The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-25
Mad River Valley,

Will the Electric Road BE BuiIt-Trip OF
Capitalists and Business Men OF Mont
pelier Through the Valley-Resources oi
that Sectional Survey to BE Made thi,
Week.
The committee appointed by the Mont
pelier Board OF Trade as noted in the
WATCHMAN last week and others to the
number OF forty accompanied the directors
of the Barre & Montpelier Traction and
Power Company last Wednesday on their
trip over the proposed electric railroad from
| Montpelier to Warren through Middlesex,
Moretown and Wsitsfeld. The fact that
so many men were willing to leave their
of the interest that is felt in the project at
tina capital of the State. The party was
cordially received at Middlesex Moretown,
Waitsfeld and Warren and every thing that
could be was done by the residents of tina
valley to entertain the party and accom-
plish the purpose for which the trip was
made.
Several important considerations in con-
nection with the building Of this electric
railroad, naturally present themselves.
| Among them, how much local encourage
ment can be depended on; how much finan-
cial help do the projectors Of the road ex-
pect from the residents OF that valley; and
will it be of real benefit to that locality and
to the people OF Montpelier to build this
road and put 1t in operation.
| several gentlemen who made this trip, the
| judgment Of any one Of whom can be relied
upon. They are agreed that this road ought
| to be built and that it is the most feasible
railroad proposition in the State Of Yer
mont to-day
F.C. Kennedy, president of the Barre and
Montpelier Electric Railroad, who accom-
panied the party, was unable to say how
| much financial assistance would be asked
| from the people OF that valley in building
| thar III tn 1ap hnfAr
capitalists certain facts in regard to the To-
cality and for that reason he counted the
houses on the line OF the proposed road be-
| tween Middlesex and Warren, finding a to-
tai of $50. The question of whether It is an
| expensive road to build Is an important fac
tor with capitalists who would be likely to
invest in it, and this will be more fully de-
| termined by the preliminary survey which
will be made this week. The towns Of Mid
dlesex, Waitsfeld and Warren have guar
| anteed to pay the expense Of this survey.
Mr.. Kennedy stated after he had made the
trip that it was an easy grade and an easy
| road to build and he is very certain that 1t
would be paying investment
Some comment has been made because
people of the towns mentioned did not turn
out in large numbers to meet this party to
talk over the project. There were good
reasons for this. The farmers were busy
and the people OF Mad River Valley have
been fooled three times In regard to the
| DulluluR VI EhllEOdu Ju6 valley.
They prefer to wait and know more about it.
| The leading business men OF the three viii
| lagos, however, met and talked over the
project with the different members Of the
| party, and almost without exception they
favored the road. Some Of the merchants
in Warren and Waitsfield have mistaken
idea that II the road is built they will
lose some Of their trade, but those who
| know most about such matters are sure 1t
will be made up to them in other ways.
The lumber interests Of that valley would
be an important factor in the success OF the
road. The mountains Of Warren and Fay
ston are covered with hard wood lumber,
only the best OF which has been cut for the
reason that it costs 81 per thousand to
freight 1t over the mountain to Roxbury.
The tops OF the soft wood trees from which
No. Q lumber is manufactured are either
used for fire wood or left where they fall,
for the reason that the cost Of hauling such
manufactured lumber to the railroad is
more than it is worth. One firm in War
rem paid the Central Vermont agent at Rox-
year, which gives some idea Of the lumber
that is at present hauled over that noun
tain.
On Warren and Fayston mountains are
found rich deposits Of sulphite OF copper
which cannot now be mined at profit, be.
cause of the distance from the railroad
All through that valley are also found rich
deposits Of tale, which is Of great CONNER.
cial value in making hard finish, soaps
face powders, ETC.. and is used extensively
mineral and all it needs Is q chance to de-
velop it. Above Warren village. in the
town OF Warren are eleven good water
powers, in the village there are four, and
on the brooks there are several, making al
least fifteen valuable water powers that are
good the year round. In the vicinity o.
Waitsfeld there are several equally al
good, that only need the incentive Of q rail
road to develop them. Three extensive
water powers in Moretown are owned by Fl
o. Ward who Is Of course very anxious the
road should be built. To say nothing Of
the agricultural resources Of the valley
there Is plenty OF power, and plenty Of ma
terial, and the opinion Of the gentlemen
who were interviewed, was that an electric
road through that valley would certainly
double Its resources and double the in
come OF its people.
Stowe Ia already on paying basis is one o
the best arguments why the road through
Mad River valley should be built. The
Stowe road practically opens up no valua
BILE country for freight business, while Mac
River valley is only waiting for railroad
to handle its business. Aside from this, tn,
satisfaction OF the residents OF that locality
in being able to be in constant communities
ton with the outside world would be mucl
greater than is at present realized by them
This road should by all means be bull
and the representative business men Of
Montpelier who went on this trip last weel
realize that Montpelier has vital interest
in the matter. We cannot well afford to al
low this road to go from Moretown t.
Waterbury as it may do II encouragement
is not given to bring it to Montpelier, and il
is believed that the business men at the
capital, II they are asked to take stock il
this venture, will not allow it to go by de
fault.