News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-03-19
The Burlington and LamoiIIe Extension.

OuI ICCOhU dlSCuSClOu vi VIC DtOpO
sition to extend the Burlington and
Lamoile division of the Central Yer
mont railroad to Newport or some
other point in Orleans county, has
been followed by the presentation o.
arguments for and against the pro
ject, in both private conversation
and in public print, by railroad mer
and laymen. 1t is not to be expected
that the suggestion would receive
general acqulescence. A railroad was
never started in any direction with
out encounterilg conflicting interests
and arousing differences OF opinion
for q railroad, like certain phases OF
the tariff question, is a local issue.
The NJ ,ntpelier Argns, among
Others, discusses the subject, and in
q temperate and fair manner, that
renders consideration of the topic
with it enjoyable The Argus quotes
from statements Of Newport cores
pondent OF the Free Press, made in
favor of d railroad from Montpelier
rather than from Cambridge Dune
ton; and holds that greater adj
vantages would result from the selec-
ton OF the former route.
The Free Press has no particular
axe to grind in this connection, ex-
.cept it's desire to see certain section
of country provided with railroad pri.
vileges and developed. A small de-
gree of benefit might result to Bur
lington from this extension, but mas.
much as the suggested improvement
would probably mean no material in
crease in trains in and out of this
city, the advantages to us directly
would be small as compared with the
benefits which would occur to Mont
pelier from the opening OF a line to
Newport. We wish every section of
the state could have steam railroad,
and enjoy the development which
would result. Unfortunately, how
ever, it's geography and topography
is such that we can not reasonably
hope to see many more steam lines
within our boundaries. For the great
.er part we must look to electric roads
for our future development
1t is a notorious fact that the rail-
roads traversing this state would
starve if they were obliged to depend
upon local passenger aud freight
traffic. 1t is only bv securing large
through traffic from important ter
minals at tide water and from con-
nections with the great West that the
Central Vermont, the Rutland and
the Boston and Maine lines extending
the entire length of our state can be
made selt-sustaining. How then
would steam line from Rutland to
Newport be expected to pay? Would
it pay the Rutland, the Central Yer
mont or the Boston and Maine to
parallel itself two thirds of the length
of the state merely for the local traffic
it would get, since it already has ac-
,commodations and connections ar
ranged with reference to through
traffic? Would it pay any independ-
ent corporation to build a line over
the route in question, and be depend
ent at both termini? These are the
practical questions that must be con-
sidered in connection with the pro-
ject in question.
While we would rejoice to see an
other railroad extend through the
greater length of our state, owing to
the way in which it would develop
various sections, the testimon of diff
ferent railroad managers regarding
the returns from existing lines and
the considerations we have named
have seemed to US to render the pro-
liability OF a steam railroad from
Rutland to Newport via Montpelier
or Barre very remote.
The development of asbestos de-
posts in Lamoille county would not
offer an inducement for the building
of a railroad across the state any
more than granite interests would to
the construction of such a line: but
trunk lines being in existence, it is
found profitable to extend short
banches to such deposits as at Barre
and Woodbury.. 1t is reasonable to
expect that if the asbestos industry
develops, as now seems probable, q
short branch will be extended by the
Boston and Maine or the Central Yer
mont from their existing branches in
Lamoille county and as we have al.
ready said, the Burlington and La
noble extension could be operated
more economically than any other
line, because few additional trains or
train crews would be required, since
the additional service would take
present trains but a few miles further.
Since our previous discussion of this
project we have conferred with men
of experience representing the party
of exploration sent by the late ex-
Gov. j. Gregory Smith over the terri
tory which the Burlington and La
mobile extension would penetrate, as
we'll as engineering parties who have
recently explored that section in con-
nection with the development of the
asbestos deposits and our previous
statement regarding the feasibility of
constructing the railroad line in
question to Orleans county ia more
than confirmed.
Whether the extension of a line of
this character to Newport would pay
is doubtful, but the chances are that
If Orleans county gets more direct