Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-06-07
communications.
THE WEST EIrER R.srAn0aD.


9th, 1867, having been introduced and its
passage secured by the Hon. II. II. Wheel
er, then representative from Jamaica. The
attention Of thinking men had lon. been
directed TO the great importance of a rail-
road to develop the business resources Of
the West river valley, nature having pro-
vded one Of the most cheap aud easy
grades in New England. The act Of incor-
noralion coniers "ihc right Of building and
operating railroad from some point near
the village Of Bratlleboro, along the valley
of the West river. through the towns Of
BrattIeborO Dummerston, Newlane, Town
shend and Jamaica, to some point near the
village of Jamaica" if commenced within
six years. The act to enable the towns on
the line to aid in building the road was
lost by small majority, and if carried
Then there was not a town on the line of
the road in which the requisite vote to aid
could have been obtained: but during the
year following the friends of the road in
Jamaica were very quietly, but faithfully
at work, and when in Nov. 1868, Judge
Wheeler, then in the Senate, secured the
passage of the enabling act, were ready for
the question and on the 18th Of December,
1865, lin less than six weeks after the APP
prevail Of the enabling ncD, Jamnicn, at
meeting warned and held for that purpose,
voted to subscribe $4,000 to the stock of
TIE West river railroad, being eight times
the grand list, the full amount authorized
by law, and this was carried by vote Of
over four to one. Provisions were made
for issuing town bonds to the amount of
said stocl. Commissioners were chosen to
carry out said vote, the required assent in
writing of majority of the tax payers
was secured in time, aud the town sub
scrlption made as soon as the corporation
was ready to organize. When in Novem-
her, 1869, the charter of the Baltenliill and
Pawlet river railroad. the Manchester and
Jamaica railroad, and the extension Of the
West river railroad from Brattleboro to
| South Vernon opened a through route from
the south line of the State in Vernon to the
west line in Pdwlct. to connect with the
| road TO be built from Whitehall through
| Granville, and with it The hope that
/ the West river railroad, when built, might
be part Of great through freight route
| from the ocean to the lakes, then other
roads began TO look after the West river
railroad, and we were assured that as soon
as we could raise S30O, 600 stock the build
ing Of the West river railroad would be as
snfed. To do this it was said that Jamaica,
/ TOwnshcnd and Newlluc should raise 500
600 each by private subscriptions in addt-
ton to the town aid of ight time, the
grand list and although the subscription
for Jamaica came to Us generously headed
by 5. NJ. Waite, Esq, Of Brdltlebor0, with
$1,000 and \. p. Graham, Esq, Of Graham
Vile, on the line of the Manchester and
Jamaica railroad with $1,000, vet the oppos-
ors of the road were confident. and many
of its friends were afraid that il was OF no
use to try to fill up the subscription to $40
| 600, saying that the town aid was all jana
lea could do. But some few friends of the
road believed in the virtues of patience and
perseverance, and three weeks Of earnest
active work and The subscription was up
to the mark aud when the stockholders
were first called on to organize the c)rpor-
alton, Jamaica was ready to fall in on the
right of tho line with her town subscrip-
| ton of s37 800 and S20, 900 of private sub
scriptions. If every town on the line had
been as ready to come to time. would not
the West river railroad have been now rum
ming trains 10 Jamaica? This was over
two years ago. What have the other towns
on the line been doing? Newfane has done
nearly As well, having made her town sub
scrption at the same time with Jamaica,
and in the face of greater opposition, hav-
! i'm I
go to mill with the grst in one end of the
b1g and Il stone in the other, and every
town has more or less of them--yet we I'M
derstand that they have nov their share of
private subscription nearv or quite filed.
Brookline, border town, has this spring
voted to aid four times her list. Aside
from these we believe the present stock OF
the West river railroad is all private sub
scriptions. Dummerslon tried the que =
ton of town aid once and failed, and quiz
ely sat down contented with the graded
road. In Townshend the railroad fever
has been rather of an Intermittent charac-
ter. Every spring they partially thaw out
and vote aid, get the tax payers assent
partly signed, and then sit down again, tt
see If the read will not build itself as f;tl
as Newlane at least We hope ON this la~
trial they will put in "a little more grape, >
secure the town aid, and ill up their shar,
of private subscriptions. If Brattleboro f.
fully satisfied with being way station ot
the V. c. Il H., then let them withhold
town aid and trust to the private enterpris,
Of few of their own public spirited cit
zens, aided by other towns, for any i'm
| provement in their railroad facilities. II
on the other hand, they are able to see tn,
advantage TO themselves in doubling lhail
railroad business and cheapening lheil
freight by the competition of different
lines of road, then let them give town aid
to the West river railroad the same rs 9TH
er towns on theline. Does Windham want
the brook road to Jamaica, let her aid In
| building the West river railroad and thus
secure road to the depot. 1t is now four
years and seven months since the date of
the charter. But ono year and seven
months remain in which to commence the
road. 1t is now two years since Jamaica
came up TO all she was asked to do TO in
sure the building of the road, and we he
gin 10 want TO know what he other towns
on the line that have not vet nut them
selves on the record really will do to in
sure the road. The stock books of the
Manchester and Jamaica, aud Battenkul
and Pawlet river railroads are now open
headed by $. NJ. Waite, Esq, pres ident OF
the West river railroad, with $1,000 each
The town Of Winhall has voted a tax OF 80
per cent on their list for The survey of the
Manchester q Jamaica road. aud they very