Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-15
MONDAY EVENINGS RAILROAD MEETING.

MONDAY EVENINGS RAILROAD MEETING.
The railroad meeting for general discus
sion, which was held at the town hall last
Monday evening, called out gathering of
citizens which filed the hall to its full seat
ing capacity. A deep interest in the impor-
tant subject under consideration was mani
Tested by all present and the different speak
ers were listened to with close and undivided
attention. Col Haskins, who presided open
ed the meeting with n consideration of some
of the weak objections which have been urg-
ed against the two-foet-gauge project In
closing, he said that the charge had been
made that nobody lives in the West. River
valley, so that railroad communication through
the valley is unnecessary. In refutation of
such foolish objection he would refer to the
substantial men who occupied the platform,
many Of whom were from these West River
valley towns, and he could assure the audi
cnce from his personal knowledge that these
men represented no more than an average of
the worthy citizens of those towns.
James l.. Martin, Esq, of South London
derry, followed Col Haskins in a speech filed
with sound and indisputable arguments for
the road. At present he said, Londonderry
and Bntteboru, though of the same county,
are strangers rather than friends, because
Londonderry has no means of communication
with Bruttleboro. If Londonderry man
would come to Brattleboro his most direct
way is to go with his team to Chester, take
the cars there for Bellows Falls and come
thence to Brattleboro. When the project for
II new county first came before the State leg
500
because her business interests lay toward the
north and away from Windham County: but
afterward, when railroad up the West Riv-
er valley was talked of and promised, she
changed her position ON the new county ques-
ton and instructed her representative to vote
against it, because, under those conditions,
she preferred to remain part of Windhnm
County. When Londonderry's railroad meet
ing met last Saturday, many voters said, eve
will vote no on the question of town aid, be-
cause, if n road is built to Brnttleboro all the
trade of the great basin of which Londonder.
ny is the centre, will 20 down to Brnttleboro,
and Brattleboro has said that she does not
want us while, on the other hand Chester
and Bellows Falls do want us, and are ready
to help us" Finally, however, the people
said that they would act independently in tn,
matter, and then see what Brattleboro vii
do about it. The result was a vote to aid the
road by large majority. What Londonder
~ now asks of Bratteboro is to give such
vote on Saturday as that, in future, the two
towns may be neighbors, acquaintance ant
friends. 1t has been urged as an objection t.
the two-feet-gauge road, Mr.. Martin said, tina
this road stops at Londonderry without going
through to Whitehall. So far as Brattle
boro's interests are concerned, however i
must be decidedly to her advantage to hay,
the road stop at Londonderry, and for tn,
reason that that town is the centre of grea
basin of mountain towns with population o
1000. As the case now stands the trade o
this basin is divided between Chester, Lud
low and Manchester. If n railroad We're bull
through to Whitehall, Manchester would en-
ter into direct competition with Brattlebor
for the trade of this basin; but if the roat
stops at Londonderry every dollar of thi
trade must come to Brattleboro. The ques
ton is, will Brattleboro accept of the larg
and permanent increase of business which
thus offered to her?
Col. J.. X. Fuller was next introduced /
the audience rs n man who was heartily in ia
vor of the nilroad and that gentleman re
sponded with speech in which he gave
careful description of the Billerica and Bed
ford two-feet-gauge road and its equipment
as seen and examined by him on the occasio
of the recent railroad excursion.
Edward Crosby, ESD. spoke of his recer
visit to the Billerica and Bedford railroad, c
the eminently favorable impression which Ii
and the gentlemen who accompanied him ha
received of the road, and of the astonishin
case with which its locomotives had cleare
the track q week before, of deep and heay
suow-drifts. Mr.. Crosby, with great earnes
ness said that he believed in the propose
road to Londonderry as a matter of simpl
self-preservation. not alone for himself, bI
4 for every property-holder in Brattleboro.
his property stands every brick that he owl
is taxed and, as he affirmed, he pays taxes o
u large property that he does not own. If II
road is built his personal tax for its constru,
ton will be $500, and he would rather plede
himself to give $4,000 than not have the roa
built, for he believed that, without the roa,
his real estate will depreciate $1,000 year f.
the next - years, and all other real estate
town will depreciate in the same proportion
Mr. S. II. Sherman said that he had her
tofore been inclined to oppose the road, b.
on recent visit to Bellows Falls he heal
conversation from the leading men of tn
section which convinced him that they we
thoroughly in earnest in their talk about bull
ing the Bellows Falls, Grafton and Tow
shend railroad if the road from Brattlebo
fails of success. The people ut the north
the county have got the money to build the
road. and they are determined to build it,
Brattleboro does not assure the constructiC
OF the West River road. For himself, NJ
Sherman said that he was in every way
thorough convert in favor of the enterprise.
The speaking of the evening closed with
few earnest suggestive, and well stated arg
ments for the road from J. NJ. Tyler, Esq.