of the President, who was de-