Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-25
for the VERMONT FARMER.
Green Mountain Narrow Gauge Railroad

The scheme for the Green Mountain mar
row gauge railroad is agitating the people
of central Vermont from South Halifax to
Newport The proposed road is to run from
Shelburn Falls, Mass, though Coleraipe to
South Halifax, thence up the west side Of
North River to jacksonville 10 Whiting.
lam, across the country to the Deerfeld river
near Wilmington from Wilmington to ia.
maica. There have been several different
surveys. One up the Decrfeld river through
Searsburg, Somerset, Stratton and q corner of
Wiuhall to Jamaica. Another route through
Dover and Wardsboro. The writer has ex.
amincd both routes, aud believes either of
them to be quite practicable. From ia
maica the road will pass up West river
through the towns of Londonderry and Wes-
ton to Healdville in Mt Holly, where it will
connect with the Rutland road, through
Plymouth, a corner Of Brdgewater to Sher.
burn, where it will connect with the proposed
Rutland and Woodstock road, through Pitts.
field, Stockbridge, Rochester, Hancock, Gran.
vile Warren, Waits6eld, Morctuwn to Md
dlesex, when it connects with the Vermont
Central railroad. The route from that point
to Newport has not been decided upon.
There are two routes that are very practica.
bic either down Onion river to Waterbury,
thence through Stowe and Morrstown, where
it will connect with the Portland and Og-
desburgh road, aud by either of several prac-
ticable routes to Newport, or up Onion river
to Montpelier, and by either of the routes
which have already been much agitated and
partially surveyed to Newport. Every town
upon the line of the proposed road south of
the Rutland road, except Nottingham and
Halifax, has voted to bond eight times their
grand list, and large sum Of money has been
subscribed towards the road by the inhabi.
tauts of the towns. The roads will undoubt.
edly be built from SAelburne Falls to the
Rutland road, as every town but two upon
the route has bonded in its favor and also
several Of the adjacent towns The remainder
of the route is still in doubt Plymouth
Hancock and Waits River have refused TO
bond, but the friends of the road still have
faith in tho enterprise, aud expect that the
voters when they take second sober thought
will change their decision aud favor the
road. An attempt has been made to defeat
that portion of the road between the Rutland
aud Central roads by the Vermont Central
building, branch road to Rochester and
perhaps to Granville, but the enterprise has
failed, aud the towns that have expected that
road to be built will now, undoubtedly, bond
for the Green Mountain narrow-gauge road
The road, if built, will connect with mar.
ow.gauge road extending to Boston, which
is contemplated, A competing line Of rail.
roads will be formed to Boston, New York
and other sea board cities, and freights will
be carried much cheaper from central Yer
mont to the sea board than at present. There
is no reason why freight from Ogdensburgh
to Boston should be forty cents, and from
points in Vermont upon the same road from
seventy to eighty cents per hundred. A
tract Of country almost entirely destitute of
railroad facilities throughoutthe entire length
of tho state will be benefited.
Thousands of acres of timber lands upon
the Green Mountains that to-day are worth.
less will be rendered very valuable, as the
road will pass through the southern half Of
the state, just at the base Of the mountains.
The cost of the road will be inconsiderable,
compared with the cost of building and equip.
ping wide-gauge road. The best engineers
have estimated the cost of the road not to
exceed $4,000 to the mile when built aud
thoroughly equipped, and the depots built.
The curves upon a narrow-gauge road can
be greater than upon a wide-gauge road, aud
a fair rate of speed maintained hence many
deep cuts and fills necessary to build wide.
gauge road can be avoided, aud tie cost of
equipping the road will be somewhat less.