Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-26

nant men IRON INC Nthb AlNtA hb"hH WtAN
in January, 1873, to pay a visit of inspection
to this Bedford & Billorica road The road
appeared to be all that it's friends claimed
for it, and the visitors became satisfied that
such road would be Sufficient for all the de-
mands of the West River traffic.
The project of building two.foot road
from Bratileboro to South Londonderry at
once begun to be agtated, and generally met
with warm endorsement from the people Of
the valley. Although it was the general opin-
ion that the votes Of the towns passed the
year previous in aid of the contemplated road
through to Whitehall were equally binding in
aid Of this new plan, it WAS thought best, as
a matter Of fairness, to secure formal trans
fer by the towns of their aid from the former
enterprise TO the latter. BY dint OF earnest
work this was accomplished, the provision
and understanding being that no vote or sub
scription should be binding until the sum of
$500, 900 Of capital stock in cash subscrip-
tons had been obtained. The town aid, as
finally voted, was in the following amounts
Brattleboro, 100000 Eewfane, S2j, 900
Townshend, $4,000 Jamaica, s32, 500
Londonderry, 1913, O0O-making total of
SlGS, 900. The balance Of tho required sum
of $500, 900 was secured by private subscrip-
ton, the closing subscription having been
made at Townshend in May, 1878. The sur
vey and permanent location of the road was
at once begun, and construction bids were
advertised for. September 30th the contract
for building the road was awarded to Col. L.
NJ Morrison of Lock Haven, Pa Col Nor
rison, however, finally declined TO enter upon
tho qecuton of his contract, and on tho
2Gth day OF October, 1878, a contract was
closed with Harris Bros. q Co. for the com
pletion and equipment of the road. At the
time of closing the contract with Harris Bros.
d Co., it was decided to build the road on
thrce-foot gauge instead Of a two.foot, it be-
ing understood that the road bed, embank-
ments, masonry, bridges, etc, as laid out by
the engineer for the two-foot gauge were
ample to receive the three-foot track. The
chief reason for this change to the wider
gauge lay in the fact that the bonds of a
three foot-gauge road would be readily mar
ketable, while the bonds Of two-foot road
had no established character or value in the
market. p
Ground for the road was formally broken
at Fayetteville on Monday, Nov. H. and on
the same day, at slightly earlier hour ground
was also broken at Jamaica. From this time
Oh the construction work was pushed rapidly
forward. Such parts of the work as was
| possible were prosecuted during the winter,
and with the opening of the following spring
the work proceeded with great vigor, con-
! l.,
| bridges, equipment, etc Everything went
we'll until July, 1879, when, through methods
which were fully discussed and properly re-
buked in our columns at tho time, the concern
which had contracted to furnish the iron was
led TO refuse or neglect to fulfil its contract
Iron was then rapidly rising, so that it was
| impossible TO make a new contract for rails,
except at figures largely in advance of a sum
such as the price paid for the whole construc
ton work would warrant. BY this means a
serious and unlooked-for obstacle arose. and
the completion of the road at the time named
in the contract was defeated. The compile
ton of the substructure was, however, push
ed forward to substantial completion during
the fall.
| 1t became evident that some new arrange
mcnt must be made for the completion and
operation Of the road. During the winter an
arrangement was made between the railroad
company and Harris Bros. Il Co., by which
the former took the further construction and
completion of the road into its own hands for
the purpose of putting itself in a position to
| perfect an arrangement, the preliminaries Of
which had already been entered into, for a
lease of the road to the New London North
ern corporation. At the annual stockholders'
meeting, held in February, the officers OF the
road were given full authority to negotiate
| this lease. The New London Northern road
| being under lease to the Central Vermont, the
management of the Braitlehoro and White
hall road passed by this arrangement into the
hands Of that corporation. As soon as the
spring of 1880 opened the Central Vermont
began the work of fully completing the sub
structure, laying ties, etc. Early in Septem-
| Der the iron. which had been bought in Eng
land, arrived aud the work of laying it down
was rapidly proceeded with. The opening Of
the road for regular business took place on the
18th inst, rs announced by us last week On
their fiual visit of inspection, two days pre-
/
nounced the road in good condition and to
compare well with other new roads at their
| opening
The equipment OF the road consists OF two
locomotives Of the "mogul" pattern (three
pairs of drivers weighing 35, 500 lbs each, Of
which weight $4,000 pounds rest on the dri-
vers, which are three feet in diameter. There
are two combination baggage and passenger
cars, two hrst-elass passenger cars, and two
observation cars. The combination cars seat
20 passengers each, the passenger cars 46
each, the observation cars 81 each. In their
general appearance and arrangement the pas
sengeT cars do not vary essentially from those
in use on standard gauge roads. There are
IL box freight cars and 10 platform cars, with
the usual complement OF hand cars, push
cars, etc. The passenger cars weigh about
eight tons each, the box freights about four
tons and the platforms about three tons. The
capacity of the freight cars is from eight to
| ten tons each.
The length of the road, from Brattleboro
to South Londonderry, is a fraction over SO
miles. The rails weigh 80 pounds to the
yard. The cost of construction, including the
equipment, has been about $3.50, 900, The
stock issued amounts to S20i, 700. First mort
gage bonds issued, $4,000.
That the road has been brought to success
full completion in the face OF many obstacles
and diseouragements, and at the cost of ear
nest, unfagging work on the part of its friends
for four years past, is matter of history and
needs NO repetition. As was to have been eI-
peeted, the enterprise at its inception met
with strenuous opposition-an opposition,
however, which was undoubtedly honest and
well meant. The friends of the road acted
under firm belief that its construction was
necessary to the unity of Windham county,