Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-15
Our Railroad.

'h'"' iAol' ioop'i A'Nl w w H'"'N" Wv
proposition with which the most OF our
readers are familiar to witt That the
Woodstock II. r. Co. issue bonds for
S225,O00, (cost Of finishing the road,
and secure them by first (and only)
mortgage; Of which the Vt. Central,
Northern n. III. and roads below will
take $50, 600, for money to lie advanced
by them, the remaining $4,000, to be
taken by the people Of this valley; the
other roads to guarantee the completion
Of ours, and when completed to run it
for ten years and guarantee the pay
ment Of interest on our $4,000, OF
bonds at seven per cent. provided that
if the road is finished for less than
1920 200, our portion shall share the
reduction. After some business.lke
discussion, subscription papers for the
bonds were opened, and $4,000, was
subscribed on the spot, (which was asmuch
as the most sanguine expected from the
names subscribed. This was all in
sums Of $500, and upwards, but there
were many men in the Hall who will
subscribe smaller amounts, and in fact
4 very large part Of the remainder must
come in small pieces if it comes at all.
The subscription papers are so drawn
that nothing becomes due until the COM
pletion of the road is assured.
At the meeting Mr.. Otis Chamberlin
spoke in substance thus:
"This road will not be forced upon
you; you can have it or not as you
please; but to get it you must put your
shoulders to the wheel. But it seems
to me that many persons have Il wrong
impression as to what is wanted. We
don't ask you to gice lis anything; all
we ask is that you lend us a little money
so that we can finish this road
This states the whole case. Every
man must take hold whether he can
raise fifty dollars or five thousand every
dollar is needed. We will say in this
connection that people interested in the
road who live away from this village,
are holding back, and will hold back in
the matter until they see that the
"W oodstock folks are bestirring them
selves in earnest. 1t is also fact that
the investing Of money in the railroad
is so associated with the idea of LOSING
1t, as to cause many to hesitate about
subscribing for the bonds. A tolerably
short and conclusive answer to this
view, as suggested by Judge Porter, is,
that the managers Of the roads which
propose to take two-hirds of all the
bonds issued, having every advantage
for knowing about them. certainly
would not take them unless they were
Ill all human probability good.
1t is generally and justly considered
that the offer made by these roads is
liberal, and it is well known that
Mr. Merrill, who acted for our road
in the matter, had great difficulty in get
ting it, and that Gov. Smith ON the
part Of the Vermont Central. WAS in
duced to agree to it, in part at least, by
his pledges made years ago. Mr. Mcr-
rlll, who knows all the circumstances
better than any other man, said that if
this offer was not accepted, he thought
that few men ofhis years would see rail
roadm Woodstock, and we see no reason
for thinking differently. Hon. A.G. Dew
cy said at the meeting that in his opin-
ion it would be for the interest of
the people Of Quechee valley to
take this loan, if they had to
mortgage their houses to raise the mon
ey. That is doubtless true, and we be
lieve that in this village particularly.
man had better raise good round sum
in that way and hrOV it into the fire
if necessary, than to have 10 railroad.
We had a foretaSte of the effect of rail
roads on real estate when work on our
road was progress. If the road is not
finished we shall soon see the other side
of the picture There are many towns
i'll Vermont once furnishing which are
now deserted and lifeless killed by
distant railroads. Woodstock has held
out better than some, but its time has
come. County seat, manu-
features, and all business will surely
leave Us. Such factory as Mr.. Wood
wards even, can not exist in the long
run, ten miles from civilization. TO say
nothing of the rest of the valley, it is
literally true that the choice of this vii
lage is simply Railroad Or Death!
The Twin Mountain House.
This new and frst-Class Hotel. with en-