The Portland daily press., 1875-09-30
Petty Spite.

week ago yesterday the town of Littleton
and George FL. Beddington, having each filed
bill in cbancery in Grafton county against
the Portland and Ogdensburg railroad, without
notice to the railroad company, and without
their being represented in any way, upon an ex-
psrte hearing before Judge Foster, obtained
injunctions restraining the work recently COM
menced upon the Ogdensburg railroad between
Dalton station and the Connecticut river. The
bond filed to indemnify the adverse party on
account of their summary proceeding was on
ly S5000 The result is that the work has been
stopped for week, and some two hundred
men with their teams are thrown out of em.
ployment for the time being and the compile
ton OF the only remaining link in that rail- =:
road between Portland and St. Johnsbury is
retarded, it may be, until another season. 1t is
to be hoped that our courts will pause before
lending aid to this scheme on the part of few
Lttletonlans in their endeavOrs to thWart a
great enterprise. Those interested in the PORT
land q Ogdensburg railroad have already ex-
pended million dollars in building the road
through Carol county and the Notch of the
White Mountains where it connects with Mr..
Lyons road at the Fabyan House. The Ver-
monters have expended another million in con-
structing their division to the Connecticut river
Nothing is wanted now to make through line
troni Portland, Maine, to the town of johnson
In Lamollle county, Vermont, except this Dal.
ton link, which is about two miles long and in
cluGes bridge abross the Connecticut river.
The alleged reason of this unjust Interference
on the part of few busybodies in Lttleton
with this important work, is found in section
two of the charter of the railroad, which was
granted in 1869, authorizing the corporation to
locate its road through Carroll Beth
lehem and Littleton to Connecticut river, "prO.
vided that in case said corporation find it i'm
practicable TO locate and tuild railroad on ac-
q hot skAlo
and st. Johnsbary Vermont, and not other
wis, they may locate aud build the same via
Carroll, Whitetield and Dalton" We under
stand the corporation in the first place made
careful survey between Littleton and st. Johns
Dury, and although the building of a railroad
between those two points might be barely pos.
si6e, still it was found to be utterly impracti.
cable The Vermonters would not build to Lit
tleton under any circumstances, on account of
grade and the circutous route they would be
obliged to take, but have built their road to the
river bank at Dalton, and now are simply wait
ing for the completion of the Dalton piece, in
order TO run their cars to Portland. BY cross
ing the river at Dalton the entire descent of
the fifteen miles falls is saved. The distancs
b. tween ST. Johnsbury and the Notch, through
Dalton, is considerably shorter than by way of
Littleton. 1t is simply ridiculous for Lttleton
people to think that the Portland & Ogdens-
burg railroad will ever be built along side the
Boston, Concord 81 Montreal railroad from the
White Mountain Notch to the Connecticut
river, and then along side the Passumsic road
TO Sc. JohDsbury Such an idea is too absurd
for sensible people to entertain for a single mo-
ment. The Ogden>burg railroad is needed to
develop the numbering interests of Carroll and
Coos counties in New Hampshire, and Essex
county ia Vermont Littleton aud vicinity are
already well enough provided with railway ia
clties, and we regret very much to see this
dog ln-the-manger spirit manifested on the
part OF our neighbors in that place. We can
not help believing that in Littleion, even, there
are many who are opposed to the rule or ruin
policy wnich seems to Inspire the instigators of
these proceedings 1t was only few days ago
that the rolling stock of the road was attached
on some little two penny claims brought against
the company by these same parties. Such par
ty spirit may annoy the promoters of this
great work, but IN the end we do not believe
it will rebound to the credit of those who ex-
hibit it, or advance the material interests of
the people of Littleton. A hearing is to he
had to day at Haverhill before Judges Smith
and Foster on a motion to dissolve the iniunc-
tion.-C0oS County Republican,.