Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-11
BOSTON TO MONTREAL.
The Rutland Railroad May Have
Through Connections.

Prospects That Its Line VIII BE EH-
tended from Burlington TO Alburgh
Through Fertile Grand isle County,
Would BE Competitor OF Central Ver-
mont and Boston g. Maine.
The residents and owners Of property in
and about the county of grand Isle, Little
Chain Islands and Lake Champlain, are
much aroused over the prospect that they
are to have a railroad which will compete
with the line of steamers now running TO
points upon the islands, and with the add
ton of teams the only manner of com
munication which they have with the out
side world.
The company making overtures regard
ing such an extension is the Rutland rail
road company, which now operates be-
tween Burlington and Bellows Falls. This
railroad is practically controlled by the
Delaware 4 Hudson company. The Rut-
land railroad was formerly a part of the
Central Vermont system, but when the lat
ter road went into the hands of receivers
the Rutland railroad became a system of
its own, and has since been operated as
such. AS an individual railroad it has as
sumed a rivalry with the Central Vermont
both in freight and passenger traffic bound
LOT boston ana New Y Ork.
The new road through the islands is con-
sldered partial growth of this competi-
ton. The islands of Grand Isle county are
located IN the extreme northerly end of
Lake Champlain, and not a great distance
from the shore on the Vermont side. By
running line of tracks from its terminal
at Burlington northward TO Il point where
with trestes the islands may be reached,
fhpu ba 81 81, b,t,
by the building of two additional trestles,
will bring the Rutland railroad to a connec-
ton with the system of the Canada Allan
tic at Alburgh, the extreme north end of
the islands
With this connection it is seen at glance
that the Rutland railroad then has a
through route of its own from Boston
northward to Montreal, and as far west as
the Canadian Atlantic road may extend and
to Boston over the Fitchburg in competi-
ton with the Central Vermont and Boston
* Name. Thus with few extra miles 1t
VIII obtain competing route with that of
central Vermont with complete through
connections of untold competitive value.
Aside from the competitive connections
10 be gained, the new road to the islands
would open up new country of unlimited
wealth IN the line of fruits and agricultural
products. The islands of Grand Isle are
excelled in fertility by no county in Yer
mont. They are the chief fruit producing
county of New England and send out
thousands of barrels of apples each year.
meeting was called by Lieut.. Gov.
fiske of Isle LaMott, at which all the Sc
lectmen of the county were invited to meet
and discuss the rights of way. At this
meeting proposition was submitted from
President Clement of the Rutland road
which is not made public. 1t is under
stood that the proposition offered to have a
road completed late next fall, were the
rights of way granted The reception of
the proposition among the island people
was very favorable one. Some we're
ready to give the rights of way at once,
but others, more conservative, induced
their companions to wait further develop
ments, but not TO discourage the matter.
There is but little question that the project
will go through. and when it does it means
work Of engineering and trestling not to
be treated lightly, and a vast change in the
railroad situation of V ermont, already
somewhat complicated by recent events