St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-08
PRESS COMMENT.
The Railroad Fight.


own tracks are being asked for ex-
PLANTATION 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 is through narrow
defile between the hills and the river.
The narrowest part of this def1Ie 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 Boston and Maine. From the
Brattleboro station south the tracks
and yard are owned by the Central
Vermont The Boston and Maine
wanted the right to build double
track road from South Vernon, north
ten miles to and connecting with
its tracks running north from the
kBrattleborO station.
Over sixty years ago the Central
Vermont, through it's predecessor,
got charter ownership and control of
the entire width of the valley for
mile south of the Brattleboro sta
ton, thus gaining control of outlet
or inlet in that direction and giving
it a monopoly. 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-
necticut valley has been increasing
rapidly and the Boston and Maine
became anxious to build 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 be-
tween Brattleboro and South Vernon.
The Boston and Maine applied to
! the legislature for charter to build
this ten miles of double track road
! into Brattleboro. The bill was in
PRODUCED into the Vermont House of
Representative several weeks ago.
The bill as originally drawn was de-
cidedly unfair to the Central Yer
mont inasmuch as it would have
taken the best part of the Central
| Vermont's terminal property at
Brattleboro. Therefore the bill was
amended in the House of Represen-
tatives so as not to injure or cripple
the Central Vermont in any way eX-
cept that it took away from that
road it's monopoly at Brattleboro. In
it's amended form the bill was passed
by the House by. vote of more than
| two to one.
The amended bill allowed the Bos-
ton and Maine to build into Brat
tleboro and to take land now owned
by the Central Vermont, but not
land used by the Central Vermont
for railroad purposes, except for one
short sidetrack and for that the
Boston and Maine was to pay enough
so that with the money the Central
Vermont could have built three
times as much siding just as well
I More than that the bill left the
Central Vermont enough land SO
that it could have a double track
road itself into Brattleboro and all
necessary sidings. The only thing
the Central Vermont would really
have lost was it's monopoly.
The amended bill went to the Sen
ate, which by vote of 10 to II, alb
solutely refused to give the Boston
and Maine the right to build it's own
tracks into Brattleboro, but offer
, Vermont. With the provisions
amended so as to give the Boston
and Maine only these trackage rights
the bill was sent back to the House
: which promptly refused to concur
, and the fight in that form went to
conference committee composed OF
Representatives Chaffee of Rutland
Calderwood of st. Johnsbury, AND
: Rabbit of Bellows Falls from the
House and Senators Powell of Chit
tenden Dale of Essex and Taplin OF
: Orleans, from the Senate.
l The conference committee was il
2 session all day and was in constan
+ communication with the officials o.
both roads. The Central Vernon
absolutely declined to agree to any
$ thing that would take away from i
= the monopoly it has at BrattleborC
I and the three senate members of thu
conference committee supported thu
Central Vermont from start to finish
Finally as last resort the Boston
a and Maine officials and attorneys of
fered to build around the Contra
> Vermont property from South Yer
: non to Brattleboro though it woult
= make it necessary to go into rougl
G land and tremendously increase tn,
cost. Even to do this though i
would be necessary to take small
). corner of Central Vermont land il
e order to get into the Brattlebor,
O. yard. This corner of land is not an,
? is never likely to be used for rail
: ROAD purposes but that made no diff
q ference. The senate conferees de
). clined to let the Boston and Maine in
: to Brattleboro over their own irol
and the senate sustained them il
u this refusal when the case went bacl
a to the senate. The House conferee
reported back to the House what ha
been offered and the House accepte
their report.
The lineup of the Senators was a
Il follows: those voting not to let tn
: Boston and Maine into Brattlebor
were Senators Archibald, Barber
Cushman, Cults, Dale, Daniels, Da1
( ling, Gordon, Griswold, Lyford, MOI
e