Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-04-14
THE MONTPELIER AND BLACK
RIVER RAILROAD.

The projected line of railroad from
Montpelier to some point in Orleans
county, is at present claiming the atten-
ton of many in the western part of the
county, as we'll as along the different
routes of the line. We shall not, in
this article. argue for any particular
route, gauge, or terminus of the road,
but will attempt to call attention to a
few facts, that ought to be considered
before either of the three difficult ques-
lions which are now dividing and dis
tracing public attention is decided
The three questions are these: Upon
which of the proposed lines shall the
road be built ? shall it be standard gauge
or narrow gauge ? and how shall the
money be raised to build it? The pre-
liminary surveys that have already been
made, prove that there are two feasible
routes from Montpelier to the Lamoille
River, and thence into Orleans County.
One is called the Eagle Ledge route,
and runs through Worcester, Elmore,
and into Wolcott, thence up the Wild
Branch. gaining the summit and passing
into the Black River Valley, or, as has
lately been suggested, up the Lamoille
to point near South Hardwick; the
other route, via. Calais and Woodbury.
to South Hardwick and thence to the
Black River in Craftsbury. Presuming
that the present and future business of the
road will be nearly the same upon either
route, that one ought to be selected, which
has the shortest distance and the easiest
grades. Distance, however. is more cas-
lily overcome than altitude. The extra
time or expense in running train a few
miles, upon good grade, is small ; but
when steep grades are encountered, the
power required to draw loaded trains is
doubled as the grade increases but
few feet to the mile, comparatively. The
number of engines required, the wear
and tear upon them, as we'll as upon cars
and iron, creates an extra expense upon
a steep grade road, that would make a
common road profitable; and when we
consider that the tariff on the steep grade
road must always be high, great care
should be taken to locate the road upon
the most level route. Certain papers
favor particular route, on account of
the great amount of timber growing with
in few miles of it, claiming that the
freight upon the lumber will pay for
building the road, and will make prof
liable business hereafter. 1t must not
be forgotten, that the lumbermen will
strip every acre of land bare in very
few years, if numbering business is prof
liable. and then the mountainous and
rocky lands upon which the timber is
now growing, will not furnish the busi-
ness for road, that would be found
through a richer and better cultivated
country. AS to the question of the gauge
it is probable that a road could be built
and furnished, having two and half
or three feet track, that would afford
sufficient facilities for doing all the To-
cal business on either of the routes, for
less than one half the cost of a common
gauge; and it is claimed that it can be
operated at much cheaper rate accord
ing to the business done, than the wide
gauge. If these things are true, the
saving in interest and in running ex-
penses will do much towards cheapening
transportation. On the other hand, the
narrow gauge will be under the necessity
of paying tribute at each end of the
route, as all freight must be tranship.
ped, causing delay and expense. Ii
freighting lumber, bark, stone, potatoes
grain, stock, and many other things, the
expense of unloading and loading will
be great, to say nothing of the incon
venience of changing cars, a task so an
tn f1.axy alorc clon
be raised to build either kind of road
If the narrow gauge is adopted, it il
possible that the towns along the line
aided by individual subscription, and b,
capitalists in Montpelier, can raise stuff
cient to build the road Could this b
done, it would be better for the people
than it would to borrow money fror
abroad, putting their stock and the man
agement of the road, into the hands @
those who would run it for their own pc
cuniary interests, without regard to tn
wants or wishes Of the public. Shout
the common gauge be adopted, it woul
make an important connecting link b.
tween two long lines of road, and
reaching out to the north and soutl
would eventually form part of line rul
ming from New York to Quebec, or otl
er points in Canada. Foreign capita
lists can be induced to invest money
through lines, when they would refus
to put it into short detached lines, rul
ming through "a sparsely populated Sc
ton, and it is probable that they wou
invest, to some extent. in this, shou
the towns along the line raise mon,
literally. The sooner the route and Il
gauge can be decided upon. the bette
as much time has already been vast
in discussing these questions. Indivi