Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-11
Wars and Rumors Of Wars.


Mcssrs. Editors The New York Tribune notes
with unfegned alarm the report Of the grain trade
for the first eleven weeks Of the year 1877, as com
pared with the same period in 1876, because it
appears that while Baltimore has barely held liz
own, Philadelphia shows loss Of two million
bushels, New York loses one million seven hum
bred thousand bushels, but Boston has an Increase
Of one million three hundred thousand bushels
The Tribune urges that not another week should be
allowed to pass without taking Steps for securing
to New York the recovery Of the loss in the traffic
upon which her prosperity depends When we
take into account the fact that the greater portion
Of this grain carried to Boston by the way Of
the Grand Trunk and over the Central Vermont
through the Green Mountains; and also another
TACT that the transportation Of nearly all hogs
and pork going to the markets OF both New York
and Boston, has been secured by the managers of
the Central and Grand Trunk and brought over
their roads, we have the key to the great contro-
versy, and good deal of light upon the railroad
war that has occupied prominent place be-
fore the public during the past few years
The cities above named with their western rail-
road lines, in their eagerness to secure a monop-
oily OF the trade In the produce Of the West are
engaged In competition that in some instances
amounts to deadly warfare The Pennsylvania,
the Baltimore and Ohio, the Erie and the New
York Central not only engage in desperate strug-
gle with each other, but all interested in try
ing to break down the power Of the Central Yer
mont at whatever cost. BY putting the rates 80
low as to make 1t impossible to secure any profits
they have tried to drive them from the field by
buying up the stock, they have endeavored to get
controlling interest in the road and by attack
ing the managers in every conceivable manner,
before the courts and legislative committees and
through the public press, with such a fierceness
and persistency that few organizations could have
had the power to withstand, they have tried to
break the main link In the chain of roads that
| makes this one of the most important lines in the
land. Such combination of immense wealth
could find willing instruments even here in YER
| mont to do their bidding for hire OF course no
zane man could expect that corporation engaged
| in such contest could be at the same time pay
| ing large dividends by way Of profits
Such facts as these Of great interest to every
citizen of Vermont. And it is matter OF con-
graduation for them that all attempts to destroy
this line have not only failed but that to-day they
| are carrying the lions share of produce from
Chicago to the Ours being an inland state,
| it has not formerly had much to do by way of
trade and commerce Accommodating wealth but
slowly in producing WOOL horses and maple sugar,
Vermont has been struggling along until the adj
vent Of railroads made manufacturing feasible to
a small extent. And from among her citizens
have arisen men who have built up and had the
controlling management of one Of the great lines
Of traffic from the Western states to the sea No
doubt the late John Smith foresaw that by careful
| mai M Mt 10. latl
the key to one Of the great lines of traffic that
| moves the financial world
And therefore it is that the New York in
| terests seek to ruin the road by competition, or
break down the men who alone have the execu-
tive ability to manage such an extensive thorough
fare, in order that the immense traffic in grain and
pork that now goes to Boston may be diverted to
their own city. Every man, woman and child in
the state should rejoice that thus far these rail-
road kings have utterly failed Every foot Of
land in Vermont would be deprecated if the pres
ent position of the road was lost The money to
build the road, to keep it in repair, to provide
its splendid equipments, depots cars, engines as
well as to pay great army of employees clerks,
| book-keepers, mechanics, track men, etc. etc,
| that live among us-al this money or nearly all,
comes from outside of the state and Is constantly
adding to our general wealth, Great numbers Of
freight cars, as well AS passenger and paror cars,
are made at st Adams, and run from Chicago to
Boston and to New York The car service is
paid for at SO much per mile, believe by the
roads that use them So that II car running from
Chicago to Boston or New York draws almost all
its earnings from foreign roads and brings the
money to the owners of the who live in YER
mont. We see reason to be in trouble because
40 many of the cars are made aud owned among
us Nor do we regret that engines are built and
rails and car-wheels and other castings are manu-
featured within our borders We hope to see the
lay when the manufactures of Vermont will be
| increased ten-fold W.