Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-31
The Tannemora Railroad Grab.

Fairly sinmcrrd down, the facts about the
railroad transaction across the lake, which
New Workers are talking 50 much about,
appear to be- is follows Mr.. Smith Weed of
Platts5ursh was active in securing the pass
are of a law authorizing the construction of
a narrow guagc railroad from Plattshurgh 10
Clinton Prison For the building of this
railroad the State paid somewhere from
$4,000 to S190,OO0 The act authorizing
the Governor and Comptroller to fix the
terms on which the road might be leased. if
deemed desirable, they have leased the
road for one hundred years To the Chateau
gay Railroad Company, for one dollar 4
year, the dcad-heading Of prison officials and
the free transportation of prison supplies
the latter amounting to little, as the large
proportion of supplies are bought in the
neighborhood of the prison. The transpor-
tation Of wood and timber from the State
lands, and of manufactures from the prison,
is to be at rates which the Superintendent of
Prisons and the State Comptroller shall de
termine. No provision has been made res
pectins the transportation Of prisoners;
five cents mile may lie charged for this
service. The explanation of the transaction
is found in the fact that Smith Weed
is leading owner Of the "Chateaugay Iron
Mining Company, lying, the Tribune says
siN-thc Albany Iryns says, sixteen miles
beyond Danncmora and the Chateaugay
Railroad Company is TO construct a road
from Danncmora to the mining company's
works Getting l. miles of road already
running. for nothing. is good thing for
Weed, and the grab explains the deep inter
est he took in behalf of State appropriations
TO the amount of $4,000 10 'secure rail
road connection with Clinton Prison"
The only plea in defence of the transac-
ton is that the road was not paying expenses
But ihe State operated the road at the most
unfavorablc season of the ycar-last Winter
and Spring and its earnings were steadily
increasing. II is now. it is said, earning $50
a dav above expenses. And as the iron
mines beyond Danncmora are developed, it
is probable that the earnings of the road will
he more than doubled The Troy Times says
of the transaction:
The idea of building this road for the State
was probably good one in order TO make
the prison property available and save other
and larger expenditures. But the idea of
giving it away when it promised TO be
source of revenue Of thousands Of dollars
year to the State: of giving it away when ii
might he leased TO the great pccuniary adj
vantage Of the State if publicly put in market
for leasing; Of giving it away when, as is
shown, the development of iron mines in the
vicinity was sure to render il more and more
valuable, can only be characterized as a grab
or Il steal Of >la9.0 900 from the State treas
ury in the name Of Robinson and re |
form" No matter If two or three or how |
many Republicans have been associated with |
Weed in this business railroad men like |
Mr.. Dickson. who are interested in a great |
trunk line Of which this road built by the .
State is TO be a feeder, are supposed to he 1
quite willing 10 take and operate road that /
costs nothing" when it is offered them by |
Weed or any other man upon terms that .
shall afford the latter big thing in giving .
value to his mining property and in other Z
ways not 50 clear 10 the uninit lated. With /
Mr.. Dickson il is business To get larger trans
poration for his line: with Mr.. Weed ii was |
to make good thing at the expense of the .
State he worked and manipulated for II
he has got il through the processes of Rob
nsOn and reform" The State loses $40
300, and Saith Weed is on the stump flu
riously advocating the reelection of Robin
son for governor, Olcott for Comptroller.