Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-12-29
SPRINGFIELD'S RAILROAD.
TIMES MEN TRAMP ALONG THE PRO-
POSED LINE.

An Early Winters Trip Across Country
what the People Say and Think Of the
Enterprise Some of the Natural Re.
sources of the Country Manufacturing
and Manufacturing sites-Some Incidents
fthe Trip-springf field win Boom when
She gets the Road.
Especial for the BELLOWS FALLS TIdEs.l
Springfi, Id is thriving town If about
5000 inhabitants, of whom some 2000
reside within the village corporation.
Here the Black river, which runs
through the center of the town, makes a
succession of falls, forming natural
water power which is eXcelled by but
few places in New England. In 1919,
when the Rutland railroad was built,
Springfield was left off the line because
Chester would subscribe more money,
and so the town has been obliged to get
along as best it could with stages and
freight teams. But these have given
such excellent service that the railroad
has been hardly missed, and the village
continued to grow, slowly to be sure,
until the decade from 1880 to 1890, when
there was a slight decrease in the popu-
lation. This decrease occurred in the
early SOS and was quite rapid, so much
so that the bushes IS men began to get
alarmed and determined to do something
to restore the town to its former healthy
state. SO in 1887 majority of the
stock of the Jones & Lamson Machine
company, then located at Windsor, was
purchased and the business moved to
this town. A large building was erected
to accommodate the plant, and about so
men were employed. Since that time
the business has increased to such pro-
portions that $50 men are now employed
in the shop, which runs day and night,
and there is talk of building another
shop which will accommodate $50 to 200
more hands. Hon. Adna Brown, Amasa
Wuolson, G. E. Richardson and c. X
Labaree were the prime movers in the
enterprise which has not only stopped
the emigration from the town but has
turned the tide in the other direction,
and the population is now on the in
crease
There have been several attempts to
secure a railroad and as early as 1872 a
route was proposed to follow the Black
river valley from the Connecticut river,
field and North Springfield, and con-
Meeting with some point on the Rutland
division of the Central Vermont railroad.
IL was to be known as the Ascutney
railroad. By consent of the legislature,
the town voted to bond itself for four
times the amount of the grand list,
which vote was rescinded tle following
year. In 1886 the Springfield Railroad
company contemplated building line
from Claremont junction to Gassetts,
but the scheme failed. Again in 1888
survey was made which was sold to the
Delaware & Hudson railroad. In 1890
railroad talk was revived and the fol-
lowing year charter for the Black
River railroad was obtained and sur
vey made. This road was to be built
from C)aremont Junction down the Con-
necticut river to a point opposite
Weathersfield Bow whe1ea crossing was
proposed, the road then following down
the Connecticut river and up the Black
RIVER valley, passing through Could
Perkinsville, Amsden, Cavendish to
Proctorsvlls. Three sur veys have been
made in all, and the last one makes
some material changes. The road now
crosses the Connecticut below North
ChaIl, stowp, and Amsden viii be about
half mile fl ON the main line. Ii is
possible, too, that the road may end at
Cavendish instead of running through to
Proctorsville. This survey will save a
large outlay and shorten the road some
what
1t passes through one of the richest
sections in the two states, both for manu-
featuring and farming. Along the Con-
necticuJ valley are farms which cannot
be surpassed by any in the country. For
manufacturing, besides the diver sified in
terests at Springfield, there are the bob
hin factory and saw mill at Could 8
Mills; wood working shops at North
Springfield; cotton mill, soapstone quar-
ries and lumber mills at Perkinsville
the lime kilns at Amsden; and the
wooden mills and other industries at
C4vendish aud Proctorsville.
There are a number of unused water
powers along the Black river which
would undoubtedly be developed should
a road be built and the local freight
traffic of the 30 miles of road would ex-
coed the freight traffic of the Rutland
railroad, exclusive of Rutland and Bel
lows Falls.
Matters having reached a point where
it seemed almost certain that work would
begin, should the citizens along the line
manifest enough interest in the road to
assist in building it, or grant the right
OF way for reasonable sum, two TINES
reporters took pedestrian trip along the
survey and interviewed large number
of the leading citizens. Leaving the
train at Claremont junction, search
was made for the first stake and upor
making inquiries of a railroad employe
we were Informed that it could be found
near the cattle sheds, down the track al
the first crossing. Proceeding in tina
direction, walk of about mile failed
to reveal either cattle sheds or any othel
building, nor crossing, so we walked
back to the depot and an accommodating
cid gentleman pointed out ''the sheds,
which were just across the track ant
consisted of a pen about ten feet squar'
built in the corner of pasture. Nea
this pen, after kicking around in tn
three inches of snow with which tn
ground was covered, we discovered tn
stake and the trip was really begun
We knew that somewhere ahead its com