Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-06-14
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES

banon Valley Railroad by DR.. w. Seward
Webb marks the close of one of the most
remarkable series of railroad litigations
in the history of railroading in the Green
Mountain State. This line, which Is
more familiary known as the Lebanon
Springs railroad, and which extends from
Bennington, VT, to Chatham, n. Y,
distance of 70 miles, has been in oper-
alton for long period. The Lebanon
Springs Railroad company was chartered
on March %, 1852, in New York and it
constructed and operated the line In
question from 1869 to 1880, when the
road passed into the hands of receiver.
1t was sold under foreclosure proceed
ings in 1885 to certain of its bondholders
who transferred it to the New York, Rut-
land & Montreal Railroad company,
corporation formed, as its name indicates,
for the purpose of opening new route
between the cities named. 1t soon be-
came bankrupt. however, and the under
living mortgages on the various roads
forming the line were foreclosed. Since
that change the Lebanon Springs road
has passed through numerous expert
ences of an unimportant character, haV-
ing been run most of the time as road
which began and ended nowhere.
With the consolidation of the Lebanon
Valley line with the Rutland system the
former assumes the Importance which 1t
was originally intended to possess as
link in through line. The acquisition OF
the Lebanon road enables the Rutland
system to overcome the disadvantage en-
countered when the Fttchburgh, which
had been the Rutland's Boston con-
nection, passed into the control OF the
Boston & Maine after spirited contest
for the same. The Rutland now gains an
entrance to Boston over the Boston II
Albany, which is under lease to the New
York Central, aud secures every advan-
tage which direct connection with the
latter system can offer. Indeed one may
say in view of the fac. that the Wander
bits already have majority of the di-
rectors of the Rutland railroad, that Or.
w. Seward Webb, the moving spirit in
the development of this route, by securing
the connecting link with other Wander
bilt lines has placed his road in position
to secure the best possible terms from
tine Fitchburgb division of the Boston
& Maine, as we'll as to compete under
the most favorable conditions for Boston
traffic. At Chatham the extended Rut-
land line will connect with the Harlem,
and short route to New York will thus
be established Burlington Free Press.
>oo%
SHOCKING SILENCE.
Our esteemed contemporary the Niroku
Shinpo of Toxic, discussing the con-
duct of the soldiers of the allies toward
the people of China. eXclaims:
"If we keep silent in the presence OF such
crimes what may become OF the CIVILIZATION
of the twentieth century,"
In that sentence the eminent organ OF
japanese progress has called attention to
the most significant, the most deplor-
able feature of the imperialist mania.
Passing over the Philippine war and
Britain's war upon the little republics of
South Africa, let US look only at the
atrocities of the allies in China.
1t is now established beyond dispute
that the Chinese, the private citizens,
unoffending, peaceful, helpless men and
women, have been robbed, murdered,
abused in ways which may be only limited
here. These crimes, many of them more
frightful than the occasional crimes of
degenerates of our slums which till us
with horror. have been committed by the
hundred. Yet not one word of apology,
not one act of reparation, have we had
from any of the governments whose sol
diers have thus degraded the very name
| of human being.
Even in America, in New York, in
Washington itself, quantities of goods
known to have been stolen from the
Chinese have been publicly sold at
auction.
Well may the Niroku Shinpo say that
this silence, this federation, this approval,
BODIES i'll for civilization. 1t indicates a
recrudescence of the brute.
If this Japanese newspaper had been
so minded it might have contrasted the
silence of the Western governments with
the conduct of Japan in its war with
|China. 1t will be remembered that The
Worlds war correspondent with the
Japanese army telegraphed to The
World a full account of the sack of
Port Arthur by the japanese. 1t will
be remembered that a shudder of horror
ian through Christendom. But it will
&lso be remembered that before Christen- !
iom had time to express itself the
Japanese government telegraphed The
World admitting that the sack had oc-
ured, deploring 1t and humbly apollo !
sizing on behalf of the japanese people, /
nd promising that the otfense should
bot be repeated, and it was not.
Japan then believed in the pious and
xalted professions of the Occident.
oday she is in a way to become as
yncal as the most benevolent destroyer
f liberty or breaker of promises in the
Vest. Is it TO be wondered at?-New
ork World.
THE FIRE WASTE.
The fire losses of the United States
ave reached amounts which may we'll
ppall the owners and managers of fire .
Insurance companies if 1t is to continue