Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-30

The time for argument on the question
OF the Brattleboro and Whitehall railroad
has well-ngh gone by, and it only remains
for each individual TO decide how he will
cast his vote on Saturday afternoon. In
successive issues of THE PHGNIx during
the past two months we have entered into
full statement of all available facts and
figures concerning this enterprise, and have
repeatedly given our reasons for believing
that Brattleboro should not on any account
fail to ensure its success, as it is in her
power 10 do. We have shown the impor-
lance of this road as running by the short
est possible route from The Connecticut val
ley to Whitehall and there tapping the
great water transportation line of the coun-
try at its initial point; we have shown how
the road will benefit the farmers of Brattle-
boro by largely increasing the bulk of
property valuation in the village and thus
reducing the taxes on the farms; we have
shown how the road will cheaper Treights
and so benefit, not only property holders,
but every laboring man or mechanic who
burns ton of coal or uses foot of lumber;
and we have shown by actual figures how
small will be the burden on each indVidu-
al If the S50,Ot0 asked for is raised by taxa
ton. But alter every other possible argu-
ment has been canvassed, the one primary
consideration is felt TO be that the road
should be built as matter of self-proser-
walton for this town and for the outlying
country to which Brattleboro owes its lie
and support. The real question at issue is
not whether we are ever TO reap direct re.
turn in actual money dividends for this
proposed investment Of $4,000; it is, on
the contrary, whether we could not better
afford to give twice this sum than 10 allow
the opportunity 10 slip away unimprcved.
If the road is built we shall see all the
towns ON lis line converted into busy,
thriving and growing communities, and
the surplus trade and business of every one
of them lying this side the mountain COM
ing naturally and inevitably TO Braltleboro.
II 1t is not built, these towns will continue
to decline, until at no distant day we shall
sec Windham county shorn of its northern
tier of towns, and the end will be that some
other line of railroad will he built to reach
its rich and undeveloped back country,
which will carry its business away from us
to Bellows Falls and Chester on the north
or Hoosac Tunnel on the south. The ques-
tion is one which vitality interests every
resident of Brattleboro, and whose decision
every voter virtually holds in his own
hand. 1t Is a time when every personal
feeling of whatever kind should be lost in
a common determination to act wisely and
generously, with view to establish our
present and future prosperity.
If the day comes which sees the Brattle-
boro and Whitehall railroad under contract
and its construction begun, from that day
will date new era of growth and activity
for this town. With Brattleboro as the
base of supplies for at least one-half the
length of the road, during its construction,
our merchants would at once feel a quick
ening OF trade such as they have not ex-
perienced since the close of the war labor
would be in quick demand, and every
thing in the way of farm produce would
have ready sale. The disbursement in
our village of SO large a sum of money as
would thus inevitably find its way here
would be the beginning of those better
times for which we have waited SO anx-
iously, and, the road once completed and
opened for traffic, We should have steady
and constantly increasing inflow of new
business which would repay us four-fold
as a community for every dollar paid out
TO establish tho enterprise. We are strong