The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-02-02
FRANK E. HOWE. Editor and PUBL
THE RAILROAD FIGHT


fused to let the Boston and Maine
railroad into Brattleboro over its own
tracks are being asked for explana-
tion by the home folks, and some of
the explanation they give will hardly
stand investigation.
The facts of the case. as we under
stand them, are fairly plain. The
railroad entrance into Brattleboro
from the south in through n narrow
defile between the hills and the river
The narrowest part of this defile is in
the village of Brattleboro where the
railroad yards are located. From the
Brattleboro station north the tracks
and yard are the property of the Bos-
ton and Maine. From the Brattle-
boro station south the tracks and
yard the owned by the Central Yer
mont. The Boston and Maine want
ed the right to build a double track
road from South Vernon. north ten
miles to and connecting with its
tracks running north from the Brat
tleboro station.
over sixty years ago the Central
Vermont, through its predecessor, got
charter ownership and control Of the
entire width of the valley for a mile
south of the Brattleboro station, thus
gaining control of outlet or inlet in
that direction and giving 1t a mono
poly. OF course nothing was thought
about it at that time. Brattleboro
doubtless thought it was lucky to get
one railroad and never dreamed that
it might ever need another.
During the past few years, how
ever, traffic up and down the Con
nectlcut valley has been increasing
rapidly and the Boston and Maine be-
came anxious to build a double track
road into Brattleboro from the south
and Brattleboro was very anxious to
have it done as the town was getting
only Indifferent service over the one
single track owned by the Central
Vermont between Brattleboro and
South Vernon.
The Boston and Maine applied to
the legislature for a charter TO build
this ten miles of double track road
into Brattleboro. The bill was intro
duced into the Vermont House OF
Representatives several weeks ago
The bill as originally drawn was de-
cidely unfair to the Central Vermont
inasmuch as II would have taken the
best part of the Central Vermonts
terminal property at Brattleboro.
Therefore the bill was amended In
the House of Representatives so as
not to injure or cripple the Central
Vermont in any way except that II
took away from that road its mono
poly at Brattleboro. In its amended
form the bill was passed by the
House by a vote OF more than two to
one.
The amended bill allowed the Bos
ton and Maine to build into Bratte
boro and to take land now owned by
the Central Vermont, but not land
used by the Central Vermont for rail
road purposes, except for one shor'
sidetrack and for that the Boston
and Maine was to pay enough so tha'
with the money the Central Vermont
could have built three times as much
siding just as well located and on its
own property. More than that the
bill left the Central Vermost enough
land so that It could have a double
track road itself into Brattleboro and
all necessary sidings. The only thine
the Central Vermont would really
have lost was its monopoly.
The amended bill went to the Sen
ate. which by vote Of 10 to IL. alb
solutely refused TO give the Boston
and Maine the right to build It's Owl
tracks into Brattleboro. but offered 4
Ionly trackage rights over the Contra
Vermont. With the provisions amend
ed so rs to give the Boston ant
Maine only these trackage rights, Tho
bin was sent back to the House
which promptly refused to concur ant
the fight In that form went to con
ference committee composed OF Ren
esentatlyes Chanee OF Rutland, Cal
dorwood OF st. johnsbury and Ban
bitt OF Bellows Falls from the Hous
aud Senators Powell of Chittenden
Dale OF Essex and Taplin OF orlean
from the Senate.
The conference committee was
session all day and was In constan
communication with the officials q
both roads. The Central Vernon
absolutely declined to agree to an
J thing that would take away from
the monopoly II has at Bratuebor
I and the three senate members OF tn
conference committee supported tn
Central Vermont from start to hnis
| Finally as a last resort the Bosto
| and Maine officials and attorneys 9
| fered TO build around the Central We
| mont property from South Vernon
| prattleboro though il would mai
llit necessary to 20 into rough lar
.....t.. t,...a., tho 60