Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-24

TO THE VOTERS OF WILMINGTON


Mr.. Riitor: Allow me, through the columns Of
your paper to state my views in regard TO the meet
ing called to rescnd the vote of aid to the Braeboro
Bennington railroad cannot see any argument
in favor OF resembling the vote for any who wants
. railroad either to Brsttleboro ReadsOoro. Let us
look at the Tunnel line for a moment. Newton Bro
theirs have built or building road from the Tun-
mel to ReadsbOro and, 1t is said, own it, and will OF
course control IT, and all the freight that passes over
1t will be subject to their prices for Transports
ton, with competing line viii that be better than
Brattleboro7 II IL Wel-known fact that the New
tons have expended thousands Of dollars In the last
two years, blasting rocks and building waterbreaks
in the river N facilitate the floating OF logs from Sears
burg 20 their mil In headsboro and guarantee II
cost them much less to hoat logs last spring than
1t would hays to even load them the II there
was railroad to each pile of logs Is 1t reasonable to
think the Newtons will put money into railroad
above Readsboro when every dollar they invest
will be damage to them By no means, They are
too shrewd men for that As it is, they control the
whole lumber trade up the river, aud will control
as long they keep railroad out Of the timber
lands Of searsburg bat the moment railroad is in
operation the lumbermen and farmers can sell and
transport their lumber well and for good prices
as the Newtons pay or as the market at North Adams
affords.
Now, the only thing that will bring us road to
Readsboro, In my judgment isto have road to Brat
teooro' Ihen NORTH Adams business men ehd lne
Newtons Will have to build road, or At least assist
very literally in building one In order to retain the
large amount OF trade they get from these towns now
In that case we shall have two lines Of road
have been asked, "Why do you want two roads p
The question is answered by your own argument.
You say II We build road to Brattleboro we have
competing lines, but TO the Tunnel we have. Then
II competing lines of beneh 30 miles away they
certainly would be at our own doors.
You say, "Rescind so we can vote aid to the Reads
boTo road" There is no Readsboro road to aid-not
even charter for road nor anything being done to
obtain one; and II Brateboro fails to bond,and
in the future wish to aid road down the riverNe
vote 10 transfer the aid already voted to the Brat
teboro Bennington road to the river line, aud save
the trouble aud expense of going through the whole
matter again. Still further, II we rescnd aud vote TO
bond at some future time it will cost as much more
grand list ia more Eight times our present
grand list lie SJS6l4, which is 1854 more than our
vote stands now. II the meeting had been called
months ago, when 1t was not probable BrattleOoro
would bond, II would look quite differently but TO
call meeting on the very day and hour OF the meet
shadow Of chance for road any other way, looksa
though II was Intended to kill the whole enterprise
and leave without railroad for another eighteen
hundred years. Whoever votes next Monday 70 re-
scind votes away the last hope for railroad in many
years TO come The vote is costing nothing as
stands, aud hope and trust 1t will meet the wishes
of the voters of Wilmington not to rescnd at present
J. II. K.
Wilmington, w., Oct. az, 1884
rive sincerely hope wise oounsels will pre-
vail with the Wilmington voters, and that
they will not allow themselves 10 he misled
into aid of a movement which means death
to all efforts to secure a railroad for the town.
Such action ought at least to be deferred I'M
Ill the result of the determined efforts now
being made in Brattleboro Is known. -ED.
Elijah Bowker, who has been suffering
for several months from the amputation OF
foot, passed away last Sunday morning. He
was an old resident and his father lived here
before him. He was the last of eleven chill