Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-06-05
Excursion on an Unfinished Railroad

On Thursday of last week there was a
gathering at the . summit on the line of
the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad
which particular locality is in the town Of
Groton, about nineteen miles from the first
named place. Some twenty-five citizens Of
Montpelier were Joined and met by nearly as
many more from other localities along the
| line, at the station christened for construc-
| ton convenience as Z" Kettle-pond hotel"
The special object of this iupromDtu appro-
priation of a day along the line, was to enjoy
a ride, which can always be done, after teams
hitched up by II. 5 Boutwell,, and to view
the present situation Of a railroad enterprise
which has so quietly, and we can also say,
50 rapidly been prosecuted by those who
have had it in charge. The party found
most excellent road-bed, nearly completed,
the entire length, and with only few unin-
pOrtant breaks, looking as though it would
soon be ready for the ties, which are piled
up at various points along the line, and for
the iron, which has been piling up too, in
price, for the past few months 1t was
matter of general surprise to those that had
never passed over the road before to find so
| large per cent. Of it Of that description
geometrically defined as " the shortest dis
lance between two points" and men expert
enced in the ways of railroads in Vermont
stated that no other road in the State had as
much straight line in the same distance.
The grades do not appear anywhere difficult,
and the engineers figures prove them not to
be, and the shortest curves, and only two at
that are on radius Of $50 feet. The soil
Of which the road-bed is composed is won
derfulIy free from clay, which gives to the
bed substantial and stay-in-place appear
ance which would seem for most Of the dis
lance to obviate the necessity of - borrow
ing for ballaStng. The mason-work is the
result of the very best material in the hands
of skilled and faithful wOrkmen, and it is
evident, even to the most critical eye, that
Mr.. MunsOn, the contractor, has not entrust-
ed any of his work to men not qualified for the
service required Of them. Mr.. Cass. who
has charge Of the masonry, is building mon.
uments that Will not require inscriptions to
recall his name hundred of years hence,
unless something more trying than " ordi-
nary wear and tear seizes hold of his abut-
ments. The company has also been most
fortunate in their engineer, Mr.. C. r. Walker,
and their foreman, Mr.. Mallory; for the
good lines and easy grades of Mr.. Munsons
engineer, Mr.. Cleayeland, might have been
ruined by a carelessness or inefficiency that
fails to &" hew to the line" We could not
see, and we believe we speak the sentiments
of the entire party, some of whom have
growled Justify about d" bonds" no doubt.
why every cent expended thus far has not
made an impression in the direction of com
pleting the road, and if unasked-for advice
is in order, we would here say that now is
just the time that every other cent pledged
for the construction of the road should be
forthcoming, for the day of its completion
draws nigh, and good faith requires that
those who have pursued this enterprise with
such energy and success, shall not be shorn
of any of their strength by dereliction of
duty on the part of those equally interested
and obligated with themselves
But our present intention is not to give
business details of the Montpelier and
Wells River Railroad. These were fully
discussed in two of our local papers last
week.
An ample dinner was provided for forty
two able bodied men at the Kettle pond
hotel, and if this is the point alluded to in
three-column article in the North Star
of last week as the place where a winters
stock of provisions had to be carried last
fall for the workmen who must wait for
the gentle spring zephyrs to break the ice
kings iron grip" we can only say that Mr..
David Cass is a good provider to have such
stock on hand so late in the season, and we
sincerely hope, with a depravity common to
all hungry, delayed travellers or excursionists.
that fit should ever be our fortune to attempt
the Passumpsic and Ogdensburg Railroad
during one of its three weeks snow block
AIDES, We shall find it as well provisioned as
we did the g snow imprisoned hosiery of
THE Montpelier and Wells River Railroad.