Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-01-26

The experience of the past two years has
smplifed the question which the voters of
Brattleboro must decide with regard 10 aid to
the proposed railroad to Wilmington in
very remarkable degree.
-Four and five years ago. when the subject
of aid to the then proposed road up the West
River valley was under discussion, there
were numerous points in doubt which were
urged forcibly and with more or less success
by the opponents of that enterprise. The
narrow gauge system was then an untried ex-
pertinent as regards our New England hill
country; there was a question as to whether
the section through which the road
would pass would develop profitable
business for the road, on the one hand and,
ON the other, as to whether such road was
capable CT doing business of sufficient vol
ume to make it profitable. Many people
doubted whether a railroad could be oper-
ated successfully over a grade of 100 to $40
feet to the mile, and many others confidently
expected to see the road permanently block
AIDED by the first heavy snow storm. Still
another class doubted, or protested to doubt,
whether the business of the town and its
property values would be enhanced by the
opening of the road.
The experience of two years with the Brat
tleboro & Whitehall road in full operation
has effectually answered and settled all these
doubts and questions and in every case the
answer has been not only favorable to the
road, but so pontedly and decidedly favora-
BILE as to surprise even its warmest friends.
Twenty three thousand passengers and 5000
tons of freight carried in 1881, and 81, 800
passengers and upward of 1G 600 tons of
freight carried in 1882, with entire immunity
from fatal or serious accident, and a large
and steady growth of business in every town
on and near the road-these facts and figures
tell the story of the success of the road and
the benefits conferred by it far more forcbly
than columns of argument could do.
The question, then, for the people of Brat.
tleboro with regard to the proposed road to
Wilmington is simply as to whether they
wish to redeem and permanently hold the
business of the southwestern part of this
county. All the testimony upon the subject
is agreed that the country through which the
Brattleboro d Bennington road will pass is
lhliJ Niuul III DOlltOl uhluEhl TthOuECeSLO IlHL
found up the West River valley. With the
one exception of the Dummerston granite
quarry, the country on the Wilmington line
offers every resource for business develop
ment that exists on the West River line,
and those fully informed in the matter agree
in saying that the immense district of virgin
timber country to be found in and beyond
Wilmington will fully offset the granite bust
ness on the Brattleboro & Whitehall road. In
the whole of Windham county there are not
two better farming towns than Nottingham
and Wilmington, and in the whole county
there are not two such thriving and prosper
GUS business villages, off line of railroad, as
are found at Wilmington and jacksonville.
As the case now stands two-thirds to three
quarters Of the business of this section on
our southwestern border is done with Shell
burne Falls and North Adams in Massachu-
setts instead of coming to Brattleboro. Jack
sonville receives nearly all her freight from
Shelburne Falls and Wlmington's business
relations are very largely with North Adams.
A great part of the business of West Dover,
even, goes to Massachusetts, and every year,
in all the towns named, this is coming to be
more and more the case. For years these
towns have been hoping for railroad COM
municaton, and just now a new movement in
this direction has been made which very
many feel must be final one-that now rail
road communication with Brattleboro must
be either won or lost, once for ALL With the
proposed rail9ad built to Nottingham and
Wilmington the trade of those towns and
others adjoining would be turned to Brattle-
boro and permanently kept here. Leave
alone the railroad, and their trade will 90
more and more to Massachusetts,, with fair
chance that at some future time they will be
| persuaded to give their aid to a road from
| the other side of the mountain and thus shut
of their business permanently from Brattle-
boro
The problem for Brattleboro, as we have
said Is an easy one. 1t is simply as to
whether by very moderate degree of pc
cuniary aid to the proposed new railroad, we
shall secure this business for ourselves. viii
mington has shown her good faith in the
matter by voting aid to the extent of eight
times her grand list. Let Brattleboro on
February Sd and Nottingham on February
dth give favorable votes, and We believe the
early construction of the road will be practi-
cally assured.
There are many minor points which might
be discussed the whole question of bonding
might be gone over and figures given show
ing how small the individual tax will be in
case aid to the extent of $4,000, or there
abouts, Is given. But with all these points