858 



VERMONT, 



County, to the eastern end of Hoosac Tunnel. 

 It is a narrow-gauge road, but the bed is graded 

 for the standard gauge when the traffic and 

 extension may require a heavier equipment. 



The route for the proposed Black River Rail- 

 road has been surveyed. Starting from Cavendish, 

 31 miles south of Rutland and 22 from Bellows 

 Falls, it follows the western bank of the Black 

 river to Upper Falls, thence to Perkinsville, 

 North Springfield, and Springfield, then down 

 the Black river to Weathersfield Bow, where it 

 is proposed to build a double-decked bridge, and 

 cross the river to Claremont Junction, an entire 

 distance of 29 miles. It is expected that work 

 will begin in the spring. 



A project has been under consideration the 

 past year to connect Montpelier with Rutland by 

 means of a " saddle-car railway " through Mad 

 River valley. Briefly described*, this railway has 

 a single rail of sufficient strength of build and 

 metal to sustain the heaviest loaded train. The 

 road-bed is made of trusses placed 8 feet 

 apart. In a level country the rail is 4 feet 

 from the ground. In shape its upper part is 

 similar to the standard rail. From each side of 

 the car-trucks extend arms supporting at the end 

 wheels which play upon a rail attached to each 

 side of the trestle-work. Thus the " equilibrium " 

 of the car is maintained. Attached to the truck 

 are also rollers fitting into the lateral grooves of 

 the rail. Derailment is thus rendered impossible. 

 The locomotive proposed for this railway is novel, 

 like everything else about it. The traction that 

 is secured on standard roads by dead weight is 

 obtained by lateral wheels bearing against the 

 sides of the rail. 1 Atmospheric pressure, crowd- 

 ing these wheels against the rail with a pressure 

 of ten tons on each side, is the agency for provid- 

 ing the traction. 



The company offers to build the railroad for a 

 bonus of $3,000 a mile. It will build six miles 

 out of Rutland and put it in successful operation 

 before the payment of any part of the bonus 

 pledged by that town ; when the road is brought 

 to the town line of the next town, that town 

 shall pay half of its part of the bonus, and the 

 other half on completion of the road through the 

 town ; and so on. All the towns of Mad River 

 valley manifested an active interest in the scheme, 

 and in the meetings assurance of the necessary 

 aid was given. 



Farmers' League. The State Farmers' 

 League held a large meeting at Montpelier on 

 June 5. The resolutions adopted included the 

 following : 



That we favor an equal and just system of taxation, 

 based upon all real and personal property alike, and 

 we demand of Congress a law to provide a graded in- 

 come tax. 



That we favor a sound and sufficient currency. 



That we demand a free vote and fair count for every 

 voter, and the adoption of the Australian system of 

 voting for the whole State. 



That we favor a universal compulsory common- 

 school education, after a reasonable period, as a con- 

 dition of suffrage. 



That we demand a rigid limitation of all monopolies, 

 especially such as speculate on farm and food prod- 

 ucts. 



That we demand just and equitable freight and 

 passenger rates on railroads. 

 That we favor the prohibition of the adulteration of 



food and the traffic of intoxicating liquors as a bever- 

 age. 



That we favor a rigid restriction of alien ownership 

 of lands and immigration of criminals and paupers. 



Temperance. The charges of judicial laxity 

 in cases coming under the prohibitory law have 

 stirred the public mind during the year, and a 

 large number of cases have been brought into the 

 courts, particularly in Washington County. It 

 > has been almost impossible to get beyond con- 

 viction for the first offense in the county courts, 

 even of men who have been for years engaged in 

 the traffic. The method of evading the law is 

 described in a message of Gov. Dillingham : 

 " While, under the law as it now stands, the per- 

 son convicted can not again open the place ad- 

 judged a nuisance without giving the bond pre- 

 scribed by the statute, any other person may step 

 in and do so. The result is that the ostensible 

 proprietorship of the saloon changes as often as 

 judgments are entered broad enough in their 

 terms to affect the business, but the'saloon itself 

 goes on as if nothing had happened." 



The movement in Washington County secured 

 some convictions, with fines imposed, but many 

 sentences were deferred, and some cases went to 

 the Supreme Court on exceptions. In 1888 the 

 Legislature enacted new penalties for violations 

 of the prohibitory law. A new count began 

 at this new point of departure. This fact 

 explains why so many offenses are classified as 

 first offenses, although the offenders may have 

 been for years in the business. In the "act of 

 1888 the Legislature did not deem it necessary to 

 repeat in the amendatory act the words "and 

 costs of prosecution " which follow the specifica- 

 tion of penalties to be imposed. Shelter is taken 

 behind this omission, and persons convicted of 

 violations of the liquor laws have been relieved 

 of the costs of prosecution, which amount to no 

 inconsiderable sum. 



Farm Lands. With a view to advertising 

 the resources of the State and bringing in capi- 

 tal to revive its industries, the Board of Agri- 

 culture sent a circular to the first selectman of 

 every town, asking for the name and addresses 

 of owners of any farms with fair buildings there- 

 on which were unoccupied ; also information re- 

 garding any reliable and extensive water-pow- 

 ers ; any marble, granite, slate, or other valuable 

 mineral deposits as yet undeveloped ; any mill, 

 tannery, or other manufacturing plants capable 

 of further development ; whether any farms pre- 

 viously untenanted had become occupied during 

 the preceding year, and, if so, whether by loan or 

 purchase, together with lists of occupied farms 

 for sale. They then issued a pamphlet contain- 

 ing the information thus gained and setting 

 forth the advantages of the State. This brought 

 in applications amounting in September to 120 

 to one member of the board alone. They were 

 distributed as follow : From Massachusetts, 32 ; 

 New York, 21 ; New Jersey. 9 ; Pennsylvania, 8 ; 

 Connecticut, 9 ; Kansas, 6'; New Hampshire, 5: 

 Rhode Island, 5; Illinois, 4; Ohio, 4; Minne- 

 sota; 4; Michigan. 3; Nebraska, 3; Canada. 3; 

 Indiana, 2; California, 2; and North Dakota, 

 South Dakota, Florida, Maine, Colorado. Georgia, 

 Maryland, Montana, South Carolina, 1 each. 



The Benningtoii Celebration. On Aug. 

 19 Vermont celebrated the centennial of her ad- 



