St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-09-18
Railroad Matters.

Regarding the annual meeting of the
Passumpsic road held last week, the
Springfield Republican says Frederick
Billings of Woodstock, Oscar Edwards
of Nor Hampton and A. B. Harris of
Springfield, Mass, are directors and
large stockholders of the Connecticut
River, Vermont Valley, Sullivan coun-
ty and AshuelOt railroads, which COM
prise the roads known as the Connec-
ticut River system, and have recently
bought large amount of the stock of
the Passumpsic road. Their election
to the board of directors of the Pas
sumpsic will tend to develop much of
the natural alliance between the two
systems of railroads known as the
Connecticut River system and the
Passumpsic system-making up what
is termed the Connecticut River line
to the advantage of all the railroads
concerned.
The Passumpsic system includes the
Passumpsic road between White River
Junction and Newport, 40 miles
| the Massiwippi, between Newport and
SherbrOOk, 80 miles, which is leased to
the Passumpsic the southeastern
railroad of Canada, which connects
with the Passumpsic at Newport, com
| prising about 300 miles, one quarter OF
which is owned by the Passumpsic
and the st. Johnsbury and Lake Cham
plain road, which crosses the Passump-
sic at st. Johnsbury, and is about l3O
miles long. Previous to the lease OF
the Northern and Boston, Concord and
Montreal railroads, by the Boston and
| Lowell road, the Passumpsic had two
outlets for its Boston traffic but when
these roads both went into the hands
of one corporation, the managers of the
Passumpsic found themselves hemmed
in by the Boston and Lowell on one
side, and the Central Vermont on the
south, and wisely sought an alliance
with the Connecticut River system
| In this way the Passumpsic road now
has two routes to Boston, one by the
Boston and Lowell system, and the
other by the Cheshire and Fitchburg
roads. But in all probability the Bos-
ton traffic of the Passumpsic will con
time to he sent via the Boston, Con-
cord and Montreal road to Boston as il
has been in the past, provided us IA
vOrable arrangements are made for 1t
as have been hitherto.
The northern railroads have recent
| " been forming themselves into three
separate and distinct systems. Wha
is known rs the Central Vermont sys
tenn, consists of the Central Vermont
Rutland, Vermont and Canada, Og
densburg and Lake Champlain, Crane
Trunk, New London Northern, anC
BrattleborO and Whitehall. The Pas
sumpsic, in addition to the roads al
ready mentioned, is working in clOst
| harmony with the Canadian Pacific
The Boston and Lowell has secured
control, by lease or otherwise, of the
Nashua aud Lowell, Manchester an,
Keene, Concord and Claremont, Peter
boro and IillsbOro, Concord, Northern
New Hampshire and Boston, Concord
and Montreal. The Central Vermont
railroad has two outlets for its Boston
traffic, one by way of the Northern
New Hampshire, and the other via the
Cheshire and Fitchburg roads; and
two outlets for its New York traffic
one via the Connecticut River line,
and the other by way of the New Lon
don Northern road. which is leased to
it. The Connecticut and Passumpsic
road is the natural ally of the roads
comprising the Connecticut River line,
and the fact that the relations between
these several corporations will here
after be of IA friendly nature is wei
coined by both the stockholders and
patrons of the line, and should result
in future in still closer alliance. Mr..
Harris, who has been president of the
Vermont Valley, Sullivan County and
AshuelOt roads for several years, was
recently elected president of the st.
Johnsbury and Lake Champlain road,
and us he has now become largely in
terested in the Passumpsic road, call
DANGER the Republican thinks,
"of the st. Johnsbury and Lake
Champlain road becoming COM
peting line with the Passumpsic
for Montreal business, by the building
of IA short piece Of railroad between
Sheldon and the Montreal, Portland
and Boston road in Canada, as has
been threatened in the past, is averted
us the relationship between these
roads will undoubtedly be harmoni-
Gus III the future"