Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-10-25


prices of western products and saved
her from such Il tariff upon the goods
she freights west as would have put
her at the mercy of these other cities,
People wonder at the low price OF
Central Vermont stock in the market
and that no dividends are declared {;
that Just now the interest on the bonds
| is passed. The stand the road has
| talen against the monopoly business,
fighting such railroad kings as Van
derbilt and Tom Scott, is one and a
very good reason. Another is the
bitter and continuous litigation the
managers, who for twenty years have
had the confidence of the people and
the support of the courts of Vermont,
have been forced to enter upon would
they keep the road from falling into
hands untrienuly to the interests OF
New England and Boston another
reason is that the managers have de-
termined to keep up first-class road
through a second-class country, and
they have done what they intended to
do. In all the 800 miles the road
runs through but one city Of over
10000 inhabitants, that is Burling-
ton, Vt. 1t is q road through farms,
hamlets and villages, yet in rolling
stock, in all manner OF railroad equip
ment, in road-bed, in the safety and
dispatch with which it carries passen
gers and freight it challenges compar-
ison with any road in the country.
Another reason is the universal de-
preston in business. If short road
through q densely settled district feels
it, how much heavier must be the
burden upon long length Of road
through sparsely peopled country ?
While such roads as the Boston and
Lowell and the Eastern are under the
cloud, the Fitchburg, Boston and Al
banv and the Old Colony declare less
per cent. on all bonds under the pres.
sure of the hard times, it is not to be
wondered at that the Central Vermont,
lowering its tariff Of through rates
and refusing to increase that Of its
local traffic and still keeping. itself in
tip. top running order, should not find
much money in its treasury just now
over aud above what is required tc
meet running expenses. But
THE CLOUD IS BREAKfNG;
better times are awaiting the stock
and bond holders, with all conflicting
interests harmonized, as they are II
the rapid process of being, with the
annoying, distracting, ruinously cx-
pensive litigation at an end. AS it is
with the business reviving in all parts
OF the country. with the confidence OF
the business men along the road il
the management unabated, with the
rigid yet not parsimonlous econom,
now put in praccice in all the depart
ments kept up, the long suffering ole
Central, Vermonts best friend m(
Boston's protector from the monopo
lists, will continue to be the we'll op
grated road that it is, and soon vii
be a good paying one as well. ] pre-
dict that within two years from tn
first of next January the price of it
. stock will have quadrupled. | bas
r. this prediction on the facts just men
toned harmonized interests, lawsuit
e ended, the management enabled t
:, turn their individual attention to th
development Of business, the supper
IS and confidence of the entire countr
Il through which the road runs, and tn
d practice of economy. Also in thos
d other facts: The road has in the pei
h son of Governor J. Gregory Smith, it
It president, one of the most honest
IS fearless, enterprising railroad men i
the country, and one who acts on tn
J. true business principle that road ru
t. in the real interests of the public i
d the long run will pay the stockholdel
a the best. In j. r. Langdon, vice
,t president, 1t has one Of the ables
l: liuancers that New England has eve
d furnished, and she has done prett
le we'll in the article OF tinanciers, as eN
n erybody is ready to allow. AS on
k worthy of the responsible place /
1T occupies, and able to second all tn
1T efforts of his chiefs, these men hay
Ie as their first lieutenant j. w. Hobar
IS general superintendent, thorough 81
d perintendent of the largest and mo-
'e important combination of railroads
II New England; yet because he seldo
T. if ever leaves his post, that post oeln
~ in the small, far-off inland village I
c. St. Albans, the headquarters of tt
u Centra. Vermont, Mr.. Hobarts nan
IN is hardly known except as we see
an appended to the newspaper advertis
he ments of the Central. 1t should
It's known, because of the eminent quail
On cations he possesses for the office
We holds and because of the fine econun
h cal work that under the instruction
he the managers he has carried throu4
IN successfully since he became gener
I'd superintendent. without crippling tt
at road or preventing it from being firs
ie class in every respect. Hearing, as
a boy on his fathers farm, the fiji
is whistle that Mr.. Randolph, a Vermo
of Central engineer, ever blew in t
n White river valley, serving upon t
It. road at nineteen as boss of gar
re of laborers, handling the iron for IA
Id read crossing; working up from tn
to be successfully brakeman and ba
-E, gage master, freight agent, stati