Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-11-06
mIstoricnIand other,,i...

Historical and Otherwise.
The completion of the Deerfied Valley
railroad to Wilmington, the happy event
which was celebrated on Wednesday and
Thursday of this week, is the consumma-
ton Of persistent and repeated efforts. eX-
tending over a score or more of years, TO
secure railroad communication. by that
typical New England town among the
Green mountains, with the outer world.
According to local tradition the first survey
looking TO such a railroad outlet, was I'M
dertaken more than 40 wears ago by prom
inent men. including Eleazer Gorhan. the
only survivor and the late Mai A. b.
Childs, of revered memory throughout this
county. The idea Of this survey was TO 90
by the way of Nickerson gap and Ryder
pond. and thence through Marlboro or
Guilford to Brattleboro. Another survey
was made by a prominent Massachusetts
railroad corporation up through the Deer
field valley to Wilmington. thence westward
through Somerset. and on across the
Green mountains to tap the Rutland Il
Bennington road at Arlington or Manches-
ter.
Another contemplated outlet took its
way from Wilmington through a corner Of
Dover, and from thence by an uncertain
route around the hills on TO BrattleborO.
Then came the memorable movement by
the late Edward Crosby Of Brattleburo,
which seemed at one time to have reached
the very point Of triumphant success. when,
through unfortunate delays and uncertain
action. the vote of Brattleboro was multi
fled and lost. To this day, however, it is
the belief of persons best yersed in the
fg#s g Ia.
years more of active life remained to Mr..
Crosby the enterprise which he had so
faithfully and fearlessly espoused would
have been carried ont to happy fruition.
The history of the movement which has
now given Wilmington its coveted commu-
nication with the outer world, is in brief
this: About seven years ago the we'll
known firm of Newton Brothers, paper
manufacturers of HOlyokP Mass, having
erected pulp plant at Readsboro on the
Deerheld river, 10 or II miles south OF
Wilmington, conceived the idea of building
narrOw-guage railroad to this plant, thus
extending their own business and affOrding
the people of the surrounding country
railroad outlet. The road was completed
in about two years thereafter. and is I'M
derstoOd to have proved success financial
ly. This resulted in developing several in
dustries along the line of the road between
ReadsbOro and the eastern end of the Hoo
sac tunnel where the narrow gauge road
intersects the Fitchburg railroad. Among
these industries is the James Ramage pa
per company at Munroe Bridge, where the
foundation of brisk little town has al
ready been established. Mr.. Ramage has
built himself a very handsome residence.
He has built and given to the place pub
lie building, and his operatives own and Oc-
cupy their homes. The water power is
said to be unsurpassed in the Deeriield val
ley. At Sheman's Station II. 4. Hicks
and NJ. b. Bishop have developed their
lime kilns to twice their original capacity.
At Readsboro the greatest development
has resulted. The population of the place
has increased 40 per cent since the open
ing of the road. About dozen new in
dustries have sprung up here, the most i'm
POrtant of which is the National Metal
Edge box company, owned by the Newtons
and the Wolfe Brothers of Philadelphia,
employing 100 hands or more. In the
works of this concern is the largest spec
ial machine of its kind in the world. The
total number of operatives employed at
ReadsbOro is not far from 800, and other
industries already projected will increase
this number. The wateT-pOwer here is of
remarkable proportions, and is mostly Sc
cured by an immense dam - feet high. A
handsome iron bridge, costing 1900,
spans the river just below the dam. 1t ac-
commodities both the highway and a spur
track of the railroad. The bridge and the
falls of the dam present picturesque and
imposing spectacle, resembling a miniature
Niagara.
Last year the Newtons, seconded by
prominent Wilmington residents, began the
agitation of the question of the extension
of this road to Wilmington, a distance of
ID miles by the route of the survey. The
enterprise had its fluctuations, and its pro-
jectOrs were alternately hopeful and de-
pressed. Finally, however, Wilmington
voted to bond for four times its grand list,
making sum of about S32 900, which
was followed by a vote OF the town Of
Nottingham to aid in the sum of $1,000.
by subsequent arrangement $1,000 of Viii
tingham's contribution was paid i'm money,
and the balance was contributed through
the surrender of the highway from Reads
bOro to the Graves place in Wilmington.
Added to these sums were private sub
scriptiOns in Wilmington of $500 from
the Bliss manufacturing company, makers
of bench screws, $1,000 from the Whining
ton Grain and Lumber company S400
from the Forest and Stream club, and sew
eral smaller sums by individual residents.
About $1,000 was contributed by North
Adams residents, while sons of Whining
ton, resident in New York, added S2lOO.
Small contributions were also made in
Nottingham, Brattleboro and other places,
bringing the total amount raised in aid of
the enterprise up to $4,000.
Work on the extension began about the
first of June, along the survey made by
Prof. Hazen of Dartmouth college, and
has been prosecuted with much vigor, the
main force of labOrers employed being 300
Italians under the superintendent of Mr..
Riddle of Greenfield. The sharpest curve
on the road, and one of the sharpest
known to modern railrOading, is encOun-
tered just out of Readsboro, where the lit
tie road strikes the old highway above
noted on an 18 degree turn. From this
point the road follows by easy grades to
Davis bridge, where is located the Whiting
ham station, and where the historic school
house was obligingly lifted up the side hill
IThe usual BellOgS Falls column ,piU be