Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-22
uSatnhman s. Journal.
The Notch Route...Oncc More.

The Portland correspondent Of the Boston
Advertiser Of the 18th inst says, that in con.
sequence Of "tie defeat Of the scheme for a
commission 10 eramiae into and report upon
the feasibility Of The route Of The Portland
g. OgdeasJtvg raii,oay the scheme falls
through, for The present, at least. The ma
jority Of The Board Of Aldermen are opposed
10 any municipal assistance 10 railroads. At
this junctiire, The friends Of the road oH
hardly choose 10 ieare The future Of the enter
prise 10 popular pote. NoU some method
Of construction by pirate enterprise, or
some neio and successful expediem for gain
ing The popular .faror, 'cW be deriscd." This
corresponds with private adyices received
here from Portland, aud is fully confirmed by
the action of the Mayor and Board Of Alder
men on the 18th inst, in finally rejecting the
resolution Of the committee Of conference for
commissioners to examine tho Portland aud
Oglensburgh route. The road to Conway
has already cost nearly two millions Of dol.
lars, and the people Of Portland are uu.
willing to put any more money into the same
security, or to take second mortgage bonds
when the first are selling at very large
discount from par. There is very little
probability that any further aid will be given
by Portland to this route We have steadily
presented to the Portland people a perfectly
feasible route, by which they can obtain all
the advantages, possible to be secured by
them under any circumstances Of the carry
ing trade Of the West. A few years ago
Governor Washburn with others came to
Montpelier in the interest Of Portland to Sc
cure our cooperation in building road from
Montpelier to Portland connecting with
the Vermont Central at Montpelier He
spoke to our citizens on this subject in the
State House, and urged the reasons why we
should join hands with Portland in building
this road At his request committee Of our
! citizens visited Portland and came away pre-
struction of the Wells River road. The
larger part Of our people became earnestly IN
favor Of the Wells River road, aud were
0 ready at any time to engage in their part of
!. the work. They voted to bond the town in
d aid of its construction. But soon after, the
Directors of the Portland & Ogdcnsburg
road changed their plan of operations, and
turned to the Notch route, by way of St
Johnsbury, to Montpelier. This route in.
creased the distance, the grades, the cost Of
construction, and our people were not in favor
of it, Ultimately they proposed to aid the
road from Montpelier to st. Johnsbury, but
q the Directors of that route then refused tc
= accept her money, or to have anything to dc
with Montpelier, Then Montpelier took "
with the original project, and in accordance
: with the ideas of Governor Washburn and
. the Portland people, and her own conviction,
in respect to the best route, furnished q
y quarter of million to the Wells River read
That road is now nearly completed, and will
be in running order in the coming fall
Montpelier has never doubted, from the be.
ginning, the superior excellence of this lower
road for Portland or for herself She was
forced to favor the Notch route because the
Portland & Ogdensburg Directors changed
their plans and wanted to 90 further North
to be out Of the reach of Boston attractions.
Aud when she came to the conclusion to go to
st. Johnsbury, il was not because she deemed
that the best route, or believed that prac-
ticabe aud successful road could be built
through the Notch but because she would
not persist absolutely and finally to thwart
the wishes Of others. Even then she believed
that the Wells River road would certainly be
built, and the connection made between Port
land and Montpelier, according to the original
suggestions made at Montpelier by the Port
land gentlemen,
The surrender practically, of the Notch
route, by the people of Portland now, is
therefore not matter Of so much surprise to
us as was its inception. 1t was a chimerical
idea in the first place, and every step taken
to realize it has only the more completely
demonstrated its futility. 1t does not get
north of Boston attraction IL strikes tho
Central as rival, when it might have met it
as friend. 1t would not DO practicable for
. through business, even if it was built, and all
money spent in it would be wasted. Portland
is wise to give it up.
Now, what shall Portland do Portland
, once sent her leading men to Montpelier, and
' told US what to do. We have done it. And
: now we advise Portland to do what she coun.
selled us in the frat place. She has got her
= road to Cornish. Push it out through Cen
/ trail New Hampshire to Meredith. The route
. is feasible, easy, short. We have been over
e it twice. With foriy-threc miles more built,
Portland can secure the advantages which
Governor Washburn so eloqucntly portrayed
in the State House to our citizens few years
r ago. Let her do this at once, and in one year
/ Hugh Allan can spend his spare capital, not
: to build railroads from Swanton to 0gdeus.
: burgh aud Montreal, but in multiplying the
steamers Of his line to carry freight from
! Portland to Liverpool. Aud more the cap
ital already invested by Portland will be
saved, for with direct and friendly connec.
ton with the Vermont Central line to the
Northern Pacific road in the West, it is GER
tain that the Portland 4 Ogdensburg road
will be profitable to its owners.
There are those who are trying to create a
prejudice in Portland against the Vermont
Central and its chief manager, as reason
why the Notch route should be prosecuted
and rival lines built to the Central We
are not authorized TO speak for them, but we
can assure them that the Vermont Central
and its chief manager are not legitimate OBJ
jects Of the jealousy of those who feel it. Gov
Smith does not do small things and ia not n