Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-16

THE RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY JANUARY "a, 1872 1879 !.
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AS wifi be seen by brief report, pup
lished in, another place, d large and spir-
tied meeting was held at Rocheste',
Wednesday, ia the interest of a rshroau
from Rutlandto Montpelier Althoush
the call. If we remember nightly was
simply for meeting OF the commission
ers named in the act, some sixteen IN
number, yet some five hundred persons
responded thereto and, by their presence
and action, demonstrated their interest
in the subject Although we have, on
previous occasion, stated the proposed
and authorized route, yet, at the risk oil
repetition, we will briefly recapitulate
The charter authorizes the construction
of railroad, Of any desired guage, from
the Vermont Central road in Montpelier,
or Middlesex, or both, through Berlin,
Middlesex, Moretown, Waitsfeld, War
rem, Granville Goshen, Hancock, Roch-
ester, stockbridge, Pittsfield, Sherburne,
Mendon, Chittenden, Pittsford and
Brandon-or such of them as may be
selected-to Rutland with the right to
construct branch from Rochester,
Pittsford or Sherburne, through Roch-
ester, Pittsfeld, Sherburne and Bethel,
or such as may be selected, to connect
with the Central road at Bethel or Royal
ton. Now that a railroad from Rutland
to Montpelier is feasible and compare
lively easy of construction is undoubted,
but lust the best and cheapest route IS
vet to be determined To that end, a
committee was appointed by the Roch-
ester meeting to obtain funds for the
purpose and to procure an immediate
survey. The matter of building the pro-
posed road and the raising of the neces-
sary funds therefor will be entered upon,
it is to be hoped, as soon as the route and
probable cost arc determined upon. This
subject is one Of vast Importance, not
only to the people on the line of and adj
iacent TO the projected road, but is pecu-
liarly so to the citizens of Rutland.
Believing, as we do, in the vital connec-
ton that exists between Rutland's growth
and prosperity and the construction OF
additional railroad facilities, we have
never hesitated, in season and out of
season, to urge, by our pen and vote,
upon our citizens the wisdom and neces-
sity of aiding, by every means iii their
power, the construction of new lines OF
railroads leading to Rutland. We advo-
Gated the building of the Woodstock rail-
road and we hoped, almost against hope,
that this project would be entered upon,
with such substantial financial back
ing from Rutland, as q town, and from
her citizens, as would insure the speedy
building of that road. We believe, had
tive would even now be coming over the
''ram's horn" as its opponents saw fit
derisively to call it. The prospects for
the speedy building of that road, we
must confess, are dark, and even look
dim so far as any favorable result may
be looked for in the near future. We
thought then, and think now, that Rut-
lands selfishness alone, if we may so
call 1t, ought to have built it. Others
thought otherwise, and the result is be-
fore us. Upon the prosperity of Rut-
land is there now any doubt which would
have been the wiser course? Since then,
the Addison railroad has been complet-
ed, and we are reaplng goodly share of
the benefits. We have now, once more,
presented to us an opportunity to in
crease our prosperity, expand our trade
and have new markets opened up and
brought to our very doors. All that is
necessary is for us to resolve that we
must, we will, we shall have this new
railroad inlet, and then follow it up by
action. What but railroads has trans
formed the Rutland of 1916 to the Rut-
land of 1878? Have we lost any money
by the operation? The argument is Old
and trite, but it is always pat, because it
Is truth and fact, that every railroad
feeder built is money in the pocket of
every merchant, trader, farmer, profess
sional man and land owner in Rutland.
The citizens of Rutland know it, because
they have realized it. Every dollar ex-
pended by Rutland in building such rail
roads is returned to them ten-yea, q
hundred-fold. Knowing and realizing
these facts, why do we not act upon
them at once The talk of the want of
money is all idle, and is the merest of
excuses. If money could be raised
twenty-five and thirty years ago to build
railroads from Rutland in every direc-
ton, except to the northeast, it most as
suredly can be procured now to build a
shorter and cheaper line We have only
to do as the projectors of the Rutland
and other railroads did, resolve that they
must and can be built and act accord
ingly, and the work is accomplished.
Shall it be done?