Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-01-19

a railroad, and although a good deal Of mon
ey was lost sight Of by individuals, is il not a
fact that our town is much better off than il
would have been if our fathers had shut their
eyes to the importance of the work. We
must now consider the situation Of our neigh
boring towns We must also realize what
they have done for us in helping us to build
up They now ask us to help them to the
same privileges that we enjoy. They say TO
us, "We wish to continue to help build you
up and they ask us the serious question,
DO you want our company and our trade ~
Shall we turn deaf ear to our friends and
benefactors The West river towns felt the
necessity OF n railroad, and after years of
struggle against encouragement and opposi-
ton the work was accomplished The great
enterprise more than meets the expectations
of its strongest advocates and gives untold
satisfaction to those who honestly opposed it.
That was the first step toward making Brat
tloboro q railroad centre.
With all these facts we find there are men
still opposed to any further effort or advance
ment in trying to help our other neighbors
out and will not admit that tho whole COM
munity are benefited by opening new rail
road lines. They may possibly admit that
the West river road is u good thing for the
upper towns, but fail to see how it benefits
Ahtll NOW, III lht lNlht VI ItuNbIt uDW thu
one part of the town be benefited and built
up without benefting the whole community
What would a house. or q farm, or u store, or
shop be worth if there were no people living
near by, if there were no markets, no roads
in this section of the country In fact what
would mountain Of gold or all the cattle
upon the thousand hills be worth to one man
if he was the only man upon the earth ?
Would not that man ut once curse the day in
which be was born aud wish himself dead ;
1t is for humanity we live it is for humanity
we labor, and it is for the rising g6heration
that we should do all in our power to build
up and make glad the heart of man. We are
not Independent of each other. Being So
cial in our nature, shall we not take hold of
this great enterprise which is sure to prove
benefit and a blessing to us as a community
and to those who are soon to take our places.
Let us rise above all personal strife all ieal-
ousios, all political or religious projudlces
and take hold in the work as one man, feel
ing it is a work for humanity that will revo-
lutionize the financial and moral condition of
this part of our county.
The facts and figures given in the last
weeks PHOENIX concerning the West river
railroad must be very gratifying to every one
and we have the best reasons to believe that
o railroad to Wilmington will be able to make
amount of timber along the eastern slope of
the Green Mountains is immense. The wa
ter power is equal to any in the county. The
farm lands of Wilmington and Nottingham
are the best in southern Vermont. The vast
amount of hard wood scattered through those
towns and also in Halifax and Marlboro offer
every indictment for the lumbormen. With
the Gardner, Baldwinsyillo and Royalston
immense chair factories anxiously looking to
these towns for stock, it certainly gives the
friends of the enterprise every reason to be-
lieve this road would do as much or moro
business than the West river road But the
West river road is not the only three foot.
gauge road in existence that more than meets
the projectors views. More than two thous-
and miles Of this gauge have been built west
of the Mississippi and ar. working with great
success. 1t has been fully demonstrated that
modern skill Ia building engines has settled
the question that a grade of 100 10 l75 feet
to the mile is not at all impracticable. In
fact. a large amount OF bu.iu, IS can be done
and done cLeaply over much heav. r. grades
than ~ shall have. The hauling ctraci.y Of
the present styl of narrow gauge engines is
immense, with sped sufficient for all pur-
poses and needs. Now. fellow citizens. in
thi, town and all ne.puhorius towns. an.
peal to your good Judgment to consider this
great and important question. Do not Take
a narrow or selfish view OF the ease. MANY
of my friend. may yet live to d riva unex-
pecteI beu,ti. from this work aud E. ceiye
back q more than sat- factory compensation.
life are not likely to receive gold dollars hack