The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-27
AN OLD FAILURE RECALLED
The Failure Of the Central Vermont 70
Grasp Its Best Opportunities.

I ANE k@MAA& " tAAN MNAN%& FNAAANAA -
Grasp It's Best Opportunities.
A very interesting document is
pamphlet, printed Is years ago, set.
ting forth the claims Of Montpelier
Barre and the Wilhamstown Gulf fol
the main line Of the Central Vermont
railroad when tie railroad oHicials were
being importuned to continue southwark
to White River b. the above route and
also BY he Mortified and Roabpry
route. TIE pamphlet is the property Of
Miss Blanche }. Tilden and she intends
u place II III the Aldrieh library b ada
to the collection ST documents and data
relating 70 the history 81 Barre
The arguments IN which che commit.
tee g. ~. Collamer, Leonard Keith and
Walter Bnrnham, advanced ia 1915 70
favor Of route through Wiiliamstowu
Gull have been largely substantiated
The committee start by comparing the
grades 81 tie two proposed routes. say
ing that on the Williamsdewn Gulf route
there IS 10 such grade s that Of 80 feet
per mile as on ihe Mortified route from
corner Of Granville to the summit il
Roxbury The committee also conclude
THAT the Mortified route Is uuguestion-
ably more crooked than ours, and has
shorter and more abrupt curves"
That the Gulf rouie Is shorter by many
miles % to be exact. they assert the
Gulf route from the State HOusH ia
Montpelier to White River being 98.Ta
miles and by the other WAY 1884 miles.
Again. the term Of subscription ~ the
stock of the Vermont Central railroad,
says the committee, requires the road
70 pass via Montpelier II continues
This requisition cannot be complied
with unless the Gulf route be adopted =
How the railroad really got around this
requirement Is now appreciated by the
spur track, which runs into Montpelier
The Gulf route country Is richer than
the other, has more inhabitants and
would yield much more business" arr
CUES the committee The population Of
the Mortified route IN 1915 was given
las 1914. while Oh the Gulf route It
was $3.50 without counting Montpelier
The grand list Of the Northfeld route
was 80 l0s.5s and Of the Gplf route Sl5,-
0l5.5g, without counting Montpelier
IN concluding their arguments the com-
mittee refers To the business Of the Gulf
route, particularly with reference to
Barre as follows
"Twing's splendid Touring mill In
Barre was built With a view Of its be-
ing supplied with wheat from Burling-
ton II VIII require $50 tons Of wheat
per year His furnace. at the same
place, supplies castings to The amount
Of l30 tons a year, 70 various parts Of
The country. There are two other fur
naccs In this route and four starch fee
tories, supplying 240 tons % starch all
nually Ia Barre is superior and III
exhaustible quarry Of granite Of which
the State House is constructed. Granite
ia rare article IN Vermont More than
600 tons Of this stone are now carried
away from the quarry by teams, 100
tons Of which are transported to Bur
linigton, d distance of IS miles.
There are numerous beds 81 lime Of
immense extent in Wiliamatown and
Brookfeld one of which in Williams
town, IS extensively worked
Tn the above Statements we have not
mentioned the county east aud northeast
of the Gulf route Should the road
he built through the Gulf much III the
business Of tliis section would BE trans
ported in the cars: otherwise its natural
outlet Is Connecticut river The ra.
port OF a civil engineer detailing the
probable cost Of tho Gulf route accom-
panies the committees report.
Tue failure Of The report to influence
the Central Vermont 81 the Vermont
Central, a. il was III those days, q too
painful history for Barre people and
Others on the Gulf route to need re.
calling at this time. However it is
TO Sc how prophetic g. w
Collamer. Leonard Keith and Walter
Burnham were hack 65 years ago.