Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-04-12
= Little Gospel Truth on the Railroad
0ueHtfOn,

From the adverse action which is reported
this week from Dummerston and Winhall in
regard to aid to the Brattleboro and White
hall railroad, taken together with the dilatory
movements Cor lack of movement in Wards
boro and Windham, it begins to be very evil
dent that those people in the smaller or more
distant towns, who, assuming to speak for
their respective localities have all along so
loudly proclaimed their interest in the pro-
posed railroad, either do not want to have the
road built or they expect that it will be built
without their giving dollar, and in spite of
the non-fulfllment of their solemn and re-
peated promises. This much is certain. That
the friends of the road at this end Of the line
have for some time been coming to the con
clusion that those towns which have refused,
or are now hesitating to give aid to the road,
are acting in exceedingly bad faith in the
matter For years these very towns have
been loudest in protesting their need of a
railroad and declaring that they were all going
TO ruin without one. For years they have
been going down on their knees to us of this
section and urgently declaring that if we
would but give them enough to help them
out, they would give their last dollar to Sc
cure a railroad outlet. We believed they
meant what they said, and, under an argu-
ment based largely on the debt of gratitude
which Brattleboro is supposed to owe to her
black country" for past trade favors. she has
heartily pledged her support to the road in
the full amount that was asked of her. and.
has also, in addition, raised handsome sum
by private subscription. But in face of all
this, and of the further important fact that
Londonderry, Jamaica, Townshend, and New
fame have fulfilled their pledges these 9TH
er towns now either go squarey back on
their word or give very suspicious indications
that they intend to do so. 1t is even said that
in some cases the very mean and selfish ar
gument is used that 1.-THE road is going to be
built anyhow, and we may as well keep our
money in our pockets"
However the towns referred to may enjoy
the reputation of having acted in bad faith, it
may as well be said, once for ALL that any
idea that the road is going to be built any
how is founded on an utter misrepresentation
of the situation. The $50, 600 which now re-
mains to be raised is the most important por-
ton of the whole required sum of 5000 600
and, if it is raised at all, four-ffths of it must
come from these towns and individuals who
have so many times solemnly promised to give
it. For more than year it was constantly
dinned in Brattleboros ears that the success
or failure of the whole project depended en-
tirely on the question whether she would give
$4,000 to help the other towns out. She be-
lieved her neighbors meant what they said,
and acted accordingly. She will stand square
ly by her pledges, and the other towns on the
line of the road which have already subscribed
to its stock will do the same. The whole
matter must be decided once for all in very
short time, and if any one or all of the re-
naming interested towns care to shoulder the
responsibility of finally defeating the whole
enterprise after it has come within an ace of
success, they can have the privilege of doing
SO. We believe that we can say with posi-
tive assurance that while the friends of the
road hereabouts will work to the last moment
to secure its construction, they have warmed
up" and ''enthused' over the matter for the
last time