St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-01
The Portland and ogdensburg.
Interesting Official Facts Concerning 1T
Grades as Compared with Other Railroads
The Roads Local Business, Etc.

Interesting Official Facts Concerning Its
Grades as Compared with Other Railroads.
The Roads Local Business, Etc.
ST. JOHNsBURY, VT, May 26, II.
To the Editor of the CdledOnidn
The following from the Springfield
Republican of the 22d, is the substance
of my reply to a communication, dated
Newport, and signed 'Butternut,"
which appeared in that paper of the
8th inst. The original is not at hand
no copy having been preserved, and
there is therefore no means at hand of
restoring it TO its original form. Nor is
this important. The design of my re-
ply was not to provoke controversy,
but simply TO deny by authority, some
startling statements so positively made
that it might well seem the writer had
Just found means of knO1cing the fearful
extent of that which he intimates had
been suspected before.
Perhaps the information herein con-
tained may not come amiss even in this
latitude. A. G.. MITCHELL
To the Editor Of the Republican
From IL letter headed 'Vermont
Topics" to which a prominent place
was given in the daily Republican of
the Sth, cut the following paragraph
''The Portland and Ogdensburg road is
approaching completion. OF all the
follies in railroad building in New Eng
land this is certainly the most foolish.
Over most of the route
there is not and never will be 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 Is miles over
the Walden nights (Which, and not the
Green mountains, are the true summit
between the Connecticut and Lake
Champlain,) the average grade does
not fall much below 100 feet to the
mile. The passage of the Pennsylva-
mia Central through the Alleghanies is
nothing to it, since here is an uncom-
promising ridge without gap, which
must be climbed over To make a
road of any commercial value here re-
quires tunneling to which the Hoosac is
not circumstance. The truth in re-
gard to these grades has never been
made public, and any statement ap-
proximatimg to it is always deniedn
And so the writer of the foregoing,
undeterred by the aforesaid "denial, y
has made his Statement" of which
perhaps it may be said that, "what in
it is true is not new, and what is new
is not true" New? Why, for ten
years or more this has been the favorite
, form of attack upon this railroad pro-
ject from John A. Poor downward, the
wish of the writer being the father of
! the thought expressed or statement
made. And all these persistent attacks
; undoubtedly indicate wholesome
fear that the completion of the road
will hurt somebody.
Now it might be possible to crowd
more errors into newspaper paragraph
of the same length as that above quo
: ted, but certainly it would be difficult.
That the road is approaching compile
tion-perhaps the immediate and bitter
cause of this last Parthian arrOw-that
the dividing Ridge between Lake Cham
plain and the Connecticut is crossed in
Walden, and that Is miles (mere or
less) are somewhere used in the transit
to gain seven-all these are true, yet,
save the first, by no means new. The
: remainder of the paragraph will be ex-
amined more in detail.
b To one acquainted with the country
o traversed by this road in Vermont it is
e unnecessary to say that for the greater
It part of its length it passes through
. some of the most beautiful, productive
5 and well-improved farming in the state
Il and so far as population is concerned
Il no other road in Vermont, aUhen built
= had so many fiourishing villages upon
il its line as does this same Portland and
e Ogdensburg road to-day. In fact, it is
If doubtful whether even now it cannot
it compare notes to its advantage in this
It respect with the Passumpsic road, built
II more than score of years ago. "NC
!" local business !" Why, IA strictly loca
business of more than 100000 during
IT such a terrible year as the last, will
If only one end of the road opened, ant
o with the very best part of tue stat,
}, from which to expect such business
d still unreached, will give a more de-
k cisive answer to this statement thar
l. any which can be written.
ri And nov aS tO tha Grade over Wal