Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-02-19
rbe-BurIInrto. and I.norlle Railroad.
UNDERHILL CENTRE, Feb. 10

The-BurIIngton and Lanoille Railroad.
UNDERHILL CENTRE, Feb. 10.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times:
A Clipper correspondent who sigps
himself Burlington" asks; "How are
we morally bound or pledged to the Jericno
route ?"
When this railroad project was nrst
broached, and following the 81. Johnsoury
meeting. the people of Burlington, through
their duly constituted committee. made
proposals to the towns Of Essex, jericho
Underhill and Cambridge to unite their
forces with your city and join hands for the
purpose of securing a railroad connection
at Cambridge with the Portland and Og-
densburg Railroad. Pledges as strong as
any could be framed at that time (when no
formal organization had been perfeoted)
were made by the Burlington committee to
the working men of these towns named,
that if the amounts (Which these towns
have since bonded for) could be obtained
from the towns, TO aid in the construction
of this road, together with the aid then
promised from other sources, railroad
should be built from Burlington through
The toirns of Fs,er, Jericho and UnderhiH
and to connect at Cambridge with the
Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad. The
live men of these towns named returned from
the St. Johnsbury meeting filed with en-
tbusiasm. and believing the time for definite
action had arrived, created such senti-
neut in the towns on the line of the road
a. that the amounts assessed upon the
towns were raised by bonding and the com
pleriou OF the road in the near future guar
anteed.
But remember, at this Uery time, and
when we on the line of this route were
striving to fulfil our part of the compact,
Westford and Fairfax were on their knees
pleading the merits OF their route and ask
! ing a thorough examination Of the same.
| They were told in a firm and manly way
| by the managers (the Directors chosen at
| the ST. Johnsbury meetlng), gentlemen
we have Joined hands with Essex, Jericho
and Underhill. and have given to them our
word and pledge that if they raise the sums
/ assessed upon these respective towns the
road shall be built through their towns,
and until or unless they should fail so TO
| do, we cannot offer you the least encour-
agement Language which 1t seems as
| though Westford and Fairfax people might
understand. and now in face OF this COM
pact made by Burlington, and after the
| towns have bonded and Jericho and Under
| hill stand ready today to deliver their bonds
tor S37 900, it is asked BY a Burlington
resident-"how are We morally bound to
the Jericho route?
We admit that the right selection Of this
railroad route is everything 70 Burlington,
but when he claims that the " estlord route
| is the mos. feasible and al the lowest
GRADES. he is in error " Burlington" says.
"one route i over tine hills OF Jericho and
Underhill, and the other through the fertile
valleys of the Browns and Lamel'le rivers.
IL is a fact, that The line of the Jericho and
| Underhiil route (saye one mile at jericho
! Corners) through the entire distance of
seven miles north OF Jericho Corners.
Rotgaere e1oeedS tie grade Of tlceHty feet 10
the Hile, and this until You strike the West
| ford line, and fire mules Of The seren ADORE
alluded to is on grade Of sir feet 10 ihe mile
so much for the heights and hills OF erleho
and Underhlll Nowhere in Vermont, save
upon its barren plains. can you find such q
grade.
| River Valley, and there is no richer for its
extent in Vermont The Underhill line
reaches that valley near Essex Centre,
traversing the Browns River Valley, six
miles from its Windiugs, while from Lssex
down the Browns River Valley on the
| Westlord route You have tipo nllieS OF IN
terval- only, and a portion OF that Is 50
marshy that most OF the water of the river
| is lost In slOuE hs-
burlington writes Of the business to
be done and heights to he furnished on the
Westford line What il there at Westtord?
One little old hotel, now closed, one store
and one saw mill, ali told. " hat at FAIR
fax Falls? One store, one wOOllen mill,
employing ab1ut >ix operatives, and one
grist mil, doing very small custom trade
Long ago there were two saw mills located
there, but one has burned down, the other
succulnbsd to the dry rot, and the only lum-
Der or log ever seen there are some which
are stranded by high waters and left upon
the rocks while on their way down to Clark
& Boardman's mills at Milton.
Next the cry of Fairfax, two miles from
the Falls aud only four. from Georgia dc
pot, place OF DO great business, with lOt
public spirit enough to build and maintain
a turnpike road 10 their depot.
There Is one thing / have omitted, and
which We>t'ord ought to have mentioned
in it, favor. A. Douglas said Of Vermont,
50 say " ali Of u" Of Westfori-it Is a
good town to enigrate from. Her sons
rank high, reared a. many of them have
been under the wise cOun>els and aGmonl-
tiors Of Rev Father Parmalee. Such pas
toral care a. he exercised has done much to
shape the character Of such men as Wales.
Lawrence. Drury, Macomber, Gibbs, the
Woods, Riccs, Beaches, and many others.
But where are they no@. Not an West-
ford.
Again, the correspondent Burlington"
rs in error be says Neither Jericho nor
Underhill as manufacturing towns compare
with Fairfax Falls. At Jericho Corners
there are three stores. large tin, sheet iron
and stove establishment, one wool carding
mill, shoe shops. harness shops, hotel,
two saw mills, and planning mills,
doing an immense business, two -four
ing mills. (that owned by l.. B. Howe
is doing an extensive business, and one of
the largest pump manufacturing establish
ments in New England, owned by Ii. NJ.
Fields. Either OF the two last named mills
will furnish more freight than all that
would ever be furnished on the entire West
ford route. Further. on this line at Under
hill Flats and Centre you have five stores
doing ! thriving business q cheese factory
when sent off over loo tons OF cheese. The
vast old primitive forests bordering Mans
B0stwick House, bringing hundreds of PEG
pie from the cities for their summer soiOurn
in this beautiful valley Let me ask Bur-
liDgtOn people where they 90 if they wish
to purchase fine horses, oxen, cows, car
loads of grain, potatoes, pork, butter, etc.?
Not GOlrH Brown : river, but up that river
into Jericho and Underhill. How can men,
having the interests of Burlington, or the
interest and welfare Of the road in their
keeping, choose any other route than the
one they have already honestly and judi
ciou,ly chosen. No raising Of supposable
amount, of money on the Westford route
could Justify the reckless use of public
money when nothing is to b gained. but
! everything 10 be lost.
Yours truly, \. {. d.
\ correspondent OF the Boston 4dtatiser
gives the following sketch of the career of