The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-04-01
Railroad Meeting at Waits1eld.

The great excitement now is over the sad
die car railroad, and everybody seems in
terested. One week ago last Monday DIR. j.
B. Mahana OF Oregon, with little warning,
came to this place and proposed to build a
railroad from Rutland TO Montpelier, which
should pass down Mad River valley. The
following Thursday goodly number of the
citizens of Waitsield and Fayston met at
the hotel hall, and were called to order by
M. A. Palmer, who briefly stated the object
of the meeting. @. ID. Billings was elected
chairman, and w. A. Bushnell secretary
After some explanation by j, j. Kelly and
others as to the plan Of the road K. o.
Trask and j. j. Kelly of Waitsfeld aud
Hugh Baird of Fayston were elected dele
gates to meeting to be held in Rutland,
and the meeting was adjourned one week.
On Thursday evening, March 26, about
two hundred fifty citizens of Waitsfield and
Fayston assembled at the hotel hall to hear
the reports of the delegates, and further
discuss the matter and take such action as
was deemed proper Mr.. Kelly described
DIR. Mahanas plan and gave an account of
the Rutland meeting, all of which was pub
lished in the WATCHMAN of last week. Mr..
Kelly answered many inquiries for light on
various features of the new system, the sub
stantial facts ELECTED having been already
published in this paper. Answering an in
quiry respecting land damages, Mr.. Kelly
explained that the road will be only about
two rods wide. All that is wanted is the
right Of way. The road will cause but little
damage. Cattle can not get on to the track
and sheep can readily pass under it. After
long and animated discussion of the de-
tails of the new scheme for building a
railway, j. b. Thompson offered the follow
ing resolution, which was unanimously
adopted; "That we, the citizens of Waits
field and Fayston, having considered the
proposition of Dr. Mahana to build rail-
road from Rutland to Montpelier, and be-
lievng that such road would be great
benefit to Waitsfield and Fayston and other
towns through which the road would pass,
will aid according to our ability in paying
the bonus required by DIR. Mahana"
w. G. McAllister said that bonus of
$4,000 per mile was asked. That would re-
quire about $4,000 from Waitsfeld and he
expected Fayston would pay part of it.
In his opinion, the best way would be to ap-
point men to solicit subscriptions from lum-
| Der men and wealthy men in the towns of
Waitsfield and Fayston who would be par
| ticularly benefited by the road. This he
| knew could be done, as he had talked with
men in both towns who were willing to pay
| literally. Then let the balance be raised
on the grand list of the town. Reuben
| Bates moved that the chair appoint COM
mittee of three-two from Waitsfield and
one from Fayston-to solicit subscriptions.
! Mr.. McAllister moved to amend the motion
so that the committee would be elected by
the citizens. The amendment was ac-
| cepted and the motion carried unanimously.
e. o. Trask moved that the committee so
constituted be requested to petition the Sc
lectmen to call town meeting to see If the
town will vote to raise money to pay the
bonus required by DR.. Mahana aud the
motion prevailed. The following committee
was unanimously elected: From Waitsfield,
q. NJ Richardson and George w. Olmstead; (;
from Fayston, c. d. Billings.
The meeting was quiet and orderly and
great enthusiasm was manifested, nearly
every one being of the opinion that if ever
we are to have railroad now is the time
Many of the wealthy men are willing to pay
literally and at this time everything looks
favorable for a road from Rutland to Mont
pelier, as, of the $4,000 required, S157 200
has already been guaranteed provided al
ways that Dr. Mahana and his scheme ma
terialize in a practical way.