Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-02
The European and North American
Railway.

Several of our citizens since the
Bln2or celebration of last week, in which
President Grant participated, have asked
u in reference to the European and
North American Railroad, desiring in
formation relative to it. We give the
history Of it and its proposed route as il
Is understood by US. In order to do SO
iu'elligently, it is necessary to give some
description of the country through which
tho road passes, and what is proposed to
BE- accomplished by its construction.
The province of New Brunswick was
originally part of Nova Scotia, from
Which it WAS separated after the Ameri-
can revolution. It Is larger than Now
Scotia in area, and l. but little smaller
than the State of Maiue. 1t had in 1861
a population of $4,000 and has now
probably population of 100000, or about
half as many az Maine. A large portion
of it, territory is unsettled. Ia other
part, Indians and the descendants of the
old French AroadiAns are the chief in
habitants. The great mass of the people
however, are of English, Scotch, and
Irish blood, with less mixture of the New
England clement than in Nova Scotia.
Farming aud numbering, with fisheries
along it7 extensive ocean shores, are the
main occupations of the people. As yet
it has no free school system, although the
laws Of the New Dominion, by which
they are governed establishes one, and l.
SION to be put in operation, but it will
maet with n spirited Catholic opposition
The prevailing churches are Episcopal
and Catholic. The commerce of the
province is large and fast increasing.
The present route from St. johns to
H,if4x, il across the Bay of Fundy to
D.gby by steamer in five hours, thence to
Annapolis and thence ty railroad through
the Arcldan regions distance of 1870
miles to Halifax-the whole distance by
sea aud land being 100 miles, and the
time occupied il thirteen hours. BY the
Europaan aud North American route,
when completed, the distance, all the way
by land will be 273 milas-namely, from
st. Johns 20 Paiusec Junction, 90 miles
from Painsec to Amherst, the border
town OF Nova Scotia Al miles; from Am
h4rst to Truro (now building) rs mile-,
and from Truro to Halifax 61 miles. The
trio when the road il open between
Tcuro and Amherst will be about -
hours, or a little less than by the way OF
Annapolis. The unfinished link 10 the
line from Amherst to Truro is fast build
ing and may be opened next summer. It
i wholly government work.
The gre,t Bangor celebration, was in
honor of the United States section of the
European and North American railway
from Bangor, Maine, to the New Bruus-
wick frontier. From the frontier
they have a road in operation to St.
Johns, n B., and thence to Shediac Bay,
on the Northum berland Strait of the
Gulf of ST Lawrence, the Strait which
separates Prince Edwards leland from
tbe main land From Shediac Bay the
road passing down both heads of the
Bay of Fuudy, takes southerly direc-
ton to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and as be-
fore stated, only small portion of the
road remains to be completed. When
completed there will be continuous line
Of railway from New York city to Hall
fax, of nine hundred and forty-four
miles, which will shorten the transit time
between New York and Liverpool, tive
business days or thirty-six hours. This
route will eventually absorb very large
proportion of the passenger traffic of the
Atlantic steamers in both directions, and
will make Halifax an important half
1ay station to travellers from all parts of
The United States bound TO Europe, and
u travellers from Europe bound this way,
or southwark even to New Orleans, or
westward even to San Francisco. This
road will make Halifax a prosperous city,
and will contribute immensely to the de-
veloTment of New Brunswick, Prince
Edwards Island and Nova Scotia, fields, |
forests, mines and fsheries,-in bringing
their products so much nearer to the mar
a-ts of the Ulited States-coal, Goldfish, |
mackerel and potatoes. But the most
important feature of the road will be the |
shortening of the time between New
York and Liverpool two or three dayg.
The European and North American is
not without it's features of prospective re.
iaNons to Vermont. A connection il to |
be made ~ railroad from Sherbrooke, in
Canada, the terminus of the Passnmrsic
Railroad to Bangor, Maine, the commence
meut Of this great line. The whole dis
fance from Sherbrooke to Bangor, by this
proposed route, would be little more
than 200 miles, and Lot more than 225 .
miles TO junction witL the European /
and North American line at Lincoln,
Maine, 30 miles from Bangor This
would put Vermont in direct commuui-
cation by roll with Halifax, and by the
Passumpsic make smother freight ard |
passenger line direct from Halifax to
New York city, which would be of i'm
portance to Vermont, and especially to
forwarders of freight between New York
and Europe. We have not, however, in
vestigated the difference of distance by
way of Boston and Portland, or via Sher-
brooke.
The European aud North American
Railway from Bangor to Halifax was
loreshadowed and inaue euratsd by the
iamented Hon. John A. Poor of Portland,
and 1t was with view of carrying out
the project of trsns-continental line