Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-25
Railroad Hearing.

hairOau nthflns.
The hearing on the petition of the Cen
trail Vermont, for leave to sell the Vermont
Central and Vermont and Canada roads
and to buy the same, took place at St. Al
bans, on Thursday, before Judge Royce as
chancellor. The Central Vermont ap.
peared by Messrs. Fifeld, Poland and
ex-Gov. Peck; the Vermont and Can
ada by Messrs. Willard and Walker; some
of the LIST and 81 mortgage bondholders by
f. j. Phelps and F. A. Brooks; the Rut-
land Railroad Company by ex-Judge Prout;
trustees of the lst mortgage by ii. S. Royce;
and Messrs. VIM. G. Shaw and Robert
Goldman appeared for holders CT Vermont
and Canada guaranteed SIS, and j. NJ.
Pinkerton for some other interest. Most Of
the Central Vermont directors and numer
Gus other parties interested were present.
Heman 5. Royce filed an answer for the
trustees of the first mortgage 81. &. Smith.
Joseph Clark and W. C. SMITH. Mr..
| Phelps read the answer of Judith W. An
drews. holder of LIST mortgage bonds. Mr..
Brooks fled and read the answer of James
5. Whitney, a holder Of 2i mortgage bonds.
Mr. Fifield asked leave to file and read an
amendment to the petition.
Mr.. Pinkerton proposed to file an amend
cd or further answer.
The testimony was then read. which &C.
cupied an hour and half
The answer Of the LIST mortgage trustees
was read.
Col. Walker then read stipulation be-
tween counsel as to what documents are to
be considered evidence in the case.
Mr.. Fifeld then made the opening argu-
ment in support of the petition, speaking
about three quarters of an hour. lie was
followed by Mr.. Willard, in opposition to
the proposed sale.
Friday morning Col Walker concluded
his argument Tor the Vermont Il Canada
Co. lie was followed by ex-Judge Prout,
for the Rutland Co. Mr.. Brooks, of Bos-
ton. for the lst mortgage bondholders, and
by Mr.. Fifield for the Central. These ar
guments consumed most of the day. Mr..
Phelps closed his argument at half-past
eleven, Saturday forenoon. after having
spoken about five hours. He was followed
by Judge Poland. who closed at half-past
three, having spoken two hours and a half
The chancellor will decide the case as soon
a. possible.
The VERMONT DIVISION OF THE PORTLAND
AND OGDENsBURG RaILRoAp.-Ghe Spring |
field Republicans Vermont correspondent,
- Butteruut." whose statements commonly |
bear about the same relation to truth. that |
the course of the Southern butternuts
did to LOYALTY, recently pronounced the |
Portland and Ogdensburg road the most
foolish Of all folies in railroad building in
New England, and went on to say:
Over most OF the route there is not and never viii
lie any local business, for there is not and never
will be any considerable population there. Some
Summer travel will take this way, and that is
about all. The grades both in New Hampshire
and Vermont are simply fearful and. contrary to
general belief, are worse in the latter than the
former. ZigZagging for L. miles over The Walden
he gifts (Which ana not the Green mountains, are
the true summit between the Connecticut and
Lake Champlaiu) the average craze does not fall
much below 100 ieet to the mile The passage of
the Pennsylvania Central through the Alleghanies
is nothing to it, since here is an unconprOmising
T idge without a gap, which must he climbed
over To make road Of any commercial value
here requires tunnelling TO whi,h the llo0sac is
not a circumstance. The truth in regard TO these
grades has never been made public.
To these sweeping statements, Mr..
the engineer of the Vermont
division of the road, replies effectively. lie
says:
1t might be possible to crowd more errors
into newspaper paragraph OF the same
length as that above quoted, but certainly
it would be difficult.
To one acquainted with the country
by this road in Vermont it is IN
necessary to say that for the greater part of
its length it passes through some of the
most beautiful, productive and well-im
proved farming land in the State, and so
far as population is concerned no other road
in Vermont, phen huih, had so many flour
ishing villages upon its line as does this
same Portland and Cgdensburg road to day.
In fact, it Is doubtful whether even now it
cannot compare notes to its advantage in
this respect with the Passumpsic road.
built more than score of years ago. "NO
local business Why, strictly local bust
ness of more than 100000 during such a
terrible year as the last, with only one end
Of the road opened, and with the very best
part of the State from which to expect such
business still unreached, will give more
decisive answer to this statement than any
words which can be written.
And now as to the grade over Walden
height. This for five miles in both directions
ascending and descending is less than 60
feet to the mile, as any engineer can easily
l..
truth is, all the roads in Vermont. the
tine Central Vermont and the
Rutland and Burlington. cross the same
watershed as does the Portland and
o gdensburg. And upon no one OF these
roads, with the exception perhaps of the
Central Vermont, can an engine draw
heavier load over this ridge going from
west to the east than can be drawn by the
same engine out of the Lamoille valley over
this same Walden height.
Mr.. Mitchell gives in detail the Il CURES of
the grades. which, contrary to Butternut's
statement, have been published in two widely
circulated reports, and sums them up as
follows:
To sum up the whole matter then as to
trades. at will be found that, as compared
with other roads in the State, the Portland
and Ogdensburg Railroad bas; (D No ex-
heavy grades, except between St.
Johnsbury and Danville; (2) That this
grade is one descending esstwardly. or in
favor of the trade and (3) That this IL an
average grade of (aboc) IS feet to the
mile, with a maximum of e. feet, and n
short exceptional one Temporary of %
feet
Does this grade ruin the Commercial
value" of the road? Let US make a COM
parIson or two. The Boston and Albany
Railroad has an average grade of IS
feet to the mile for many miles. both
ascending and descending esstwardly. The
Pennsy lvania Central railroad has a grade
of 95 feet to the mile for some ten miles
descending eastwardly. The Baltimore and
Ohio railroad has five miles of LOG feet,
and ten miles of ll6 ieet average grade to
the mile ascending eastwardly, and l6 miles
of ZIG feet average grade TO the mile de-
scending eastwardly, and the maximum
both ascending and descending exceeds lei
feet to the mile. 1t only remains TO add
that the first and last OF the roa ds named
have regularly paid 10 per cent dividends
upon most fabulous cost OF construction,
and the other has not been far behind.
A CANNON WITH A llIsToRY.-lt was cast
in l776, and used on board one of the
United States vessels OF war. In the war Of
1872 it was on board of Commodore Me