Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-01
The Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad


We regard this road as the most impor-
tant line to Vermonters, and the one which
they should take the most pleasure in seeing
pushed forward to its completion, and es-
pecialy is this remark applicable to the poo
pie of the northern part Of the state When
this road is completed it will form part of
the cheapest line of transportation from the
West to the New England seaboard. Not
only is this true, but the value of the fact to
the people is not neutralized by any comb.
nation with other lines-it is an independent
and nutrammeled road, and all efforts of 9TH
er corporations to draw it into alliances for
Regulating" tariffs have been in vain.
While nearly all the other roads in the coun-
try are combined for the purpose of neutral
izing the effects Of competition, thus crea-
ting most oppressive and heartess monopo-
ly which has led to the Western railroad
war, few have held aloof. Among these
are the Grand Trunk, which is noted for
carrying such immense amounts of freight,
and which recently shows signs of fast ~
creasing prosperity, and the Baltimore and
Ohio, which though holding aloof from COM
binations, has not perhaps been guilty of put
ting prices any too low.
The fact that the Portland and Ogdens-
burg road, also, has steadily held aloof from
all combinations, and evinced determine
ton to maintain its integrity as an independ-
ent road, has Of course called out much and
strong opposition from other roads and rail-
road men, but in spite Of all opposition the
road has almost arrived at completion, and
another year will undoubtedly witness the
completion Of the Vermont division from the
Connecticut River to Lake Champlain at
Swanton, with branch from Cambridge to
Burlington, and of the Eastern division from
Portland to the Fabyan House, in New
Hampshire, from which place to the Connec-
ticut River the j. Il o. road will doubtless
temporarily use the track of the B. G. Il NJ.
road, thus giving US, within the year 1875, a
complete direct railroad line from Lake
Champlain to the Atlantic at Portland.
The Vermont division, from the Conuecti-
cut River to Lake Champlain, is llS miles
in length, OF which the rails are already laid
on 70 miles, and considerable portion Of
the remaining As is graded, so that we have
every reason to believe that next year will
see the full realization of the expectation of
the officials of the road that it will be COM
pleted, with the branch to Burlington.
The total estimated cost Of the road (Vt.
Div.) is S2,7ll ,l4S.9l, and Of the amount
now completed the cost has been sl,947,-
5l4.l6. 1t is emphatically the peoples
road, some three-fourths of the entire capt.
tai stock being owned by the towns along the
line. This stock was paid for in town
bonds, all but $4,000 Of which bonds have
already been sold Not only is SO large a
share of the stock of the road owned by
towns, but hardly dollar of the remainder
is owned outside of Vermont
Crossing our state at its widest part, and
owned and controlled by YormOnters entire
ly, this road has Il hold upon the people of
the state which no other transportation line
has or can have, while the pledge of the d.
rectors and president that it shall enter no
combination for the oppression OF the people
increases that hold. The names of such men
as the president Of the company, Hon. Hor-
ace Fairbanks, are a sufficient guarantee
that these pledges have been given in good
faith, and will be scrupulously redeemed.
AS a sample of the benefits to be expected
from this road let us look at the cost of coal.
Coal can be bought in Burlington at what
we should call very reasonable rates, but the
freight from there to st. Johusbury, when
shipped by the car load, is now $3.50. Mr.
Fairbanks tells US that he has no doubt
when the new road is completed coal can be
laid down here for between $3.50 and SO.
Here would be reduction of some SO per
ton on the one article Of coal. We have no
doubt when the road is completed and in ran
ming order we shall see tumble in many
kinds of freight similar to that experienced
in California when the grangers Of the Sail
mas valley, exasperatod by the exorbitant
charges Of the railroads, and their refusal to
make any reduction, went to work and built
railroad Of their own. The old roads then
came down so low that the grangers say
they will save enough in the freghts on
their crops in single year to pay the entire
cost of their road
With the Caughnawaga ship canal COM
pleted, as it seems very probable it will be
within few years, either by private corpO.
ration or by the Canadian government, and