Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-03-11
MONTPELIER AND BLACK
RIVER RAILROAD.
Respectfully,
2. A. SHOVEL.

Mass Meeting at Atbony--Add,ess Of
Welcome By c. Don, Esq, Of IL
bany-Remarks By Mr.. Walton Of
Montpelier
Mr.. President and Gentlemen 1t is
with feelings of surprise and profound
pleasure that | have the honor of ad-
dressing you at this time, and on such
an occasion. 1t would seem more fitting
that some one better qualified had been
chosen to give you Welcome at such
time, and under such circumstances
as these. 1t is pleasant, and even prof
liable, to associate ourselves together on
any public occasion, to renew old and
form new acquaintance but the more
so when we consider the great and noble
| object which has called together the in
telligence and enterprise of Northern
Vermont. The cause which has brought
us here is, and must be made, common
one, and yet emphatically special one
a0iM us-that of inaugurating a Rail-
road from Northern Vermont to the Cap
ital of our Green Mountain State, and
thus forming link, when constructed,
that shall bind us together in one COM
mon interest, securing the perpetuation
and prosperity of that Capital, and open
ing bright future to our fruitful val
ley, so long isolated and almost unknown.
And it is due to you, gentlemen, that we
accord you hearty welcome, which | do
with a full heart in behalf of the citi-
zens of Albany, whom l represent in
this manner. And now, gentlemen of
Montpelier, Newport, and from the in
termediate towns along the line, let us
be bound together by silver, yes a
golden cord, too precious and too strong
to be broken, till the great and worthy
object for which we are gathered togeth-
er shall have been finally consummated,
and its benefits fully realized. Again
let me give you final welcome, sincere
ly hoping that the renewed acquaintance
of many of us, and the new acquaintance
formed here to-day on this occasion, may
and will be extended from sires to sons,
and perpetuated so long as the names of
the representative men here to-day shall
be remembered by posterity.
Hon. E. P. Walton, of Montpelier,
having been called for, spoke of the vast
benefits of railroads to the towns through
which they pass, making special allusion
to the Vermont Central, of which he was
a pioneer. We give the following syn
opsis of his remarks:
Mr. Walton, in opening the discus
sion, said he regarded the meeting as
one for practical purpose; it meant
business, rather than amusement in
speech making; and therefore in the lit
tie he had to say, he should treat the
subject before the meeting in practical
way. The question preliminary to every
thing else was, whether the people, and
mainly the landholders, on the proposed
line from Montpelier to Newport or Troy
really wish to have railroad, and will
give to it their good will and their prop.
erty. The projectors of the first rail
road in the State received comparatively
little aid from the farmers, and not lit
tie opposition from some, because they
believed the railways would ruin theil
market for horses and oats, and from
others because they thought their mead
ows would be cut up by the tracks ant
the best part of their farms ruined
These opponents of the enterprise tool
no stock, and even many who did sough
to get it back in exorbitant land DANA
ges. If such are the views of the far
mers along the proposed route, this meet
ing had better adjourn at once and vast
no time in debate that will be useless
4 There are no powerful corporation a
either end of the proposed line to Civ
any large measure of support not eve
the Central road at Montpelier, to whic
the proposed line would be large con
), tributor. That road doubtless woul
o give its good will, but it cannot Civ
!. very largely in money. The propose
road must be built therefore, if it is t
= be built at all, mainly by the people o
L the line, and the great question is, ca
they and will they do it? Will the
J. give the land, timber, and stone require
o. for the road !? Or will they sell a fai
= appraisal, taking into the account bot
i the damage and the advantage to the
e property from the road +? And will the
% contribute large share of their propert
@ to build the road and enhance the Walt
] of the remainder?
: Were these questions addressed to an
II one man in the audience he would pro-
ably answer-Yes, if | can be statistic
n that it will pay. Then, said Mr.. "
he would demonstrate that it will pa
:, and that was the point to which
would mainly confne himself. He wou-
at say nothing of profit to be derived by tt
ID business of the road-on that othe
pt might speak; but counting every doll
expended in construction as irrecover
bly, sunk, he was prepared to show tn
n the amount, and much more, would
n made up to the people on the line,
n the enhanced value of their property
+ This was demonstrated by the Centr
u road. The property of the ten tow
Ill through which that road runs, fro
5e, Hartford to Montpelier, including the
ay towns, was by the grand list in l84
90 $4,699, 1876. These towns invested abo
- one million in the road, leaving as t
Nv sum of their property S3,699,l96.
IS 1865, when the road had been in full G
ay Grafton about thirteen years, the gral