The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-07-17

feEifa - TIC ANaiTs 81 TIE vermont
Central Railroad II Is 10 bo hoped
hat thls goscral scrutiny has Al least
fesaltod 10 giving tie people Of the
state some idea q the RA,oro add i'm
PortAace u that system Of lines which
has grown up Ia connection with the
Vermont Central road
Daring the years that the Vermont
Central managers were struggling 70
place their road IN prosperous aud Sc
cufcly established through lines. very
few Il oar citizens appreciated the i'm
portauce u those efforts 10 the material
prosperity Of the state. IL may be
doubted II many Of them. even now,
consider how largely their busiscss in-
tcfcsts arc dependent upon the preser.
walton q those lines, and how great
danger threatened them when the
managers were on the eve Of being
compelled BY financial difficulties to
throw the system they had constructed
with such labor into the hands Of those
whose interests would have been best
sabsefyed by destroying il
Our people cannot expect frst-class
railroad accommodations unless they
have well established connections with
roads beyond the limits Of the state
There Is not a road 10 Vermont which
can pay its running expenses
from its local business only. There is
not one which can be made prosper.
Gus aud successful line without receiy-
ing a share Of the business which pass
es between other and remote sections
Of the country. Vermont is a small and
mountainous state. She has no large
cities or towns. The most fertile sec.
tions Of her territory are but thinly set.
tied Large portions Of her area furn'
ish only the least profitable kinds
of railroad business The inhabitants
Of such a state can have good railroad
facilities only when their lines are sup
ported in part by through freight and
travel
II was no easy thing for Vermont to
secure share Of this business, and it
would not be very difficult thing for
her to lose il The old established lines
Of transportation between the produc-
ing and consuming sections Of the
country run outside Of her limits Her
territory does not lie at the gate
Of any Of the great cities of the
country, whose traffic must nee.
essarily cross her borders and
pay her tribute. Her only policy
is 10 reach out for, and draw into the
state, business which is bound for a
destination beyond her limits. This
business, which is merely passing thro
the state, although it may be obtained
at low rates, pays a good part of the
running expenses Of the road, and en-.
ables its owners to give those who live
slong their line better facilities and a
lower tariff than they otherwise could
II this business is ever lost to our rail
roads an additional burden will be
thrown upon the business interests OF
the state.
The three great lines Of rail trans
portation between the east and tn,
west have been those by way of tht
New York Central, the Erie, and the
Pennsylvania Central roads. Western
freight is carried over these lines at a
uniform rate, and as far as that business
is concerned they are blended in on,
iaterest and make common caus,
against rival lines, In opposition t,
these lines the Vermont Central man
ayers have laboted to establish anothe
and entirely independent freight lin
between New England and the west
hs line not only takes from th,
others a portion Of the business. bu
cxerts a controlling influence IN fixing
the rates OF transportation. II the line
without the state could break the Yer
mont Central line, they would not onl,
secure the whole New England bust
ness, but could take il at their OWE
rates.
At the time the Vermont Contra
managers were ovcrborne by inancia
difficulties, they bad obtained sucI
le.aos aud made such arrangements a
secured them both north and south an.
east and west through lines. 1t the
became a question whether this syster
was g be suffered 70 fall to pieces, aa
Ncmont lose all the advantage ofbein
a thoroughfarc Tor the traffic Of othe
states Parties from without stoo.
ready to take aud divide the estate a
Soon az the Vermont Central manager
were compelled 70 loose their hold
Those interested in other ihroug
freight lines between New England an,
tho wcst could well afford 10 hold ih
Vermont Central proper merely for IL
pafposo q breaking a rival line Th
Delaware A Hudson Canal CompAD
with it, branch into RutlAnd. aud i
ready looking IL the completion 81 /: