Connecticut western news., 1892-03-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
..rHH BITTER AND SWEET,
Editor @ Ns,os :

exist You say That it makes a great difference in what proportion the bitter and sweet arc dealt out in hauling through freight, the road that has the least grade has the advantage. The Boston 4 Albany road is 200 miles long with heavy grsdes for only small per cent of the distance whereas the Con- nscticut Western road was only 67 miles long from Hartford to State Line with heavy grades for large per cent of tbe distance therefore the Boston X Albany had more sweet than bitter whereas the Conn. Western road had more bitter than sweet" Yon have inatlver tantly put the credit oD the wrong side of the ledger, and till that is corrected tue books will never balance.
 It Is we'll understood that the hen"v through freishts are from west to eu-t and will show that the Conneciicn. Western road has vastly more sweet than bitter I think you will admit that the Reading railroad and the Cen trAl New England form us favorable. Il hne for the hsulipg of coal to the Hnd son river a- any other railroad line. aud that the Central Nav England i,- ing 2l2 feet above high water at tine river is equally favorable to the State Line of Connecticut. Now comes in the bitter and the sweet. From State Line to Ore Hill is nearly one mile of up grade, not severe. From Ore Hill to Twin Lakes, distance of eight miles, all deoending except . slight ascent near Chapinville for 3a mile. From Twin Lakes to Foley's summit one mile sishtly ascending. From Foley's sum- nit to Canaan three miles all descend ing. From Canaan to Spaulding's sum- init eleven miles and rise of $50 feet, m average of 60 feet to mile and at no place exceeding 73 feet to the mile e was informed by the chief engineer whom the road was constructed. From 8paulding's summit to Hartford dis tancs of A miles and less than three miles ascending grade in the whole dis tauce, and the ascent 50 slight that a single locomotive could take 40 loaded oaxs from Spaulding's summit to Hart ford. From the above it will be seen that in the whole distance from State Line to Hartford there exists but IT miles of bitter to 50 of sweet. Now if you will place the sweet on the credit side of tho ledger and the bitter on the debit side it will be seen that Spauld- ing's summit is . myth, and that the Conn. Western railroad is the most feas- ible line for the freighting of coal into New England that has been or can be produced. .-.
 My illustration m former article comparing through passenger with local. did not strike you as pertinent. I could show the same results in compar- ing through and local freights, and may do 70 some future time. ... ..-
 E. T. BUTLER,
 Norfolk, March 7th. 1892.
 Our Reply.
 By quoting only part, or disconnec- tod parts, of our statement in regard to the proportion of bitter and sweet dealt out to the Boston < Albany road .and the Connecticut Western road, MT Butler endeavors to make it appear that we have inadvertently placed the cred- it on tho wrong side of the ledger. We think he underestimates the num- bsr of miles of up grade from west to east on the Connecticut Western road, and we think he wilt admit it after he studies the profile of said road which accompanies Oliver W. Barnes report of his survey. He also calls the ur grades at Ore Hill, Chapinville and Twin Lakes easy grades notwithstand. ink it is we'll known that trains frequent ly get stalled there. However, for the sake of argument,we will at present ac oept Mir Buffers figures ill regard te tho Connecticut Western road, viz, 1T miles of bitter to 50 miles of sweet. Il will thus bef seen that Mir Butler admit, that over one fourth of the whole dis tance from State Line to Hartford is uI grade, and we will add that heavy freight trains need boosting" said dis tancs The Boston X Albany road ii three times ss long as the Connecticut Western road. Now if Mr Butler car convince us that the Boston < Albany road has three times as many miles O. up grade from west to east, land al heavy grades) as the Connecticut West srn road has, then. but not until then shall we think we inadvertently pu the credit on the wrong side of the led ser." We endeavored to show in our re. marks published Feb. 25th that in pro portion to it's mileage the Connection Western road had more bitter tup grade from west to east) than the Boston d Albany road had in proportion to it mileage. We used the terms" bitter snt sweet" for the purpose of illustrating the advantage which the Boston & Al bany road has over the Connection Western road. But ws thiuk that NJ Butler did not 30 interpret the terms otherwise he would not endeavor tt prove what no one denies. viz that tn, Connecticut Western road between State Line and Hartford has less mile of ascending than decending grade iron west to east.
 Air Butler evidently thinks that be cause the Poughk-epsie bridge IS 2i: feet above high water the Central New Encland & Western rond lrle Connec