Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-10

81 wv NpHloS VI tNtulb we ind That IN lnpUa
portion OF our country has outgrown the ia
stage system of travelling, and follovino H.
law OF progress, adopted better means az
transportation. Tho outcome and result nj
this change is so obvious that but fo,v ,,oo,,Ia
fail to see the necessity of accepting the nav
dispensation rs an important stem toward 10
veloping the wealth and prosperity of this ouy
favored land The necessity of constructive
railroads TO connect remote sections of conn.
try with the trunk lines has prompted pro.
6tcSSE9 men TO devise cheaper plan than
the oldbroad-gauges style. The narrow-pauge
system has now been fairly introduced thou
sands of miles having been built which mora
than meet the expectations Of its early advo-
Gates. IL is found abundantly capable of do.
ing large local business both convenientlv
and prottably, and that there is a preat saw
ing IN its cost of construction, operation and
equipment, every one who has investigated
the subject is satisfied. BY adopting this sys.
TEN, railroad comes within the reach of
most OF our country towns, and, since the ad.
yantages to be derived from such roads ara
well known, the work of building those cbeo0
and convenient thoroughfaros should not be-
delayed
1t IS well known that to build railroad of
any KIND for local business, every individual
must help according to their means. and in no
way can this desired object be reached SO we'll
as by bonding the towns to be benefited. and
since II Is impossible to build up or benefit
one portion of town or section of country
without benehting all the Inhabitants it can
not be considered an arbitrary act to bond for
local enterprise of this kind II the poor
man complains of it as unjust, IL il because
he does not fully understand the matter. The
iact Is That those persons having large grand
Hst really have to pay most of the tax. If
man has grand list Of but five dollars his
tax, even at eight times that. would amount
to but little-say four dollars per wear for
ten years-nnd if he only pays a poll tax il
would be much less; and at the same time he
would no doubt be benefited many times that
amount as it is evident that the mora busi-
ness there is among the people the better il is
Tor every one. There is another class of fax
payers that sometimes at first thought, OBJ.
Ject to the law, viz: those with a small amount
OF real estate, for which they are. possibly. in
debt. They may have grand list of ten or
twenty dollars, or even more Now. is il NOT
a fact that their property is worth much more
IN a town that is thrifty and full of business
than where the whole town and vicinity are
gradually running down, aud would il not be
true economy for such real estate owners to
pay five or even ten dollars per year for ten
years rather than to suffer their town to fall
behind more favored localities If the old
settlers and moueyed men see no reason for
building road, it is because they fail to IN
derstand 1.-THE signs Of the times" If thew
wish to save anything valuable in real estate
for their heirs, let them remember that their
farms and other real estate will be of little
value If left in dilapidated and half.dcserted
towns.
With all the talk against bonding. it is diff
hcult to find a town that would give up its
railroad advantages for the sake of having its
bonds cancelled, We are now referring to
roads for local business. When this privilege
of bonding is rightly understood, it must an.
pear just and fair equally with a law which
gives towns and villages the right to levy n
tax to improve highways, build bridges or
school houses, or make any other improve
ments for the benefit of the general public
When people living away from the trunk lines
talk mo bond, they talk no railroad, no i'm
provements, no Advancement no encourage
ment for young men to remain at home.
Let it be remembered, that whilst we are
setting out orchards and doing other expen-
slve things to increase the value of our farms
and for future profit, in no possible way can
we invest small amount with SO much GER
tainty of accomplishing this object as by as
slstlng in the construction of a railroad to
towns now without the benefit of railroad
communication. If the people will put their
shoulders to the wheel, they can stop the |
try, and in measure restore to it the thrift |
of former days. Since the building of the |
West River railroad there has been a great |
change In public sentiment in regard to this |
matter in our own locality and many voters |
who opposed that project are now convinced |
of their mistake, and are among the strongest |
advocates of the Wilmington road saying |
they would rather bond again than lose the |
West River road. Hundreds of towns to-day |
hQVp In h1aag L.. -
bonding act legal. 1t is law of equal rights
and advantages.
The people living remote from railroads are |
satisfied that their towns are fast depopulat-
ing and gradually running down, and, fully
that wherever "A railroad is
built it helps build up and improve, thereby
benehtng each individual more or less, they
therefore greatly desire the comfort and lux
ury of one. When there were no railroads.
towns were on an equal footing but we must
accept the change if we expect to keep up in
progress with other sections of our county.
1t Is not only financial necessity but a moral
duty to try and hold up old Windham. The
people of this part Of our county should be
convinced of all the advantages to be derived
from this enterprise, since the completion and
operation Of the West River road has shown
that there can be no doubt about the success
of such road. Is it not true that the towns
"Ssb VI ub are worth huFluBE Inc Indications !
are that the people are now ready and anxious
to take hold Of the work in earnest
While our neigLboring towns will be direct
y benefited, the people of Brattleboro should
not be unmindful of the fact thar the sur
rounding towns help to build us up. Our vii
age in former years increased rapidly in size
and wealth, fully keeping pace with its neigh
Oors; but since railroads were built each side
Of us, other centres have drawn from us, and
had it not been for the organ mandatory
our village must have stood still even if it had
not gone into a decline. The people must
now be satisfied that a good beginning has
been made, and should go forward with the
work in good earnest, and not sleep until Viii
nington and other towns are reached by rail
from other points. They should keep up with
.he advancement of the age, be alive to the
want and necessities of their fellow men, and
with united strength show to the world that
Vermont is still alive and ready Tor any EN- r.
5ency, either in peace or war. The cost of
he road will be comparatively light, as respon-
ible parties offer to build aud equip it in first
class shape for less than $40 600 per mile
should this enterprise be given up, the re-
uts are to be dreaded The mistake can
never be remedied This generation will not
lnly lose the benefit OF the grand result, but
will leave their posterity as vol as their prop
'rty to suffer from the blight which they now
nave a chance to divert. Let W be united in
his great work for the sake of humanity and
'ur commonwealth. &c
MINOR NOTES.