The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-08
OPEN COMPETITION
WITH CENTRAL VT. R. R.
For Output Of the Second Of
the States Largest Indus
tries Prospects That Gen.
tral Will Lose Much of the
Business.

the Barre Branch railroad and the Mont
pelier & Wells River railroad, a deal
which was completed and announced at
New Haven Conn, yesterday afternoon,
the Boston s. Maine railroad or the
New Haven system. has entered into
open competition with the Central Yer
mont. or Grand Trunk, railroad for the
freight Of the second Of the two largest
industries Of the state. The deal was
consummated through the purchase by
the Vermont Valley railroad, a Vermont
corporation. OF the interest Of the Sort
well estate in the three lines The Sort
wells owned practically all the Mont.
pcIier & Wells River railroad and
large part Of the two shorter lines which
connect the Barre quarries with the
VI. q w r. line
The other great industry referred to
above is the marble business at Rut
land. The handling Of that great prod
net was recently turned over to the Bos-
ton & Maine through the requirement
OF so-called "part-interest" in the Rut
land railroad. With the purchase of the
three local lines. the Boston & Maine
railroad viii be able to divert a large
portion OF the entire output Of the
Barre qHarries over the Montpelier &
Wells River railroad. which has hereto
fore gone by way OF the Central YER
mont. Thus the Central Vermont has
lost partial control Of one of the two
greatest feeders in the state and dropped
trick to the great corporation which
is bidding for the domination Of New
England
At the present time, the Boston &
Maine, or it's foster parent, the New
Haven system, owns more than half the
entire mileage OF the state OF Vermont
having control OF the ST. Johnsbry
lake Champlain, the Rutland, the Mont
peher q Wells River, the Maine Central
the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington, the
Barre railroad, and having direct connec-
tion with the Bristol the Canadian Pa
cifc. the DeerGeld River and the little
Hardwick < Woodbury. railroads
Dominates New England
In addition to that, the New Haven
system dominates New Hampshire.
Maine, Massachusetts Connecticut and
Rhode Island and part of New York.
giving it a strong front against the
Grand Trunk system. The purchase OF
the local lines Yesterday afternoon adds
a tight little link to the chain The
three lines are short being all told only
sixty miles in main track but important
out of all proportion to their length
Of iron
It may be said that IN the course Of
consolidation the purchase OF the lines
by the Boston & Maine company was
the logical event, because the Grand
Trunk did not want the Montpelier &
Wells River, however much it might
want the Barre railroad, because the
Montpelier & Wells River he's for is
only outlet the Boston 4 Maine line al
Wells River Hence, the Montpelier 4
Wells River would have been OF httle
use to the Central, or Grand Trunk,
whereas it is al-importaut to the Boston
& Maine because it furnishes con
Meeting link with the Barre granite quar-
ries, something which has been denied
the Boston Maine heretofore
Those Orange Surveys.
Some people who are students OF rail- (
road affairs are inclined TO believe that
the recent throwing OF a dozen surveyors /
throughout the region OF Orange, West
Topsham and Waits River TO Bradford
was intended only as an sccelerator 10 /
the desire of the Sortwels to unload
their holdings for fear of a competing
line to the quauies. Others maintain
that the appearance oi the surveyors to
the southeast of the Barre quarries was
intended only to divert the attention OF
the Central Vermont from the ncgotia-
tions going on for the purchase on the
northwest. However that may be. the
fact remains that the Boston & Maine
has pierced one Of the richest regions for
business there is in New England.
Local Petitions Affected
The transfer wiz make possible
changes in petitions now before the Yer
mont public service commission. brought
by business men In Barre Town, who are
irving TO get billing stations at East
Barre and other points and incidentally
TO determine the status of the Mont
pelier & Wells River railroad. whether
it is inter state or ntra- state. I'm view
Of the transfer Of the three lines to The
Vermont Valley railroad. which il a
Vermont corporation. it Is likely that a
continuance OF the hearings viii have TO /
be asked for.
Persops who are back OF the petitions 4
nov pending. when talked with to-day [
regarding the change of ownership. were I
inclined to he jubilsnt. thinking that II |