Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-01-25

Next Saturday. Railroad Meeting.
On Saturday next the voters of Brattleboro
will assemble in town meeting to see if they
will vote TO instruct their railroad commits
sioners, chosen on the l4th day Of last April.
to subscribe the sum of $50 600 at that time
voted in aid Of the Brattleboro and Whitehall
railroad, to a two-feet gauge railroad to he
built from Brattleboro TO South Londonder-
ry. At the time our railroad meetiY.j were
held last spring, ending they did. on the
l4th day of April with a vote to aid the Brat
tleboro and Whitehall road. by the large ma
jority of 139, the sentiment in favor Of the
enterprise was marked. decided and en,hus-
astic. There is no reason TO believe that this
sentiment has suffered any falling off or that
it has in any degree grown lukewarln on
the contrary we believe that every added
month has only confirmed our people in their
well-grounded opinion of the importance of
securing railroad communication with our
West River valley neighbors. and for this rta-
son we confidently look to see the town vote
to aid the two-feet gauge project by major
ity even stronger than that recorded in April
last
At the time the Brattleboro and Whitehall
project was under discussion last spring every
possible argument pertaining to the subject
was so thoroughly canyassed and discussed
all sorts of pertinent facts. figures and sta
tistics were so freely and repeatedly given. and
all possible issues in the case were so fully
stated that the whole matter cannot be other
wise than fresh and well-defned in the public
mind at the present time. For this reason
little need now be said beyond the simple and
indisputable statement that every argument
which was adduced with convincing force in
favor of the three-feet gauge project TO White
hall applies with equal. and even redoubled
force in favor of the proposed two-feet gauge
road TO South Londonderry. The leading
argument in favor of q railroad through the
West River valley has been. is. aid must be.
on the score of self-interest and self-preserya-
ton. As the case now stands year by wear
the once thriving and prosperous towns of
the West River valley are gradually wasting
and going to decay; year by year their prop
erty valuation decreases year by year their
farms are becoming deserted. their young
men are seeking more promising fields Of use
fitness, and every sort of business and manu-
featuring interest languishes-and for 10 9th
er reason than that the valley lacks those
transportation facilities which are requisite for
the development of its abundant and unsllr-
passed natural resources. With the growth
and prosperity of these towns Bnttleboro has
grown and prospered with their decay Brat
tleboro's business must also permanently de-
cline and fall away. Still another. and in
some respects the most important considera-
ton in the premises is the fact that Oh the
securing of necessary railroad facilities through
the valley of the West River does the intygri-
ty of Windham county depend. In the pres
ent condition of things every dollar of the
trade Of our northern tier of towns goes over
and down the hills TO Chester and Bellows
Falls, and more than half of tina, of Jamaica
and Townshend and Wardsboro goes the same
way, instead Of coming to Brattltboro where
it naturally belongs. With their business
flowing in such a direction, a persistent and
determined effort has been made to SIT off
the northern tier of towns referred to. to help
make new county with its scat at Chester.
and unless some decided movement TO arrest
the disaster is made on our part at once, there
Is positive and imminent danger that another
session of the legislature may see the project
consummated. With railroad built through
the valley, or in process Of construction. the
danger will be ayerted, the integrity Of Wind
ham county will be forever assured. thrift and
| prosperity will return to its now declining
towns, and Brattleboro will become the per
/ av4t oy,l sy,,., l. i
of country, in and contiguous to the West
River valley, more than double the area. and of
a thriving population NOR, than double the
number of that which now seeks this point as
an outlet and source of supply.
Such. in brief, were few Of the leading
arguments which convinced our people of the
necessity of voting aid to a three-feet gauge
road to Whitehall, and such are the argument.
which now apply, with undiminished force
in favor of a two-feet gauge road to South
Londondeuy-fo it is not doubted by any
person who has given the subject intelligent
consideration that, with the road once in sue
cessful operation TO the last named point, the
people on the wes Il side of the mountain would
at once take measures to secure its constrIlc
ton through to Whitehall as originally pro
posed. That road with a gauge of two
feet would be entirely adequate to every de
mand of the West River valley traffic, as wei
as for the through business TO Whitehall. ad
Inits of no question. That such a road pos
sesses every possible requirement of safety
speed and capacity has been amply and re
peatedly demonstrated in our columns. al,
every day adds convincing proof of the fac
in the successful operation of the Billerica
Bedford Mass, two-feet gauge road.
The strongest point remains yet to be stated
1t is that, while road with a gauge of tw,
feet would meet every demand Of our loca
business, and of through traffic to Whitehall
It's ultimate western terminus, il can be bull
, for such sum of money as can be substan
italy raised along its line, and as would plac
II permanently in the control and manage
ment Of the towns directly interested, with
, out recourse to the aid of any foreign capital
list. 1t Is this fact combined with an implied
faith in the manifest advantages of the two
feet gauge system, which now leads many q
our people TO prefer to see a road built t
Whitehall on this gauge rather than on a wide
. one, even as matter of choice. II is fittin
( ! that Battleboro should lead in the matter