St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-07-25


reduce the freight on wheat and corn
MIR. Horace Fairbanks is the president
OF the Vermont division of this railroad,
which runs from Lunenburg on the
Connecticut to SwantOn on Lake Cham
distance-that is, from West Concord,
eight miles east of st. Johnsbury, to
Hyde Park, 50 miles west. The eco
nOmical and successful building of this
road is due very much to Mr.. Fair
banks, although the idea of it originated
i'll Portland, where they lay the eggs of
new railroads by the dozen, and leave
other communities to hatch them into
completion. SO far as the Vermont
half of the Portland and Ogdensburg
line is concerned, Mr.. Horace Fair
banks is its founder, rs he is of the st.
JOhnsbury atheneum. His uncle Thad-
deus, the inventive genius of the family.
was the first founder of the great manu-
facture that has built up the town, and
the second founder of the st. Johnsbury
academy, which he has endowed to the
extent of at least 100000. His new
school building for this academy will
he 80 far completed at the end of Au-
gust that the school will occupy some
part of it,-a fine, large hall of brick
and stone, costing, perhaps, S60,OO0.
Erastus Fairbanks, the governor, now
dead, was the practical member of the
old firm, without whom the genius of
his brother Thaddeus would not have
produced such great results so that he
must divide the honor of founding the
industry. 1t has grown up from small
beginnings in a wheelwright's shop
more than forty years ago, to its mag
nitude, without losing or in any way
diminishing the family reputation for
stanch and faithful work. The third
brother was Il clergyman, the literary
and educational turn taken 10y this fam
| lily of founders. from whose brain and
heat and hand have come schools.
churches, libraries, village conve-
niencies, college endowments and other
means of civilization as well as work
shops. railroads and banks. And what
adds to the charm of all this is the ab-
sence of Ostentation and in-glory in
what the Fairbankses do. and their total
abstinence from all attempts to control
legislatures and courts. or to win poiti-
cal power for themselves. As for the
gifts and public works bestowed by the
family, nobody can tell exactly what
they amount to, for each donor keeps
the extent of his muniticence to himself,
instead of advertising himself thereby,
as many rich men do. Probably Mr..
Thaddeus Fairbanks has expended more
than SlOO,OOO on his pet, the st.
JOhnsbury academy. but the exact sum
that he has given and means to give,
is unknown. SO, too, with the St.
Johnsbury atheneum, which Mr.. Horace
Fairbanks has built and provides for.
1t may have cost him more than Sl0O,-
600. and can scarcely have been put
into its present condition, equipped
with books and works of art, for less
than that,-but he keeps his own coun-
sci and does not let his left hand know
what his right hand doeth. The libra
rian of the atheneum, Rev. w. w.
! Thayer. has not vet completed his cata-
| lOCue of books, but the number is about
5000. all bought within the past five
years. and all well bound and arranged
on the shelves without being covered.
thus showing their haI dsOmc bindings.
| The students i'll the academy have
access To this fine library, not only for
| taking out books. but for the use of its
2OOO volumes of works of reference.
| illustrated books, etc. which are not
allowed to leave the building. This
must be of great service to the school.
in which both sexes are taught. and
where Latin, Greek. French and Ger
man may he studied as well as the
English branches and IL scientific course !;
there is also normal class for those
/ intending to he teachers.
g D,,tlnnI Il
| OgdemShurg road. next year. will make
st. JohnsMIry a railroad junction of
much importance. The Passumpsic
road crosses it here. and the two will
build a large ''union depot Il little
south of the present station. Over the
! Passumpsic road the new line will con-
meet with the Grand Trunk road at
Sherbrookc, and, 10y way of a road just
opening into Canada. northwest from
Newport, with the region near Montreal
and st. Johns. the proposed eastern
terminus of the Caughnawaga ship
canal. Its nearest connection with these
points, however. will he eventually by
Sir Hugh Allan's new road. the "Mon-
treal division of the Portland and Og-
densburg. while it will have another
connection with the Grand Trunk at
Northumberland, \. H., by way OF
Whteticld and the Boston. Concord
and Montreal road, which will also give
St. ,Johnsbury another route to Boston
The extension of the new road to the
Connecticut river, 20 miles from st
JOhnsbury, will he opened this fall
lit is now open to West Concord, eight
miles.) and if the river can he bridgcd
the few miles between Dalton and
Whitetield may also he opened befor,
winter. 1t is an object with the st
Johnsbury merchants and manufacture
ers to make this junction with the Bos.
ton, Concord and Montreal road as soor
as possible, in order not to he restricted
to a single line for their communication
with Boston. When the Portland and
Ogdensburg road is built across New
Hampshire they will have still shorter
Boston connection over the Great Falls
and Conway branch of the Easter
road, which will bring st. Johnsburl
nearer to Portsmouth than to Portland
The Eastern road is well aware of tn,
importance of this short line to northern
Vermont and Montreal, and is disposed
to make favorable terms with the Port
land and Ogdensburg road. In few
weeks, when the Montpelier and Well,
River road, about 40 miles long, shal
have been opened, st. .Johnsbury will
have much shOI ter route to the state
capital than now, when all travel goes
round by White River Junction. TIL,
stimulus given to this town by the new
railroad and its valuable connection,
will be likely to increase the variety al
well as the amount of manufacturing
now done here, and will make st
: Johnsbury, what st. Albans now is, ;