Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-27
surveys Of the BrattIeboro 4 WHINING.
son Ilailrnnh.

surveys OF thc bratlebOrO ~ WHINING
son Railroad.
Mr.. Editor. l trust Won will allow mo
as chairman of the railroad committee
space in your columns to make some state,
ments relative to the late survey of the pro.
posed line of the Brattleboro & Wilmington
railroad. The great railroad system of mod
oIn times has brought about wonderful chang.
es, and in fact revolutionized the business Of
the country in many respects. Il has now
become apparent to the common observer that
to develop any section of the country rail
road must be built. The people are fully con-
WINGED OF the necessity and advantages of
railroads, and now believe and know that
towns remote from them must necessarily fail
behind those that have them.
With all the facts before them, last gpring
the people in this part of the county started
the plan for railroad from the towns west of
US to connect with the main line at this point
Great interest was felt, and meetings were
called, committee was appointed, money
was raised, and an engineer employed to make
preliminary survey. The work commenced
early in the summer II was attended with
many discouragements, as it was no easy mat
ter to find the very best route for railroad
through this mountainous region; in fact, il
is the history of all roads that a permanent
location is seldom made where the first sur
vey runs. 1t is work of time and labor and
repeated effort. The first survey shows what
may possibly be done, and opens the door for
more satisfactory results. For the misfortunes
attending the first survey the committee
should not be blamed, as there were oondi-
tons and circumstances which they could not
control. 1t is true the first survey failed to
give as good satisfaction as they had hoped.
yet they learned much that was useful, and il
may be set down as one step towards the de-
sired object.
The second survey commenced under the
direction of A. @. Buttrck of the firm of
Buttrck q Wheeler of Worcester. Mass. "A
firm widely aud favorably known as thorough
and competent engineers, having had long ex.
perience in the art, both in North and South
America, and keeping up fully with the ad-
yancement In modern engineering. Early in
October Mr.. Buttrick started from Brattlsbo.
70, prospecting through Marlboro to Whining
ton via Nickerson gaps from Wilmington to
Jacksonville via Dix hill and Rider pond /;
thence to the Allard summit and Harris Cor
ners; down Green River valley to Hinesburg;
thence via Thurber gap and the Goode nough
neighborhood to West Brattleboro. This ex
animation required several DAYS of severe
travel over hills and valleys and at its conclu-
SION surveying company was organized and
the survey commenced. As former surveys
had demonstrated tho route from Wilmington
~ LA LII ~ W hhI Oul1 1tuolDlt Oub (llb us
tanco being three miles, with an ascending
grade of 100 feet to tho mile), this survey be-
gan at the latter point. From Dix hill to Jack
sonville the distance is J miles and 10 rods
on descending grade of 100 feet to the mile
and much of the way less than 100 feet. From
Jacksonville around the east side of the pond
to the foot of the west side of Allard hill is
miles and seven rods ascending grade, not
exceeding 100 feet to the mile. Here we
uNRU glrN lasaE - a
be three-fourths of mile to the summit
south of George Chase's house, which survey
was no doubt made in the very best place
From this point we ran north miles, on a
descending grade of 1875 feet to the mile. to
the headwaters of Green river, on the farm
of O. A. Winchester.
Here the new survey commenced, running
southeast and striking the West Halifax road
near the house of Mr.. Ballou, ID miles. on a
descending grade of 1870 feet to the mile. At
this point we struck the original survey made
by Edwin Stratton nearly 40 years ago for a
through line to Bennington. This shows a
distance OF y miles, via Green River and
Hinesburg to Thurber gap, on descending
grade of 30 feet to the mile. The new sur
vey disspates the belief, held by many, that
Thurber gap could not DO reached on a reas-
enable grade, as it has now been positively
proven that it can be done on less than 100
feet to the mile from the Richmond farm
From Thurber gap to West Brattleboro the
distance by travelled road is five miles BY
railroad it would be one mile longer, on de-
scendng grade of Sc feet to the mile.
Leaving the southern route, we now turn
to the northern one. Starting at Wilmington
we ran northeast Al miles on an ascending
grade of 100 feet to the mile to a point near
the Haynes mill; thence, following the stream,
to the house formerly occupied by E. 4.
Haynes; thence up the valley to the summit
of Nickerson hill-a distance of % miles on
an ascending grade of 100 feet to the mile.
We afterwards found that Nickerson gap could
be reached by shorter route, by leaving Will
mington village and following near the Brat
tleboro road east TO point near Clark Chand-
ler's above the saw-mill on the highway
thence south of Ray pond to II. Wares or
chard, and thence TO Nickerson gAp-making
the distance from Wilmington to the gap 81
miles. This line was only measured, not sur
veyed, but the ground shows q favorable
grade. From Nickerson gap we ran south
east on the side of the mountain to near the
house of Mr.. Bancroft; thence northeast to
Ward Bellows's sugar place-making dis
lance of p miles on a descending grade OF
100 feet to the mile thence around the eide
of the hill to point on the north side of r.
Houghtons farm thence easterly, north OF
Mr.. Fishers barn thence crossing the Sod
ON road and reaching the head waters oil
Milestone brook in what is known as Moss
Hollow, southeast of Shows tayern-making
the distance from the Bellows road to the sum
NIT in Moss Hollow p miles, on descending
grade not exceeding 1875 feet to the mile
From this point the old measurement showed
the distance to NJ. Adams's saw-mill to be
miles, with descending grade below 100 feet
to the mile. From Adams's mill we passed
along the north side of the brook to a point
near Higley's mill; thence east TO a poin
near the Carpenter burying- ground; thence
south around the mountain west of the ole
Kelsey place thence northeast TO the nortl
end of the johnson farm thence east along
the hillside to point near the Croser sugar
house, or what is known as Harris hill theme,
TO the east side of the hill, crossing Whet
stone brook south of the highway through
the Sargent pasture to the sugar lot south o
the house; thence along the hillside back o
IL. Miller's and DR.. Harvey's, crossing tn
town road near the old pound, and passing
back of the academy buildings tn
distance from Adams's mill to West Brattle
boro u miles, the lay of the land being sucl
that nearly a continuous descending grade o.
about 1876 feet to the mile, on an average, cal
be had the whole distance. If it seems de
sirable to shorten the distance, higher grad
might be practicable.
From West Brattleboro to the depot severd
surveys have been made and found feasible
hence no time has been devoted to new SUI
veys.
The foregoing statement which is essen
TALLY correct, shows conclusively that Their
are two routes reasonably feasible-one fro 1
Wilmington via Nickerson gap through Mari
boro the other from Wilmington to Jack
sonvillo to point near Putnam's mill, Altar
hill Harris corners, Green River, Hinesbur
", ont ~