Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-07-17

TIL. Il Ii. Lane, Daniel ROBERTS, Il. W
Peck, l.. L. Lawrence, Elmore johnson,
ID. Z. Linsley. The following day, june
cath, the committee met and held contin-
T uous session of nearly eight hours. After
a very full discussion it was unanimously
agreed to recommend the organization of a
; railroad company, under the general law of
C this State, to be called the Burlington and
LamOille Railroad Company.
Articles of association were formed and
recommended for such organization and the
D committee so reported to the adjourned
= meeting held at St. Johnsbury, Wednesday
evening, June oath. After full considera-
ton the report was unanimously adopted
y resolution was passed requesting the per-
g sons proposed for directors in the articles Of
association to proceed to obtain subscrip-
tons to the capital stock of the company IN
; order to perfect its organization.
The thanks of the meeting were then voted
to the Messrs. Fairbanks and the people Of
st. Johnsbury, for the extremely nospitable
manner in which the committee had been
entertained, and the meeting adjourned.
The utmost harmony prevailed, and the
sentiment of the meeting seemed to be
unanimous that the road should and must
: be built
In all towns throua which the commit
tee passed it was most cordially received by
/ u
interest in the enterprise and promised that
the trade of that region should again come
to Burlington, as it did thirty years ago,
whenever some convenient mode of reach
ing our city should be provided.
The cost of the proposed road from Bur-
liDgtOn TO Cambridge has been estimated
with much care, the road having been
divided into sections of one mile each, and
the cost of the work upon each mile has
been estimated separately, in order that the
varying character Of the soil and rock and
of the work generally might be duly con-
sidered. Mr.. VIM. Hale. an experienced
engineer, and the chairman OF this commit
tee, have together carefully examined the
entire line and visited each piece of work of
importance. They estimate the entire cost
| of the road. fully completed, ballasted and
ready for the cars, at S725 900 or about
S23 cooper mile. Although these figures in
/ dlcate gross cost good deal less than
/ the average cost OF Vermont railroads, vet
We have no reason to doubt their correct
| ness or that the road can be built for the |
sum above stated. As the Portland and |
| 0gdensburg Railroad Company. Vermont |
Division, offer to negotiate the first mort |
gage bonds Of this road for two-thirds its |
cost and TO furnish the cars. engines, etc,
required to operate 1t, provided the towns
tai stock. the actual amount required TO be
furnished by the towns will be $685.. 600
Of this amount Burlington will probably
have to raise about Sl60, 600, or three and
one-halt times the grand list The other
towns interested 1t Is expected will aid
in the same proportion. The towns
upon the line of the Lamoille Valley
Railroad subscribed for more in pro-
portion 10 their means, towards the con-
-tructiOn of that road than Burlington will
be required to, in order to secure the build
ing Of this In the first place, these towns sub
scrlbed IN their corporate capacity to the
extent Of from ten to fifteen times their
grand list. After this was done, inliyidu-
ais along the line between Walden and
Swanton subscribed over one hitndrcd qnd
eiytty thousand dollars to the capital stock Of
that road.
The Valley of the Lamoille i, one Of the
most beautiful in New England, and II i, a
rich agricultural region. The port of Bur
IngtOn l. a point through which its pro-
ducts naturally find their way to market.
and It was this trade. mainly. that during j
the first halt of this century furnished the Z
principal business Of the place, made it the =
largest town IN the State, and gave il its
chlel Importance a a commercial centre
The railroads first projected in Vermont
were constructed mainly By Boston capital. p
and were built to promote Boston interests
rather than the local trade of the State:
hence, II Is not surprising that the trade of L
burlington should suffer, a 1t undoubtedly n
nd, from DEMONSTRATION Of these roads y
lie singular feature IN the case i, that up D.
- this time Burlington has made no CON /,
adorable effort to recover the trade she lost. =
lut has >upinely suffered it to DRIFT t. other n
loints Your committee are of the opinion of
nat the construction of the proposed rail- I
lal would not only restore 70 our city the VI
rade oi that fertile region, but also open oi
d. Us new route 10 the sea-buard. some six y,
lile- shorter than any we now have. This v
after feature Is of the greatest importance Is
% the growth of our lumber trade, which.
o these dull times, Is here suffering much. Ii
o comparison with the trade at other points III
mere there Is sharper competition Tor VI
-eshts. nm
Tie signs ofthe times point most plain vi
TO the construction Of the Caughnawaga til
anal a. thing soon 10 be accomplished NJ
nleS> We build this road what special adj 10
intages has Burlington to offer 10 the I'm Iii
ense trade from the Northwest that must tel
rely ~sek passage eastward by way Of mi
axe Champlaln? -. Johns can offer the eli
llroad line by way of Newport and the
lSsumps.c, ROuseS Point, the Vermont 4
entra., Swanton. the Portland and Oc-
nsburg. Whitehall By that time can I'M
uoted.y offer direct route by way Of the
1osac Tunnel. Burlington can indeed q
Ter two lines Of rails. but only one manage n
,nt. Surely this l. not such an advantage 4
Will command the trade we seek.
But If We build this short piece Of road we teri
n then offer not only three lines Of rails. liar
I two distinct competing routes to the ola
perior harbor Will be indeed coumend.ng i'S'
yantages. and We may then expect to moo
.llze a rate Of progress unknown in our We
eyl1us history. Burlington has in her Nrid
,r.eSs location great natural advantages
T any point upon Lake Champain, and "-'
a proper and diligent use ofthese adyan- Will
-es She may become the PRINCIPAL com conf
rcial city ofNorthern New England. But 49,
while pointing proudly to our lovely bay,
1 the magnificent Adr0ndacks beyond. lAl'l
rest llIy on our oars, We shall find that wit.
lmerce and trade are sadly deficient in the
tment and are not to he in the least at .,
tied by the noble scenery We may offer, 1'4u
Will centre at only such places As can hJu-
r them superior advantages for transpor- a ia
on or exchange.
Our committee would further strongly WOE
e the Importance OF doing this work at swer
e. Delay IN this matter Is full of peril that
he principal business interests of this 49,.
. There j. no reason whatever to sup Ia
50 favorable an offer a. we now have Alba
4 the Portland and Ogiensburg Company aged
ever again be made US. After that If :
pany has completed Its road to Swanton
invested largely there in docks, store io' :
SEES and other terminal facilities. it will repor
be likely to give any encouragement to a
ect like ours, which could only tend to
ecIate the value Of those investments
ivertinG traffic from Swanton. where it
i take 1t upon its own terms TO Burling- SrF
where it could be obtained only by flood
p competition with other lines. begar
lur committee recommend to the city to twcnt
n the construction of the Burlington The :
Lamoille Railroad to an amount not ex- broke
ng one hundred and seyenty-iiye In Iii
sand dollars, by subscribing to the the d,
al stock OF said road. the subscription red a
paid by the issue of bonds of the city. badly
the proceeds thereof. All Of which is RED a
ctfully submitted. the ey
Linsley, c. L. Hart, the o
. Peck, W. Henderson, repor
Woodhouse. X. 5. Styles, ford a
Pierson, Ii. n. Drury west a
. Howe. Rodney Roby. p,
Roby, c. p. Smith,
M;,ar ~ III