Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-16
4 Railroad Project.

Under this head the Springfield Reputh-
can of the Nth has IN article which we
copy. The project which the Republican
STYLES as of "much local interest to
people in that section is certainly of still
more interest to all the line Of towns lying
on the eastern slope and along the eastern
base of the Green Mountains. Shelburnc
Falls is Il few miles west Of Greenfield,
Mass, and something like 4 dozen miles
south Of the Vermont line and twenty-five
or thirty miles from Brattleboro in a
direction between south and southwest
The Republican says:
One of the most important Of recent
railroad projects is the proposed narrow
rauoe railroad from Shelburnc Falls north
to Shelburne, VT, to form Il connecting
link in through line to lower Canada.
John Sprague, an influential citizen of
Conway. is the prime mover in this new
lpntcrpri>e, and has caused Il thorough
survey to be made of the entire one
hundred and ten miles constituting the
southern link of the proposed line. the con-
Struction of which he feels confident will
be begun us soon rs the financial condition
Of the country is somewhat improved. The
towns along the line Of the proposed road,
with few exceptions. enthusiastically favor
the project. and have already authorized
Mr.. Spra~ue to organize Il company and
proceed with the raising of tie necessary
funds After leaving the Troy and Green
field railroad station at Shelburne Fails.
and following up the North river, the line
passes through the towns of Cole ralnc IN
Massachusetts, and Halifax. Nottingham
md Wilmington in Vermont. at an ascend
mo grade Of about thirtv-tive feet to the
mile to the state line, and at II grade OF
Eighty feet to the summit in Wilmington
from there the grade is descending ut the
rate of about eighty feet to the mile for
four miles to the Decrtield river, and
thence the line runs up the east ltink OF
the river. first ut a grade Of sixty feet to the
mile, which soon decreases to thirty feet.
the latter grade being followed for about
wentv miles through the towns Of Sears
burgh and Somerset to Stratton, where II
passes the summit and highest elevation
IN the whole line, about twcntv-onr
hundred feet above tidc-water. From the
summit begins 4 descent Of about seventy
i've feet to the mile through the towns OF
Stratton and jamaica to the West river.
which it follows at \ descending grad of
from eighty to forty feet for twenty -tour
miles. passing within half mile of
jamaica village; thence ascending Al an
average grade of about forty feet to the
mile, the proposed road will run through
he towns of North and South Londonderry
10 the south line Of Weston. At which point
an ascending grade Of eighty feet to the
mile is encountered for ten miles. This
brings it to another summit near the north
line of Weston. ut an elevation OF about
two thousand feet. From this point tn"
route proceeds near the old line Of the
Brattlcboro and Rutland railroad rs
surveyed about twenty five years ago. and
At a descending grade Of about SIXTY feet
to the mile for something like nine miles
| 20 the Rutland railroad. which it crosses
At Summit station in Mount Holly, At IN
elevation Of about thirty feet above the
TIA, X. The route dc>ccndS from this
station at i grade of sixty feet for ten miles
! to Black river in Plymouth and proceeds
thence up Black river Al Il grade of thirty
| i've feet 10 The mile To the terminus OF the
road 1T Shclburnt. where it connects with
the Montpe licr and Rutland line. for which
charter has been granted by the Ncr-
mont legislature. y company formed,
books opened for stock and i considerable
| portion of tn necessary nnoun, for build
me- raised From Montpelier 10 the north
line Of the safe Il, North Troy :: charter
IN, also been granted fur a road. a com
KY ;It
From Troy to Richmond, Canada, a
distance, of ~iN,v miles, and the northern
terminus OF these lines. thr road i ROW
''''''- "'''' - i i''' Va ~ ~
>I''' .l,,,,.,.
~. 's-;,,', .l.,,',. ~. .s...,'',
I.,,,. ~ w.. dram N,nr,.,i,. r,.,,lv j.,
,L. ,..utc- If ~ .,,-r,. ..y,.r...rin.- about
twenty miles from any plr,!lrl rtilr,lI.
and ! L,r.r,. portion If tin. way tilr,uuh
holvv spruce timhcrrI will lluJ~. III y
INNS. * ..nn =, constructed Lly.. =, In, ..
f,,.i~Iltjno hu>incs- Most Of the. WAY. the
land remarkably smooth for :, lnounttin-
the construction Of narr6w-oaur,. road.
4, a small :.v,ray,. cost prr mile compared
with the expense of building tn common
railroads. :, charter for tn Drrrticld
River railroad "a the southern lin" i Ia
be clllcd in Vermont has been prtitionr4
for from rh.. Vermont Legislature. ami i'll
tiutiOtID ttl!| it tutttl. W nae tilf Nit>>t-
,h,l,c,t, portion If the line can be con-
~tructcd 1t any time. np charter bcin-,
REQUIRED under the new general railroad
law The grade of the road, it i claimed.
viii in no place exceed that of the Boston
and Albany road
The cost of tn" rolI from Shrlburnr
Falls To Sherburnr i estimated At : lj.o00
per mile and it j. clAimcl that the land
damages would he almost wholly given
to the road. The people of Wilmington.
VT, will build the road between their own
boundaries, 4 distance Of cirht miles. while
the other towns on the line will bond
themselves for : per cent on their valua-
ton. The width of the Drcrticld River
road will be three feet, and it is claimed
that the cost of its construction will b,. les,
than one half that Of The broad canoe. as
il win admit of >harpcr ruryaturr-. there