Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-04-13
Communications.
Brat,IcDoro and whitehall Railroad.

BrattIebOro and whitehall Railroad.
Mr.. EddOr!-I wish to say n word about
the position taken by our farmers at the
railroad meeting in the town hall March
3lst. suppose ii was generally ex-
peeled that some Of the farmers in the west
part Of the town would oppose the enter
prise aud that they would try to offer some
valid reasons for their opposition, but who
of us expected to hear them, plead poverty
as their excuse after reaping the rich har-
vests OF the past twelve years, and much
less hear them Tor want of better argu-
melt, accuse The friends Of the enterprise
Of stating for truth what they knew to be
false.
About two months ago had occasion 10
90 down the St. Lawrence river as far as
Quebec. While there / met gentlemen
from Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land, Connecticut and New York They
were engaged in buying and shipping po-
tatoes. They were paying 80 cents per BUSH
81, and the farmers looked upon this as a
perfect god-send-an unheard-of opportu-
nifty. They could be seen coming in from
all directions with their Blpland sledges,
bringing their potatoes; and then they
would go up to the city and buy some lux
ury TO take home in consequence of their
good fortune. / also learned that beef was
selling at five coppers (two-pence half
penny per pound, and other farm produce
at corresponding rates. Now it might seem
TO us that farmers selling their produce at
these prices could not afford to aid ma
terially in building railroads. but how is
it? There is, at present, but one railroad,
the Grand Trunk, between Montreal and
Quebec. They have no competing line. 1t
is true that they have the advantage of wa
ter communication while the river is open,
but for five or six months in the year they
are subject TO the same exorbitant rates OF
freight and passenger tariff that we are,
and in order TO secure competing line for
this part of the year they are now building
another railroad from Quebec to Montreal,
a distance OF 10 miles, and to this enter
prise the farmers along the line at and
around Quebec and Montreal are generous
~ and cheerfully contributing They look
upon it as their opportunity-as an enter
prise that will benefit them and their chill
dren-and in no place did l see farmers
children naked or hungry. And when l
hear the farmers Of Bratileboro plead, as an
excuse for asking the merchants, mechan-
les and manufacturers TO carry the burden
of this much needed improvement alone,
that the small amount asked OF Brattleboro
to aid in the construction Of the Braltle boro
and Whitehall railroad will, if raised by
talr a Al htna1 IN Of tbnfr abilIrapfg
mou tbs and the clothes off their backs, the
argument seems TO me to he a very weak
one, when there are not six farmers in
Brattleboro who could not, at present
| prices, pay their whole tax for this road
with one acre Of potatoes.
But may be doing injustice TO the more
intelligent class of farmers. l cannot be-
| lieve that the farmers of Brattleboro do or
will endorse the sentiment expressed by
some Of their number at the meeting re-
| ferred to, for ] verify believe that the far
mers will derive more benefit from the
! opening of the West river valley by the
proposed road than any other class.
1t has been asserted that, If the road is
| built, farmers up the road will send their
produce to Brattleboro, and that our far
mers will have more competition than they
do now; but is this so? Let us see. 1t is a
fact that no one will deny that where there
is an increasing demand for labor there is a
| corresponding increase in the demand for
supplies, and these supplies must be fur
nished largely by farmers. Now lei US
look at Dummerston. We find here an in.
exhaustible supply of very superior gran
tie. This l say from experience in work
ing this granite, and from observation in
visiting nearly all the QUAR- es in New
England. The road, as surveyed, runs
| three-fouribs Of a mile along the base of
Black mountain, which is the quarry. This
| quarry is owned by a corporation who
have large contracts for furnishing granite
for the New York Stale capitol. They have
also other large contracts, all of which they
wish to Gil from this quarry, but cannot al
present by reason Of the cost Of transporta-
| lion. Now, is it unreasonable TO suppose,
that, before the road is completed, they
will have al least one hundred men at work
| in this quarry? And within five years
from the time the road is completed one
hundred more will be added. This will
necessitale a village at this quarry Of at
leas; five hundred inhabitants where now
you will lind bnt one OF the many cellar
holes that mark the place OF former resi-
dences up the valley Of West river. Here
then is a home market ior Dummerston
farmers.
1t was said by one farmer at our last
meeting that he brought five pounds of
butter TO the village and could not sell it.
Now it is possible that some Dummerston
| farmer, more fortunate than himself, came
earlier with his box, and supplied the
market, but a case of this kind will not be
! likely 10 occur when Dummerslon farmers
lind home market for their produce. And
| what is true OF Dummerston is true of 9TH
er towns up the valley. So 1 repeat that
farmers will derive more benefit from the
building of this road than any other class,
and hope if the present effort to raise the
amount required Of Braltleboro by sub
scription should fail, that when the matter
is properly laid before the town for final
action every tax payer will come forward
and give this enterprise his cordial sup
port. See 10 it that if this opportunity is
lost land If once lost it is lost forever that
it shall not be said Of Brallleboro that she
was weighed in the balance and found
wanting. Yours, for the road,
A WORKING MAN.
The Metric Bulletin.