Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-06-03
Remarks Of Mr. Pike, of Calais

(Coneluded from last Deek.)
But, suppose this bill passes, and $500,
900 in mones given way with all the public
lands for the nominal benefit Of Aroostool
county. would not the act be made II conclu
sive re,s son for denying all further appropri
stions for that county? Should we still
continue 10 appropriate for roads and school
and throw in 5000 occasionally for star
wing Frenchmen? or course, not. Thi
would he the great and final gift to Aroos
took. For this that noble county must fore
20 all further claims on the Legislature. -
And what does she get hy it,
She gets railroad. which is not Of tn
slightest benefit to her. II is road from
B,ngor to Orient BY the 10th section of The
bill, the Company is not alio,red to build Il
branch to Houlton, without the consent oil
some future Legislature!
And Orient is twenty odd miles below
Houlton. the business centre of lower Aroos-
took. II is n hundred and thirty miles from
Fort Kent. and sixty odd miles from Presquc
Isle and Fort Fairfield, the entrepots oi
northern Aroostook.
Compare distances with other parts of the
State. From Orient to Fort Kent, the m ,st
populous place in Aroostook. if we Judge by
the votes. is as far as from Bangor to Port
land. Presque Isle, is about as far as from
Augusta 70 the New lI,mpshire line at Ma.
son or Fryeburg, or from Augusta to Carry
tunk Falls, In northern Somerset. or to Blue
hill or Bucksport, in Hancock county,
And railroad stopping at the Orient
would Affect Fort Kent as much as the Ports.
mouth, Saco. and Portland Railroad affects
the price OF real estate in Bangor. The same
4 So H. IL r
much as the Augusta and Portland Railroad
did the Eryehurg, or the BluehiIl farmer
Wer" the inhsmtants Of these towns sensible
Of the appreciation Of the value OF real es-
tate when railroad depot was established
within sixty miles IF them? I GO further
know Of no instance. and certainly none
has been pointed out in this discussion wher
farms have been increased in price beclus
Of railroad within f,rcntu miles Of them
doubt if there Is such an inst,nc. in the
State. There il scarcely n dozen members
of this House but live within sixty miles OF
ar.ilroai depot and Il. each one ask him,
self about his own neighborhood. It was
very we'll said the other day hva member of
this House. that this road would benef,
Aroost,ok about as much IA road across
Cape Cod would ben fit Massachusetts,,
do not deny the incidental benefits oil
railroads. although my experience Of them
il that they are very much exaggerated. -
There are numerous towns in this State tina,
made great sacrifices to obtain rlilrni AMI
when they had accomplished the purpose
found they hal simply gat \ very p'eas..n.
and cheap way Of travelling II the great hui
sin'-s centres Of .ston and n York and
nothing more. Real estate has no. risen,
l,a
hJw,d in on them. This is the experience
of Augusta and the t'wns on this river road
| AIN told, t,o. by respectable citiz,ns ot
Binsor AT this is the experiences "f that
city. l am assurel hy man Of good iadg-
ment that, alter all the sacrifices b ,n.or has
made to obtain the construction Of the road
u Watcrvills. including the looming of its
credit fer $500 900, it is a s.rhus question
with tie business men Of the city, whether
the road is not a positive injury t, item -
Business that formerly went II them now
takes the rIti and goes westward. IL
Was 'mplainei the othrr day by an intclli-
gent ctiI II OF Somerset county, who lives IN
y nth Aas,n, that the S,inei set Railroad.
which nav terminates at Skowhc.an, WAS a
positive injury t. his town. ani deprecated
tn, prc. Of real estate in il. s. that even
in this matter Of incidental benefits. there is
much u be sad on bath sides Very fire.
quentiy it happens that what one town gums
by means Of a railrold, i, only what another
loses.
I. Is safe rule in building railroads to
ba them when they will pay, an / only
then. They ara ike other mercantil enter
priz.s, 70 be j ,d:el by III .ir ba,iness IN ,ri,s,
NJ nan bail |, a ship, crects factory. nr
81
pay. OF c,urs. there arr incidental b.ne-
fits arising from these ap.rl,ions, ~ titre
are from all und ria Kings rcquirin. l,'nr
ami callin. IT the exp .ndtare If money
hut the W prl w ,nl'l b. hiiai with u>eiess
ships, lac, ri AMI saw mills. if they wcr,
huili for tn motives. s, with r,ir rlis.
W 1en the business and travel II the country
require them. haiii them, AL they will pay !;
but not ill then
This is no new rule I. has been acted an
in b lillin. ev rs railroad in thi- State. The
pc ,plc VIII, got up tho r., Is acted f,r their
own benefit Tn y til m.ht they would pay
The only tr ,uhl t''out the matter WIS that
they wers mistaken, and the mi>,,kes of
tn ,se Of us VIII, have built railroads should
serve as - warning for others: and ask tho-.
VINO ar. called upon n build thi. rDld 10
ORIENT 70 C ,n-ider all t',cse things fully BE-
fore barking the state in the enterrrze.
l now IN. u another rsasIn why the
people Df Ara stock should be opp1sei e.
this hill an that il because the disastrous
effects OF this oill upon the prospects of
Aro rstook are immediate, while the props
ell cnef.s may be postponed for wears. 1t
rails = the price of Land 1t once. II locks up
all the put lie Ian Is a, once. and pats then
under the guardianship of parties acting
simply ~ rIilr, ID trustees. But there is no
provision in the bill stating a time fpr the
complexion Of this road Parties may BE-
ten years building to MAttswamkeAg, and
fiteen years longer gong to Orient. ArrIv-
ing at Orient, they are obliged to g no fur
ther in any direction; and | call p1rtscu ar
attention 10 this fact. Bat III ..intime, with
no nc.ivtble benefit to the county by way
Of Offset. the price of lands is doubled or
quadrupl-d, and tn, waole proceeds locked
up to wait the pleasur. Of the gentlemen
who control the operations OF the Co npsny.
The charter Of the Aroosto X Railroad pro-
vides that there shall be Il location before
December 81, 1868. ard that the Company
shall commence work before December 81.
1861! But no time is specified in the char
tor for the completion Of the roai Thus
they can have ten years be:ore laying out a
dollar on the ro,d, but the price of la d in
Aruost n'k county is doubled immediately,
and our whole publc dp,nain put int, the
charge ot railroad trustees, Furt er than