The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-18
TUE FIRST step TAKEN
Taking Power From Morrisville Plant
VIII Lead, 1t Is Hoped, to Extending
Mount Mansfield Road From Stowe
to That Village.

Stowe, Nov. 12.-Whoever in recent
years has travelled from Waterbury to
Morrisville, on the electric line from
Waterbury to Stowe and thence by
stage over the level road to his des-
tination, must have wondered why the
electric road has not been extended to
Morrisville. Such an extension could
be built much more cheaply than the
portion now in operation and would
afford a connecting link between the
St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain
and Central Vermont roads which
ought to bring increased freight and
passenger traffic.
But the expense and disadvantages
attending the operation of the present
stretch of road have been such as to
discourage possible investors from
placing any money in extensions.
At a meeting of the directors in
Stowe last week 1t was voted to take
power from the municipal plant at
Morrisville, instead of longer operat-
ing private steam plant, and this
is regarded as the first and import
ant step toward extending the road
: to what appears to be its natural ter
minus The erection of a pole line
and the stringing of wires will be COM
menced at once and is expected to be
completed in two months. Though
this is no part of the contract signed
between the company and the trustees
of the village of Morrisville, the poles
will be so placed that they can carry
trolley wires If that should be desired
later and the expense of construction
would be practically nothing but
grading and laying the rails. The diff
ference in elevation between Norris
Vile and Stowe is only nine feet and
the road is unusually level for a strip
of that distance in Vermont. 1t is
nine miles from Stowe to Morrisville,
little less than from Stowe to Wat
erbury, and as the road is now
planned, that distance would be
somewhat shortened, as it is not in
tended to follow the highway all the
way.
There is no doubt of the desire of
the people of the two towns to have
the road extended, and for some
years they have expected that it would
be done. One man disposed of stage
line because he believed the extension
would render his business worthless.
The road was originally built as
much for freight as for passenger
business, but having it's only outlet at
Waterbury it has not secured the
freight it might have. The lumber
business at Stowe and along the line
has been the principal contributor of
that kind ofbusiness. There is more
freight to be had at Morrisville and to
be picked up along the line, there
would be an extension of mail and ex-
press contracts If the road should be
put through and thare is such general
dissatisfaction with the operations of
the St. Johnsbury and Lake. Champlain
md Burlington and Lamoille roads,
which furnish the only outlet from
Morrisville, that large amount of
passenger traffic could be diverted to
the electric road. This would furnish
a shorter means of reaching towns on
the Central Vermont line and many
people now patronize the stage or a
private conveyance to Stowe rather
than take the longer route by the
steam roads.
q Construction of the road originally
was expensive and the route was laid
out in way to make operation ex-
nensive as well. Instead of running
trough the streets of Waterbury vii
hge, as was desired by the people, by
(which much local traffic might have
been picked up on the way to Wat
6rbury Center, the road started from
Ahe Central Vermont tracks near the
station, running through hilly clay
formation, so that it has been neces.
sary to build strong barricades tC
keep the clay from sliding on the
track in wet seasons, and In spite Of
that precaution large amounts of clay
have slid down that had to be shoYele6
Off
Intending to operate their own pow
er plant, the management construct
ed the power house about half way
along the line. thus making it neces
sary to haul every pound of coal iron
Waterbury to that point, which hs:
added greatly to the expense of %
GRAFTON. In times of drought, also, II
has been necessary to haul water ;
distance of a mile or more. These lit
tie things, resulting from misunder
standing on the part of the builders o
the road, have been the means of larg'
leakages and explain to some exten
why the road has not been a success
The charter for the road was grant
cd In 1894 and the company was or
iized in January of the next year
eration was commenced Decembe
1897. For about ten years the roa,
Jas operated at loss and the physi
cal condition deteriorated until tn
.aili Dad commissioners insisted Of
cerain improvements being madi
Early in 1907 the American Trus