Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-07-15
Boston aud The Central Vermont Road.

1t has been the railroad policy Of Massa-
chusetts, inspired by the city Of Boston, to
reach the great grain depots Of the West,
and control the foreign trade in bread
stuns With this object in view she built
largely with her own resources, the Boston
Il Albany road But this road was un.
equal to the task expected Of it, Its grades
were fatally heavy and inadequate to so
magnificent a traffic as Boston proposed
And worse even than this, that road tormin.
ated at Albany, point fifty miles nearer to
New York than Boston The natural drift
Of the grain traffic would necessarily be
down the Hudson, over a perfectly level
road, rather than fifty miles further to the
sea board, over the Berkshire hills and the
steep grades Of the Albany road And still
more, the New York Central was built and
controlled by Now York capitalists, and
neither could nor would Discriminate in favor
Of the Boston freight Hence the object
which Massachusetts bad in view was de.
feated by the very means She took to &C.
compi,h it.
But not disconccrto1 by the failure Of
this route, she conceived the bold project
Of reducing the fatal grade by the Tunnel
route, boring her way through the IIoosick
Mountain to Troy, and thus obviate the OBJ
jections to cheap transit by the old route.
On this project she has spent millions on
millions of State funds, only to find that she
has reached terminus to her road still fifty
miles nearer New York than Boston, and
connecting with roads running West that are
naturally the rivals Of the Boston plans,
and determined not to allow any Western
traffic for foreign export to be diverted to
the New England seaport. So her railroad
policy again defeats her intentions With
a definite object in view in constructing
these great iron thoroughfares, she fails in
both instances most signally and disastrously
OF her Interior purpose. And Boston is
beginning to see and admit the failure, and
after an expensive experience, has come to
the conclusion that the grain of the West
cannot be brought to her harbor by way of
Albany and Troy. The recognition of the
failure of her past attempts is the first step
in the right direction.
But while Boston has been spending her
energies in securing two important high.
ways, yet impotent for the grand pur.
pose she had in view while she has con-
tributed largely to enterprises that would
not serve her in the way she desired or
planned; it is not a little singular that she
has looked with jealous, and sometimes hos
tile eyes, on the only road that can accom-
plish her purpose and lay the grain Of the
West at her doors cheaper than the New
York Central can place it in New York
Boston is but three hundred and ninety.
six miles from the chain of the great lakes,
at Ogdensburgh, by way of the Central
Vermont. By way Of Albany she is five
hundred miles from lake navigation, while
New York city is four hundred and City
miles, giving New York an advantage offifty
miles in reaching the best port on the lakes.
Now York has never looked with jealousy
on the expansion aud development of her
great railroads to the West. They have
been the arms by which she has grasped
the vast products of the West and brought
them to her mart. But Boston has had
her eyes filed with the glamour of west
ern connection through Albany, and has
not iostcred the only way and means by
which she can reach the prize she coyets.
There are ways in which the Central could
be shortened and its grades diminished, -
as through the gulf by the proposed Mont
pelier and White River road There are
ways in which the efficiency of the road
could be doubled, its capacity for transpor-
tation increased, and the cost of transport
alton reduced, as by the construction of a
double track, and the enlargement Of the
furniture Of the road When Gov. Smith
took the road, it was burdened with debt,
its equipment scant and inefficient, its track
unsafe and ou!worn. In few years he,
with his efficient co-adjutors, brought it up
to high standing, lie leased rival roads,
extinguished fatal competition, relaid the
iron, repaired the bridges, extended the
equipment, and increased its business sew.
eral hundred per cent. But the immense
improvements in the property involved
large OUTLAWS. 1t was impossible for the
road to earn money fast enough to meet the
cost Of its immense improvements and de.
yelopment. And when ii came on the
market to borrow the funds needful
to maintain its credit and to pay
for its improvements, it was met with
a miserable, deIamatory, local hatred, hurl.
ing its shafts alike at the Vermont Central
and the railroad management, aud with the
unwarrantable jealousy of Boston and its
capitalists, which had been excited by the
most inscriptions means. Governor Smith
was forced to turn to New York for help
and got it there. But when ii was found
that New York could not control the road
as against Boston, and that Governor Smith
would not throw il into the hands of its
natural rivals and enemies, they tried to
sell him out. But with bis usual pluck and
courage, he turned the tables on those who
would have diverted the property from the
great ends to which his sagacity and intelli
gence have always consecrated it, and re.
tanned possession in the interest of Boston
To accomplish this he was forced to pledge all
his own private resources as well as sum.
mon to his aid the resources Of his friends
In all this splendid and exhausting work
in which all his private and inherited for.
tune has been almost constantly at stake,
and which has been prosecuted for years
through difficulties that would have M.