Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-02

0O0 AS narrow gauge it would not have
cost over 100000, and on such an invest
ment would have regularly earned per
cent. per annum. The Sullivan road, run
ming between Bellows Fails and Windsor,
which originally cost 81, $50, 900, could have
been built as a narrow gauge for $780, 600,
and on this sum would have earned per
cent dividends. The Vermont and Massa-
chusetts railroad cost about 1000, OO0, or
$4,000 per mile; built as a narrow-gauge
its original cost could not have exceeded
81, SOC, 900, and on this investment it would
have been one of the best pieces of railroad
property in the New England States.
The lesson taught by these figures is self
evident. 1t is, simply, that all Of the rail-
roads named have been built upon plan
and at first cost entirely disproportoned
to the amount and character of the business
which they were designed 10 accommodate,
and the statement might easily and with
| equal truth be extended so as to apply to
nearly every other line of railroad in the
| Eastern States. Careful aud complete sta
tislics show that the average cost Of all the
railroads in New England has been at the
rate of $4,000 per mile, and it is a fact
which admits Of no question that in every
instance these roads could have been built
on the narrow-gauge system at an average
of $40, 900 per mile, thus making at the out
set, and during the life of the roads, a saw
ing in interest alone, on the original in
vestment, of $500 per mile-an item which
has in itself the suggestion of a very com
al, f.f1 Dat =. l.. Iii r..
statistics show, as well, that willie the cost
OF operating the common gauge roads
amounts 10 so per cent. of the gross earn
ings per year, narrow gauge roads could
do the same business, with the same expe-
dition, al cost of only so to 90 per cent. OF
| the gross income. 1t is, indeed, the can
didly expressed opinion of competent aud
experienced railroad men that were any or
all of the railroad lines in New England
North Of the Boston aud Albany, to be
built anew at the present day, in the light
of present knowledge IN the subject, thew
would be constructed on the narrow. gauge
plan, thus saving two thirds of the first
cost of construction, and al least one fourth
Of the yearly cost of operation, while their
cheney would be not in the least impaired.
Suppose, then, the Brattleboro and White
hall railroad were TO be a common guage
road, with track feet 81 inches wide, as
are the roads already mentioned, its cost
would be $4,000 while as a narrow
gauge the cost of construction and equip
ment cannot exceed 81 100000. The differ
ence in the yearly interest on the invest
ment would be per cent. of 81 ,2OO, 900, or
the very considerable item OF $4,000. If
the road should do business of $1,000 per
mile, or s262, 500 per annum. which is at
least safe estimate, the difference in op.
Grating expenses would be over $4,000,
making, in all, total saving every wear,
in favor of the narrow gauge system, as
applied to this lie, of $40, 900, or over
per cent. on its entire COST In other words
it may be said in the light of the figures al
ready given, that if the road were to he
built as common gauge through the West
River valley and over the mountain, and
as such it were to earn S262, 500 per year,
its operating expenses could not be less
than so per cent. of its gross earnings, leav-
ing only s52, 500 TO pay the interest on an
investment of s., 500, 900, while as a narrow
gauge its business being the same, it is en-
tirely safe TO estimate its operating expen-
ses at not more than 60 per cent. of its gross
income, which would leave The very band
some sum of 100000 to pay interest and
dividends.
From these statements, all of which are
CLEANED from reliable sources, and admit of
l-a.1 ,,NA IA =.
seen why the projectors of the Braltleboro
and Whitehall railroad are sanguine that it
would form permanent first class invest
ment, of at least per cent, over and above
any consideration of the immense benefit
which it would bestow upon the section
through which it passes. As regards the
probability that this line would earn $4,000
per mile, it may be said that lis local bust
ness cannot well be less in proportion,
over its whole S7I miles of length, than is
that furnished by the A~auelot valley for
lis railroad "a miles in length, above re-
ierred to. The Ashuelot road, from its posi-
ton, and present connections, does no
through business, but for the past fifteen
years its earnings have been S2400 per mile
per year, and the only reasonable SUPPOSE
ton on this point would, in fact, be that the
West and Pawlet river valleys, from their
superior natural resources, including lum-
Der, marble, granite and slate, would fur
nish much greater amount of business
than does the valley of the Ashuelot. But
whether the local traffic Of the Brattleboro
and Whitehall railroad be more or less, no
one doubts that in addition TO it the line
would secure its full share of the through
carrying trade bound from the great West
to our New England manufacturing villa
ges and to tide water, to say nothing of the
immense bulk of freights in Canadian lum-
ber iron ores and anthracite coal now await
ing its opening at Whitehall. Its revenue
from these sources must inevitably be very
large, and in this connection it must be
still further borne in mind that it is not
possible for any person at all acquainted
with the subject 10 doubt that, if this road
is constructed, as proposed, it must, by the
force of circumstances, be continued to
Boston at no distant day. The sum of 81
100000 will construct a narrow.gauge road
from Brallleboro TO Boston, and when done
the distance from the head of Lake Cham
plain TO Boston would but little, if any, ex-
coed $50 miles, thus making route appre-
Gladly shorter than any now in existence
between those points, or between any ives.
tern water transit nd the Atlantic ocean,
and "a miles shorter Than the present line
from Brattleboro TO Boston, while the total
cost OF the whole line would he less than
one-third of that of any other line CONTEST
ing the same points. All the lines now in
existence which can compete for this
through traffic are uilt upon the common
track system, and this proposed narrow