Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-06-26

boro & Whitehall road, the business of tn
granite company could be at least doubled, am
there would be employment which would dou
BILE the present amount of help, pay and wages
Holden & Martin last winter ordered 20 piece
OF granite for the new furniture factory II
Brattleboro. The company waited five week
fora suitable car to ship them on and then tn,
order was cancelled and the company lost tn,
stone.
+. C. Crosby, who has had large experience II
buying equipments for electric railroads, sale
that in his Judgment 100 cars could have beer
procured in six months time at any time In
the last four years, and a narrow gauge loco;
second hand locomotives could be procured al
short notice and at reasonable prices.
+. +. Brooks, now of Gardner. Mass. who was
superintendent of the Brattleboro a. Whitehall
railroad 15years, said that prior to the time that
er any difficulty in handling the business Of the
road and furnishing sufficient cars to the pat
rons to move freight in reasonable. prudent
and expeditions manner. He explained In some
detail his system of handling the cars. During
| his service as superintendent, the earnings OF
| the road went as high as $4,000 year. and in
that year there was no difficulty in handling the
business properly and expeditiously without
trouble or complaint. When additional help
was required it could readily be secured in
Brattleboro. When a car was damaged it was
taken to Brattleb0ro and repaired quickly, and
there was never any difficulty In getting me-
chanIcs to do the work. Soon after the Central
Vermont took possession. Mr.. Brooks was or
dered to discharge five men from the transfer
force in Brattleboro, and. although he ex planned
that this curtailment would result in tying up
the narrow gauge business in Brattleboro and
would prevent cars being sent back to load
again, and would result in much delay and in
convenience to the patrons OF the road and the
busiress of the road, it was not rescinded and
the men were discharged. The result was that
y e business was to large extent tied up in
Brattleb0ro and cars were compelled to be held
in the Brattleboro yard awaiting transfer.
sometimes as long as one to three weeks, and
the immediate result was congestion Of business
in the stations up the line and complaints from
patrons of the road and loss of business to the
road.
b. S. Gallup of Barton is joint owner of the
Parker & Young Co, which owns 5000 acres of
land in Stratton and Winhall, on which are 50,-
coo feet of timber. The company wishes to
cut and ship 100000 to 100000 feet per year.
and the natural and most feasible route is over
the Bratteboro & Whitehall road to Brattle
boro. All the timber would be shipped this way
If the railroad was in proper shape and sufficient
equipment and facilities furnished. The COM
pany has been unable to get an agreement for
the furnishing of proper facilities and has been
unable to have the Central Vermont managers
agree to handle a certain volume of business
per month or per annum. large portion of the
timber must be shipped by the way of Manches-
ter on the Rutland railroad, unless reasonable
facilities are furnished on the narrow gauge. A
business of 100000 feet of lumber year would
make l000 narrow gauge carloads on which the
freight would be $500 per year.
C. f. Thompson, president of the Brattleboro |
& Whitehall road, made the important point in |
his affidavit that the taking over of that line |
with the New London Northern by the Central |
Vermont railroad company in 1893 was without |
he consent or agreement of the Brattleboro & /
road, the latter company never hav- |
ng been party in any way to the proceedings |
which led up TO that consummation, and nei- |
her the company nor its officers were ever me- |
,otiated with, conferred with or asked TO con-
ent or agree to the arrangements by which the /
property came TO the company which now ope
ates it. He told in extended detail the growth
4 the trouble in handling the freight traffic. as
veil as the condition of the road bed and roll
ng stock, and also reviewed the attempts which
lad been made to have the business properly
andled