Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-31
The Chicago Transportation Convention.
CHICAGO. Dec. l5. 1878

CHICAGO, Dec Is, 1879
The fourth meeting of the National
Board OF transportation and Commercl
has closed lis session at the Grand PacIhc
Hotel. IN this city, and its action has been
most important. not only towards brInginz
about cheap transportation inlall ways, but
also that for the first time in the history Oh
the original commercial bodies OF thenatiou
q unanimous endorsement has been given u
the Caughnawaga Canal project. 1t has beea
heretofore discussed, but never before ha-
been 80 unqualifedly and heartily endorsed
as at this Chicago gathering of lealin.
commercial men from all parts OF the coun-
try. Mr. John +. Henry, of New York
won praise from ell by his ability As .
presiding officer, especially when It IS taken
into account that he had never been mem
Der of legislative body and was not skilled
in parliamentary rules. Mr.. Henry bring
into this cheap transportation movement
the same enthusiasm and energy that hs
has in his own private business, and Wh4cl
has made him probably the leading whole
sale druggist of the country. The retiring
secretary, Mr. r. II. Ferguson, of Troy. n
u, who was the organizer Of this transport
alton body. is quiet, thoughtful young
gentleman, full of statistics concerning.
railroads. canals. and transportation line
of all sorts, and very DESTROYS of keepins
the convention square to its Legitimate
work. Among other prominent deiegst--
who figured in the discussions Of the con
yentlon were ex-Gov ugherty of Illinois.
a white-haired old gentleman who took par.
in the celebrated Memphis commercial con
vention over thirty years ago, I. j. Carer,
of Springfield H., distinguished engineer
who was one of those who originally sur
yeyed the Central SermOnt and attervA11-
the Plattsburgh and Montreal railroad; CT
Gov William Bross. of Chicago. large iu
physique and intellect, who made power
ful speech in favor Of CaGghnawaga and VII
for twenty years has been It's ias; friend
j. Young Scammon, a leading lawyer I'd.
Chicago, and a fine speaker Col. ttley
chairman of the Canal Board of Illinois
Col Lyman Bridges formerly Of tie Nortl
ern Pacific railroad the MOrgans. li
Bloomington, H., father and son. hlt4
among the most eminent engineers oi chs
Northwest Francis b. rhurber. Of New
York, head of one OF the largest grocer,
houses in the country, q clear-he4t 9
man, deeply interested IN the cause OBJ
cheap transportation. and who held las
difficult position Of chairman OF the
committee on resolutions BsDjam,u
P. Baker, President of the Cotton Is
change OF New York. q Nermonter ny
birth. and one of the most Influential
men in the body j. Nielsen Harris. ol
Kentucky, a shrewd advocate of the Iexs-
Pacific Railroad S d. Carpenter. of Ms
souri,, strong talker and an able repressn-
tatiye of the grangers of his State j r
of Iowa, originator Of the Forts
First Parallel Railroad c. {. SturteTant
of Minneapolis. who represented the nil
lers of Minnesota Gen. Cobb, an iuhueu
tial citizen of Nebraska Gen. humlord o
Lyndeburgh. Va Col. PeytOn. O distin
guished lawyer of Richmond, grandson ct
Patrick Henry, and the most eloquent rnau
in the convention Col. Edward Daniels
the rising and industrious editor Of tle
Richmond Nzte Journal ex Speaker Ne
Elhany, of the Missouri House CT Represau
tatives ex-Gov. Charles Robinson, Of kau-
sas ; Hon. II. j. Chapman, Of Portland
Oregon. and Hon. John Young, of Mon
treal, who gave all his frst-class powers ot
speech. persuasion and argument toward
setting forth the advantages of the Cauqh-
nawaga canal route and did much 10 secure
it the unanimous favor of the convention
Our Vermont delegation were emphaticaliy
workers ard not takers, influencing men
1ers of the convention to endorse the.r ideas
ls set forth in the resolutions OF Gov Brns-
ALREADY published). The laboring oar wa
mainly carried by Hon. T. c. Kennedy, wh1
held the difficult position Of repIesentin.
Vermont ON the committee on resolutions
Here by his intelligence, aifability, dis
.retion. and admirable manner of putin.
hings he succeeded IN bringing over unan
mously to the support of the CaughnaWsga
esolutions the committee TO which IA
ority of whom at the start were opposed
all TO see why the recommendation OF tai.
important convention representing eighteel
states, cannot have great weight as far g.
he Caughnawsga canal Is concerned upon
'ur government. What remains IS for the
3oard of Trade Of the leading cities Of the
East and West 10 endorse the canal and
avor the appointment OF joint coInmis
Ion to secure navigation treaty between
>anada and tue United States upon equit-
BILE TERMS For the successful regulation
1 such 4 treaty will certainly involve the
obstruction OF the Caughnawaga canal by
be DomariOn government. The free use vi
AXE Mlct. gan. by the terms Of the Wash
ngton treaty. IS only secured TO Canai4
Or tive years longer and it can be easily
cen what mutual advantages to the tW1
overnments are soon to become Of d.
essIty a. far as navigation treaty Is con
erned. The New York delegates and many
the Western were perfectly carried away
y the plan for the building by the govern
lent OF q grand trunk line for transporta
ION between the East and West, forgetting
hat with the present feeling among
10 people against the granting Of
nbsidies by Congress, and the cen
of government, the day Of
ne construction Of such line must be afar
u. Still the strong endorsement Of such
scheme by such a respectable and inhuen-
al body OF shippers may brighten the raj
'ad magnates to reduce their freight rates
lch blessing the millers of the North
est, representing nine millions OF dollars.
ave secured by holding large iudigna
r. seeing men OF Chicago and the West,
ke Gov. Bross, j. Y. Scammon, Charle-
andolph and 5. B. Carpenter, see that
heap transit will be first and most easily
cured by water transportation, and this
ust come IN the Improvement Of the chan
Il OF commerce by way of the great Lakes
the Atlantic seaboard and the natural
cans which suggests itself in this direc
On are the Caughnawaga and Chsmplain
lip canals. This view Mr.. Randolph.
cretary OF the Chicago Board of Trade,
Wy advanced in his admirable speech al
q banquet gwen to the convention bY
at body on Thursday evening We OF
arlington may, therefore, be well salts
d that Chicago and the great Northwesi
e IN earnest as regards the building of tho
.ughnawaga Canal. and 1t ought not t.
re long to bring New York W to the
me standpoint.
The final action Of the convention on the
resolutions was Unexpectedly
atliylng Some opposition had been e1-
cted from the South. and a few interested
the Oswego Canal project and the Yer
INT delegation, each and all, expected
d were prepared to take part in the bat
:, out Gov: Bross gave the resolutions
Cd send-oH in a briet and telling speech
iich was happily supplemented by john
ung, and when the vote was taken they
eivsd a hearty and unanimous aye.
PRESIDENT Henry has given Vermont
E and excellent representation on the
nuing committees, which are to report
Important subjects bearing on cheap
deportation at the Louisville convention
II year Hon. d. q. Linsley Is on the
ulnit'ee on natural water routes, ten
nry On artificial water routes, anu
wrence Barnes on the committee to 60
y" ashington and urge upon the govern
ut The openiog Of the water route recon-
nded by the Senate Committee on Trans
tstion
Ne.l. Vermont has contributed her share
ards settling the transportation prob
J, and her ways suggested seemed to the
men at Chicago the wisest, and will,
doubt, as their agitation aontinuss eX-
} the wides. public interest. No time
uld be lost. then. BY Burlington. in con
ling the good WORK insuQurated at his
vention. Our Congressional delegatiol
uld b, pressed to take the matter II
d and secure the Joint commits on
ch step is the first towards securing tn,