The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-07-28
BUSY WEEK FOR
BOSTON AND MAINE
Agents Have Been Buying Right
of Way in N. H.
NEW LINE REALLY TO BE BUILr9
Chief Engineer Tompson Would Not Be
Surprised to Receive Orders to Call
for New Bids at 0nce-Property
Owners Surprised to Sell to Railroad.

This has been busy week for Engineer
George M. Tompson, who is in charge of
the proposed Boston & Maine line between
Hinsdale, n, H., and Brattleboro As ex.
clusively announced in The Reformer last
week the taking up of the options began
Friday and it is probable that the entire
right of way will be owned by the Boston
4 Maine railroad within week with the
exception of one or two parcels of land
These parcels. at least one of them, will
probably have to be condemned by the
New Hampshire courts. The piece in ques.
ton lies almost directly opposite this vii
lage and is owned by the Brattleboro Re.
treat which cannot sell it without authori.
ty from the legislature There will prob.
ably be mutual condemnation proceedings
in this case.
Though about three-quarters Of the sur.
veyed right of way has been paid for by the
Connecticut River railroad, subsidiary
line of the Boston 4 Maine, and the deeds
have been recorded at Keenc, the shire
town in Cheshire county, the engineers are
unable to say today just what the 10 mile
right of way will cost. However, 1t will
probably be in the neighborhood of $780,
many of the stakes set up during the sur
vey and while Engineer Tompson has re-
! ceived no further orders from his superiors
he would not be surprised TO get instruc-
tions next week to get another set of bids
for building the road. The bids submit
ted early in the summer by several OF the
| largest railroad contractors in this coun-
try called for a rush job. The work was
to be completed Dec |. 1911. As it would
| be an impossibility now to construct the
road within the time limit named IN the
bids submitted it is likely that another set
of bids will be called for and the time
! limit for the completion OF the road, should
President Mellen order it built, will be
set for June /, 1912. This would allow
the passenger department to so arrange
| its summer schedule as to include the. new
| link. Engineer Tompson has ordered the
second section of the road, which has been
surveyed from point opposite Bratte-
boro village to a point in Walpole, n H.,
on the Cheshire division OF the Boston Y
! Maine, located and engineers VIII complete
the work Immediately.
No word has come from the Grand Trunk
officials regarding any decision which
| President Fitzhugh of the, Centra'
Vermont railroad may have reached with
reference to allowing the Vermont vaiiey
railroad to extend its tracks from oouti'
Vernon through the I. v. yards IN tnls
village If the Central Vermont does no'
GRANT the concession asked for by the Yer
mont Valley within very short time 1t
seems very probable. that President Melieh
will direct the building of the road IN New
Hampshire Nou
The buying of the right of way IN New
Hampshire has entailed large amount OIL
work and Engineer Tompson and once
force. assisted by the Boston Name
local attorneys and Edward o. WOODWARD
of BOSTON. head of the conveyancing de
partment. with two stenographers, haVt
worked far into every evening LOT Weeh
taking deeds to the property Inc utle'
were examined many weeks ago In sohis
instances there were three mortgages upoi
a piece of land and in Others. attachments
were found. All of these ncumorancfef
I'D n he removed before the deeds coulo
he execnted. Some of the prices PAID weft
far above the actual value OF the land ane
when the owners of the property Were
handed checks after signing the deed they
acted as if they had struck BONANZA
| Tn one instance the owner OF smali prop
artv received 50 800 for right OF way
across his farm. There was mortgae o.
econ on the farm which left the man M
far,n and 81 700 in cash He and his wlfe
newcomers to New Hampshire, were over
;oved They had dreamed that their shll
1,,onld come in some day and last FRIDAY
afternoon when they were handed
checl, for 81, 500 they both showed sign
of emotion. In a number OF instances ,ii'
nronertv owners had given up all hope tha
the road would be built in New Hamp
shire and were amazed Friday to receN,
notice from the Boston & Name rallroal
hat Il would take up its options and ae
mand deeds to all property lying on ~
r;@ht of way as surveyed. As soon as Tn,
r 49, of the road started ou'
Erf;daw thew were confronted by many Cd
ntanIas In some cases the deeds had =
ha signed nv three or four persons ana IL
oe ;,stspce four times the latter number
o of s;nnatnres had to be secured. lhest
~ were scattered over New England
nd Il ren,ired several days before th'
On tbe receipt of orders from MT. MGi
Ian ~ 70 build the road Brattleboro peoPl'
m III aoa;n become interested in the pTopa
hla NJ s;fe for the passenger station. III !
49, pie that such site has been pracIl
h h,lI" settled upon by Superintendent II. !.
T Tnisom If Ivndonville of the Passumpsi'
d du,sSo, Of The B. & NJ, who VIII nay
u h of tbe operation of the road, shoui'
G y he bmilt but no official announcement
over been made. However, IL Is sen
n aias understood that such. statl1l
,no,,id ba located on the Schorlng hat. NJ. VI.
W9u,J of the conveyancing depar.
, mu left Wednesday and Engineer i ,,la
a nv zoos 70 Boston today and 1t is IKE.
s sIa. ths Latter will receive instruction.
s smat lis suneriors regarding further opei