The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-06-21
% 0ur Railway 10 Ogd. m. burg.


Admitting the road to be practicable, with
no extravagant outlay, the most difficult part
being only ten miles, which can be built for
forty thousand dollars a mile, and much OF it
running upon almost dead level with mate
f'als abundant and cheap, on both sides of the
way from the very beginning to tie end, the
next question is, aeiR ii pay?
o"uouptedly-beyond all question In the
hrst place. the road may be leased for six per
cent ON the cost as soon as completed. 10 n re-
sponsiDie corporation-and perhaps a. fast as
completed, from point to point-a proposition
to this effect having already been made.
In the next place, the timber and vood
opened 10 market along much of the ronte.
will more than pay the whole cost of the road
through that region. These, let me add. are
not conjectures nor guess-work, but sober cal
culations made by men who understood their
business, and are in every way qualified for
judging of such matters.
In the third place, the pleasure travel from
every part of our country, and from abroad,
must take this route in preference to all 9TH
ers, if they are in search of the beautiful, the
picturesque, the grand, the magnif ent and
the startling combined y with mountains,
rocky ramparts, lakes, rivers and miles OF land
scape opening upon you in a succession OF pic
lures, hardly to be matched in combination
anywhere else ON earth.
But above and beyond all this--there viii be
large, might say even prodigous profit
fDr every landholder and every 1almer within
striking distance, along the whole route, and
to all the property holders, at each end, and at
atan fba II
business men, traders, manufactures mechan-
les and laborers, who have anything at stake,
or anything to do with the road, either directly
or indirectly. If the stock, of ITSELF were
worthless, and wholly unproductive to the
stockholders, it would neverthe less enrich the
landholders, the farmers, the manufacturers
and the traders of the whole region through
which it passes.
But what is meant by striking distance
AT the terraini, of course, everybody can see,
and almost everybody will acknowledge that
business must increase and property rise in
value at compound interest, but how with
those who do not live along the line OF the
road, nor within striking distance
Usually, if farmer can reach the road and
Seturn to his farm, within long day, without
the advantage to him IS evident enough. His
products augmented in proportion as he finds
a paying market, his farm doubles or trebles in
value within few years, and his timber and
hard wood growth may be coined into gold at
pleasure; railways being always a bounty up
ON production, come what may of the stock
holders; encouraging thrift and good husband
ry everywhere.
But here, experienced men are apt to over
look other inevitable results, which tend 10
show a correspondent increase OF value for land
and the products OF land far beyond the strik-
ing distance. For example-tenpted by the
high prices, a farmer sells out all his hay, po-
tatoes, cattle, butter, &C., &C., within few
miles OF the railway; and then goes off a days
journey with his team, and replenishes his
barns and cellar; and the man of whom he
purchases does the same thing, as the cattle
and cash must be employed; and SO what is
called striking distance may be gradually ex-
tended to thirty, forty-fve, sixty or seventy
miles on both sides of the railway. if it should
be necessary; so that all the timber lands, all
farming lands and all the products of agricul-
ture may be, and always are, enhanced Jar be-
yond our usual calculations.
A stockholder therefore, may be sure first of
six per cent on his investment which for a
series OF years would be above the average on
stocks or mortgages, and thd p, If he be real
estate holder, a farmer or a manufactured, or a
business man, he may be sure Of a continual
augmentation of his profits from the increased
value of his land or business, which cannot DO
reckoned year by year, though, at intervals of
three or four years they may he quite surpris-
ing, as We find it in the growth of Portland
since the opening of the Atlantic and st. Law
rence-real estate having doubled and perhaps
quadrupled upon the average, and business of
all kinds having increased in larger proper
ton, as may he seen by our statistics and valu-
alton, notwithstanding the fire. which has al
ready begun t. enrich instead of impovrishing
this community. JOHN NEAL.