The Portland daily press., 1866-12-20

.tafy Moe ullOch, touching ttle AecAhe ~ amp
bu;idino. an account of a Canadian annexa-
ZIONIST; a communication from "Traxi, on the
;nAuAnce of climate upon plants; the details of
Atssis' n. Morse 5 unfortunate agreement with
10 Confederate agents in England; together
" with the usual variety of foreign and domestic
news, Congressional proceedings, market re-
ports, shipping news, &c, &c. 'i ''''''
,,The Portland and Rochester Railroad.
Public attention, from peculiar circumstan-
ces, is now directed toward this railroad,
which during the past year has been relieved
OF its early endorsements, by the payment
of a prior mortgage, and the conversion OF
the remaining one into stock, SO that the
whole road as built and operated to Saco nv
er-rthe grading Of eight miles toward Alfred
=. the adjustment of land damages to an equal
extent.-and the substantial, stone piers and
abutmsnts completed for the reception of the
wood work Of the bridge over the Saeo river,
stands at s550Ooo and is represented by $500
shares. ''a9i'.'''
This railroad came into existence through
the influence of the Boston and Maine Rail-
road Company, and its present charter con-
tains provision for the lease Of the road and
franchise. to. that corporation; but the East
ern Railroad Company having obtained
charter for a. railroad from Portsmouth to
Portland under the title OF the Portsmouth,
Saco and Portland Railroad Company, year
later, pushed it forward with such energy, that
a COMPROMISE was entered into between the
two companies, by which the two roads swerv-
ed from their original courses and united at
Berwick, and the same companies eventually
leased the Portsmouth, Saco and Portland rail-
road for period of 90 years. The latter road
has since been run as tributary to Boston,
and its time tables SO arrange to that end
that the citizens even of Saco and BiIdeford,
but Is miles distant, are unable to come TO
Portland, do their business here, and return
the same day.
At later period, the Atlantic and st. Law
renee Railroad Company was projected, and
as the inconvenience OF the western outlet
of the city being colt rolled by commercial
rival was felt, the citizens OF Portland had
engratted upon the charter obtained from this
State provision that the road should not be
tapped within its boundaries, ON the western
side, by any other railroad.
The Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad Co.
was popular institution in Portland and had
many extraordinary appropriations and priv-
',ges grantedit by the city. The citizens of
Portland contributed about million of dol-
lars to its stock, while the city advanced its
credit by issues of bonds to the amount of
two millions Gin all more than thirty per cent.
upon the entire taxable valuation) of which
about one million beyond the amount of the
sinking fund remains unpaid, but is amply Sc
cured by the first mortgage upon the railroad
and franchise.
This road has passed from the control of
the citizens of Portland, and is now operated
by foreign company, and although projected
and built by our people, is run in opposition
to their interests. The same arrangement ex-
lists ON this as on other railroads entering the
city; passengers from distant places are tick
eted through to Boston at as low price as to
Portland, provided they keep on in the same
train. Freight over the Atlantic and st. Law
renee or Grand Trunk railroad is and has
been carried to and from Boston at lower
rates than to and from Portland, although the
former city is 110 miles beyond, while com
plants have been made and still exist of IA
voritism in its transmission. Our merchants,
in order 10 do business upon terms as advan-
tageous as are granted to those of Boston,
often enter their -four as bound there, taking
it out here, thereby saving some 10 cents per
barrel upon it.
Thus it will be seen that most OF the rail-
roads entering into Portland are operated an
tagonistically to her interests, and if she has
derived any benefits therefrom it has been
owing entirely to her peculiarly favorable po-
sition. The city still suffers under this man
agement; it is time her interests were attend
ed to, and if reform cannot otherwise be ac-
complished, it may become question wheth-
er the convenience of the public does not de-
mand change in the mode of transporting
the cars through Commercial street, and if
necessary the delay of through passenger and
freight cars until after business hours.
1t is believed, however, that the city of
Portland can otherwise apply remedy to ex-
listing evils, and prevent their recurrence. The
Portland and Rochester Railroad Company
is now in situation to push forward that
work; its course is through Westbrook, Cor
ham, Buxton, Hollis, WATERFORD, Alfred, San
ford and Lebanon to Rochester, where it in
tersects the Great Falls and Conway and Do
md noilY
thereby with the Boston & Maine and Esst-
ern railroads leading to Boston,
The connection with the Great Falls and
Conway railroad secures to Portland the en-
tire Il AIDE OF the western part of Maine, while
the Dover and Winnipissiogee railroad re-
stores to Portland very considerable portion
Of the business of New Hampshire and Ver-
mont, which was lost to her by the construc-
ton OF railroads to Boston. The railroad to
be constructed from Hollis to Rochester is
twenty-eight miles in length, with grades pc
culiarly favorable, and even more so than
those of any other railroad in the State for
the same distance. a
The Portland and Rochester railroad con-
tinues from Rochester to Gambia, twenty ore
miles from Rochester, where it connects with
the Portsmouth and Concord railroad, rum
ming over it nine miles to Manchester.
The Legislature of New Hampshire at its
last session granted to the Portland and
Rochester Railroad Company an additional
charter for railroad from Rochester, N H.,
to Manchester. This portion of the road will
be constructed by cities, towns and corpora
tons interested in its location, and at the
suggestion of members of the latter, clause
was inserted in the charter giving the Com
pany the privilege OF leasing it, providing it
should be found advantageous to do So Ey
cry assurance desired was given that it should
be completed at date as early as the part of
the road from Saco River to Rochester, pro-
vided the latter should be constructed with