Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-08-22

scene Of much local agitation caused by news
paper attacks upon the new railroad which
the inhabitants Of Windham county have
much interest in and which is soon to be in
operation. Knowing the grave charges made
against the way the road was being built and
the intense interest manifested by the resi-
dents Of the West River valley and Of the
State, your correspondent has made careful
Investigation both parties -
made a personal examination Of the bridges,
masonry, trestle work, grading, &c, also
tour over the road-bed TO Jamaica, Vt, n dis
lance of over twenty-five mics, and is pre-
pared TO report that the recent attack in print
against the rond, its contractors and officers,
was uucalled for and unjusthable. To fully
understand the question it will he necessary
TO 90 back few years and look into the his
tory Of the enterprise a little. West River
wiley is the largest water course in eastern
Vermont. A railrond up this river has been
agitated for over fifteen years. II will he
surprising to see the fine farming country
when the tourist takes his first ride up the
valley. Over sixty thousand acres of timber
land, which has never been touched by the
woodlands AK. will be in close proximity TO
the new road. It has been impossible to Sc
cure financial aid sufficient to build the road
until narrow gauge was talked, then new life
was infused into the enterprise, and it is
success. vi COURSE IL llhh bttu uttthAtiN lOl
the towns to aid, and Brattleboro voted $50
900. Newfane S25, 900, Townshend S37 900
Jamaica $50, 500, Londonderry S23, 200, max
ing S1GS, OOO ind 'viduAl subscriptions S32,-
80 a total of 500, $50. The charter was
granted three years ago from Brattleboro to
Whitehall, N. Y, q distance Of 81 miles, or
to Londonderry. a distance of 375 miles. In
securing the aid of the towns much opposi-
ton was, Of course, necessary to be over
come. Here in Brattleboro there were two
parties but the ni'-oad men cal led their
point and the road was started These towns
have negotiated their bonds nearly at par
and at five per cent. interest and with the in
dividual subscriptions have paid to the treas
urer $50, 600, which has been put into the
road The middle of August ten per cent
more wiz be paid to the contractors, leaving
only about $50, 900 of the amount subscribed
unpaid. 1t is due to the officers of the vari-
Gus towns that since the publication Of the
recent charges the assessments have been met
even more promptly than before. Last No
vember proposals for bids were made by the
directors, and over twenty were received for
the construction of the road, and the con
tract was awarded to Harris Bros. d Co,
which consists Of b. d. Harris of Brattleboro
and c. ID. Harris of Keene The price was
to be 100000, a" equipped and in running
condition, TO be Of three feet gauge and to be
built to Londonderry. The equipment is TO
be two eighteen-tOn engines, mogul pattern,
with six driving wheels each, about six pas
senger cars and between forty and fifty freight
cars. To meet the payments, which are to
be $40, 900 cash, $4,000 in bonds and
$4,000 in stock, it was necessary to issue
$50, 600 in first mortgage bonds which has
been done.
"As in many towns in the State each party
has newspaper here, so the Reformer, a
Democratic paper owned by G. II. Davenport
d Co., has been used as the organ OF attack.
The company Of this firm is supposed TO be
Charles N. Davenport, Esq, a prominent law
yer Of Windham county, and who, over his
own initials published letter against the
road calling it cheap affair and said the
towns were being swindled that the money
was obtained by false representations, ca ing
the men rasCals who 'foisted the scheme"
and other similar language Mr. Davenport
has veiJ few followers. To fu''y understand
the true relations to the case in al respects
il would be necessary TO take up the famous
Waite -Estey organ patent suit, which space
does not now permit, but which causes the
two parties to take opposite views in a mat
tiers here
"Of the persons interviewed, Judge Wheel.
or of the United States District Court, Jamai-
ca, Col S. NJ. Waite, President of the largest
road matters; President Farley Sta Of the
Peoples National Bank and many other
prominent business men, all speak of the
good prospects Of the new road, while the en-
tire people along the 'ne that have been Wis
tied condemn the attack in no choice Ian
gauge. 1t has made many who voted against
bonding the town firm friends and supporters
of the road. Mr.. Davenport says he wrote
the letter with nothing but good intentions,
l. al, S,,ts. Al.
tract, but lis now convinced the contractors
are performing their part, spoke of the road
as sure to be bankrupt conceI i, and evil
IDENTIFY did not entertain any good feelings
with the management Harris Bros 4 Co. the
contractors, are above reproach, and as b. d.
HaIis has long lived in Brattleboro and has
much public enterprise, lie is evidently Civ
ing good work for the money. To the Off
GERS of the road the residents of the valley
owe much, as to their enterprise is largely
due the success thus far of the road.
BROWNIE"
President Stearns, of the Fitchburg rail
road, who is a civil engineer of eminence and
long experience, with Chief Engineer Turner,
and Director Wallace, all OF the same road,
made trip up the line of the Marrow Gauge
railroad on Monday, and carefully examined
the ''shammy" work we have heard so much
about. On their return they spoke approx
ingly of the location and other engineering
work-particularly of the entrance into Brat
teboro along the Valley road, and pointedly
and unreservedly commended the construc-
ton work now finished or in progress The
masonry, they say, is better than the average
on first-class New England roads, and ample
in size and strength for a broad-g gauge track.
They also spoke of the bridges and other
work as comparing favorably with similar
work on other good and substantially built
roads. Here is the disinterested testimony
of we'l-known railroad men, who know what
they are talking about, and it is worth some
thing. 1t simply confirms the uniform testi-
mony of all intelligent men who have exam
ined the work, and shows that, instead of be-
ing cheated aud swin6'ed, as has been charg-
ed, the people of the West River Valley are
getting good railroad for comparatively lit
tie money.