Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-15
Montnelier and Wells River Railroad
Report.
The following is the Report made 70 'n'
meeting of January I, $780, ny l0,'
Roderick Richardson, President OF the hoao


The following is the Report made to tie
meeting of January I. 1873, by h0n'
Roderick Richardson, President OF the hoau
To the Stockholders Of the Montpelier ana
Wells R,rer Railroad.
In the month of September l Pubiisheo q
card promising, at future tlme' 10 sHe
Won the reasons for the delay In the compIe-
ton of YOUR road. The present seems 20 o'
a proper time to give that information.
At the last annual meeting it was expect
ed that the road would be in running oroer
By or before the first of November. we were
warranted in this expectation by the report
of our Engineer and the assurance OF snose
in charge of the work. At that time, now
ever, the contractor had not purchased the
iron for the road. The price of iron at tne
time the contract was made and up to the
spring of 1872 was about $40 per ton
Early last spring the price advanced ten or
fifteen dollars per ton and afterwards still
more, making a difference in the value OF the
quantity required for the road of about $io,-
600 The contractor, instead OF increasing
his force last spring, reduced It,and to such an
extent that had fears that the help retained
would not be sufficient to complete the roac-
bed in season to receive the iron by Noyem-
Der embraced early opportunity 10
see Mr.. French, who had accompanied the
Engineer in making estimates, and was IN
formed by him that there was a sufficient
number of hands retained to complete the
work. And ie was not until June, when the
Directors met at Wells River, that became
aware that such was not the fact. L then
found that the heavy rock cuts near wells
River Village could not be made with the
force then employed before late IN the tall.
Some cuts Of considerable magnitude had no
force upon them, while others had not more
than half the lumber that could be employ
ed to advantage. | learned also from Mr.
Foster, who had examined the road further
west, that large increase of bel was neces-
sary. On my return 10 Boston L saw the
contractor and informed him OF what L h4d
seen and heard OF the progress OF the WORK,
and also told him that his foreman In charge
/ of the blasting agreed with pe IN the cpInlon
that more help was necessary. lie agreed
to investigate the matter, and increase the
| help il found insufficient. wrote MIR
| French to impress upon the contractor the
necessity of additional help without delay.
| On or about the 2Sth of j ne L delivered &c
the contractor $50 900 ID Bonds, with the
!
so that the road would be ready for the iron
within two months. About the let o
August the contractor informed me, Mr.
French being presently that the IRON coulc
not be put down within the time speclhed IL
the contract. Suggestions were at that time
made about putting down portion OF the
iron, but no proposition was entertained by
the contractor except upon conditions tina
III 10 2.
comply with.
I had never pressed the contractor 10 pur
chase the iron, for desired to give him al
possible time for decline in price, but a
every interview urged the completion OF TIT
road-bed in season TO lay the iron, hopin:
the price would fall OF 50 that he woulC
deem it for his interest to purchase it il
season to fulfil his contract. But my repeat
ed and earnest appeals for an increase 0
help were unheeded, or to say the least wer
not complied with From the facts abov
stated and others that might be aisen | an
satisfied that the contractor determined II
the spring not to Law the iron in the fall un
less the price should decline, aud acting up0l
this theory he reduced the help even below
what was necessary to complete the gradln;
the past season The item IF so 900 IN tn
price OF iron Is no trihing amount, bu
whether sufficient to justify the contracto
in his determination Is not for me u say.
am free TO say, however. that there was n
excuse for not completing the T ADDED
that could have been done as cheap and mucl
bettr last summer and fall than at an
future time, and the road would have the
been well settled and ready for the iron Il
the spring. | shoLld not have gone int
details as | have, had ii not been for al
article published IN the HctchHa1l J010lIG
on the 18th OF September. charging the dela.
10 completing the road on the President. ,
many misrep esentations were made ana :
much untruth stated in that article that
requested the publisher TO make correction
the following week, and understood hin
that he would do 1t, but none have bee
made to my knowledge up 10 this date
After this article was published, | called uE
on the contractor and inquired of hIL
whether he had changed his mind in relatio
to laying iron; he informed me that be ha
lot, and that he did not intend to lay any tn
season Ii is however due 10 him, that
should say that on this as we'll as on othe
ioccasions, he assured me that if the LsgIsla
ture refused to extend the time for complet
log the road he would lay two miles at ia
west end, it necessary, To preserve the right
of the corporation.
The tiuancial condition OF the COmpan
according to the best estimates that | al
now able TO make, is rs i0!lOws -
Mortgage Bonds for incidental expenses