Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-05-30
VERMONT RAILROADS.
The situation as Viewed in This Section 81
Years Ago.

Years Ago.
From the Northern Galaxy, Middlebury, May
II, lSi5.I
ANY person who will examine the to-
Biography Of Vermont and her relative
position to the capital Of New England
must be salts fled that the, Western or
Rutland railroad route will more COM
pletely secure the whole business, and
better accommodate the great mass OF
the population of the state than the Cen
trial. Surprising the Western route to
connect with the Cheshire at Bellows
Falls. or as some think best at the mouth
of Black river. and from either point
pursue its course through Cavendish,
Ludlow and over Mount Holly to Bur
lington. while the Central route passes
up the Connie cticut to the mouth of White
river, and thence through Montpelier to
Burlington. il will at once be perceived
by a reference to the map, that at least
half of Windham county Will be well ac-
commodated, Windsor as well accomma-
dated by one as the other. Franklin ana
Grand Isle Will be better accommodated by
the Western route, as the distance would
be IS or 80 miles less. And we may as
well here observe that in all our calcula-
lions about the routes, that from Bellows
Falls to Burlington by Rutland it is ll2
miles. while from Bellows Falls to the
mouth of White river it is 80 miles, ana
thence to Burlington l03 miles. equal to
1l2 miles, a difference of 30 miles in favor
of the Rutland route. The difference is
variouslv calculated at from 2G to 30
miles.
But since perusing the above our eye
has met with communication IN the
Rutland Herald from gentleman OF
great capability on the subject OF rail-
roads. from which we extract the follow
ing statement which commends itself TO
the Judgment of all those who are sim
cerely DESTROYS of arriving at the true
merits of the rival routes:
81 assume then that the following ter
ritorv is better accommodated by the
Rutland than by the Central route: The
counties of Windham, one-third OF Ben
nington, half of Windsor, Rutland, Add
son, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle
and one-third of Lamoille, having pop
ulation of lG1,09l and grand list of
SAB 1882, equal to a property valua-
ton of Sl4. 331 So.
sVThe Central route would better &C.
commodate the following counties Half
of Windsor, Orange, Washington, Gale
donIa. Essex. Orleans and two-thirds of
I.amoille with a population of lIO,5Ol
and a grand list of S2G0.3l9,93, equal to
aproperty valuation Of S2G,93l, $50. Thus
showing a difference in favor of the Rut-
land route in population of 1880 and in
property valuation of SlI ,4Oo,9lO.
'If the railway shall be built upon the
Rutland route. and no other IN the state
WoC limo
and Orleans counties and the remainder
of Lamoille would be well accommodated
bv such railway. And again. by extend
ing a branch road from Burlington TO
Montpelier. the whole state would be
well accommodated.
''If the Central road should he built
and no other, the counties of Addison,
Rutland. Bennington and Windhan,
would neither derive any benefit from II
or furnish to it pound Of freight. But
the rich products and immense guam
titles of marble and iron Of the first three,
would go to New York as they now do.
and thence would they obtain their mtr-
chandise, plaster and salt"
We add that should the Western route
be adopted a railroad might be construct
ed from Montpelier to Burlington as well
as the - miles, the extra distance of the
Central route. This done, and every
county In the state would be well accom-
modated by the Rutland route.
This exhibition Of stubborn facts by
the able correspondent of the Herald
founded upon the geographical position
of the counties and the indisputable sta
tistics of the comparative wealth and
population of the various sections reach
ed by the different routes, at once puts
to flight the unwarrantable classitica-
lions and tabular Misrepresentation by
which the advocates of the Central route
have endeavored to gain advantages to
which they have no legitimate claim.
But in whatever speculatlons we may
indulge in relation to the relative ac-
Communications of the various sections Of
our state the Boston people who must
furnish the greatest amount of capital
for the construction of the road must de-
eide the route. The grounds of this de-
cision will be. which will cost the least
in construction and expense Of operation,
concentrate the most business in Boston
and have the advantage for passage and
freight.
In the first place it is conceded by all
that the expense of building, running
and repairing about 30 miles of road will
be saved by the Rutland route, amount
ing TO 100000 or 100000 in construc-
ton alone, and should the average ex-
pense of running be $3.50 per mile as
shown from experience on other roads,
it will cost $4,000 more to run the Cen
trail route than the Southern.