Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-09

its construction, and to take It and operate II
when completed.
That the Central Vermont company can
permanently keep Brsttleboro from securing |
a competing line Of railroad south we are not !
disposed to admit, nor will the people Of
Brattleboro admit il as yet. We believe that
IL the town should make push for such
line in dead earnest IL could DO secured. But
IL is entirely evident from the remarks made
by both Mr.. Crosby ard Mr.. Martin that the
Central Vermont company have made such
terms with the Connecticut River company
ss have taken away from the latter company
oil desire to build parallel line below Brat
tleboro. This meeting therefore, would
seem to have settled the fact that for the
present we must RELY on the promise Of the
Central Vermont for relief from our burden
some freight rates, and that the Wilmington
road, il built at all, has got TO be built on its
own merits as an independent line.
If this is accepted as the real state of the
case the course of action which lies before
the friends Of that road is pretty we'll
defined one. To secure the construction of
the road the people of Brattleboro have got
to be made to realize more fully than they
have yet done the Importance of the road to
this town as a means of building up the towns
on our southwestern border, developing their
resources, and bringing their trade back to
Brattleboro as its natural and most conve-
nient centre. They have got to be made to
realize that this road is the one radating arm
which Is needed to complete our local system
Of railroad connections
We do not wonder that Mr.. Crosby, after
two years and more of hard, expensive and
| discouraging work in behalf of this enter
prise, feels like dropping the burden when
more "facts" are called for. But it must be
remembered that it was alone by the steady,
persistent bringing out of facts, by blowing
the field over and over again, by the old BIZ
BILE rule of cline upon line, precept upon pre-
cept," that the building of the Brattleboro
and Whitehall road was finally accomplished.
During the inception of that enterprise we
had repeated statements about the business
of the whole West River valley-of the num-
Der of men and horses engaged in its carry
ing trade, of the probable number of passen-
gers to be carried, and Of the natural resource
es of the valley, with the timber lands about
Londonderry and Wardsboro, the poplar
wood above Jamaica, the soap stone quarries
at Townshend, and the granite quarries in
Black mountain, all entering in as important
factors in the roads favor. Something OF
this kind the people now want about the bus
mess on the line of the proposed Whining
ton road.
1t must also be remembered that before a
vote of aid was finally given to the Bratte-
boro and Whitehall road an accurate estimate
of its cost, as well as of its probable amount
of business, had been reached; that definite
plans for its construction had been decided
upon that there was pretty good idea as
to where the money to build the road wal
coming from, and that there were affixed tc
Brattleboros vote of aid stringent conditions
that the towns subscription should not bt
binding until the sum of $500, 600 of capita
stock, bona ide cash, had been subscribed
and until the road was put under contract t.
responsible parties for completion over it
whole line. When similar point is reached
in the Wilmington enterprise we do not be
lieve the people of BrNttleboro will blindl,
go against their own interestG, and perma
nently cripple their future prospects, by re
} fusing vote Of aid.