The Portland daily press., 1867-02-15
DAILY PRESS.
Friday Morning, February Is. 1867.

PORTLAND

old channels of communication for tho mr.
pose of moving her surplus products, we shall
find it In the numerous gatherings of her pub
lie men to hear and discuss the various enter
prises that arise; in the presentation of the
subject to their Legislatures; and in the dec
laration, that if in no other way the capital
necessary to complete the various enter
prises is to be obtained, then it must be
raised by direct taxation; and that their ne
cessities will justify them in so doing. We do
not comprehend the situation of the West.-
With yearly increasing production, cut off
from Southern market by the issues of the
war and the change OF labor in its relation to
capital, she more than ever demands and must
have enlarged facilities for the transportation
of her surplus products The old ways are
too slow. Shall we deny her all brotherhood OF
shall we rather show by ourselves putting forth
our strength, that we appreciate her position
and sympathizefwith her in her wants +? While
this subject is being so thoroughly discussed
at the West, should not we be doing something
to attract her attention toward us more than
we are now doing or have done? ~ 4"
What is really known of us at the West?
Probably not much beyond the simple fact
that Portland is a seaport town of Maine
That we have facilities for shipment over
wharves and by harbor unequalled by those
OF any city upon the coast, and with line OF
steamers which only give them business will
become weekly line through the year, is at
most, with large portion of her people, not
much more than rumor. Ought this to con-
tinue? Can it, if Portland is to. become that
which nature intended it should become,
commercial city. five 60 to them now
show to them that we too are labOImg toward
common end with them, will they not push
on toward us, and shall we not attach them
to US by ties OF sympathy as well as of com
mon interest? Is not noU the time for doing
this while they are looking forward with un-
usual earnestness toward such result p
"There is a tide in the affairs of men," Trade
is constantly changing. No business man
looks with certainty upon keeping all of his
customers of this year through the ensuing
| He must,take on nep trade, or fall behind
Cities are but an aggregate of individuals, and
the same general law which governs in the
one case, rules in the other. lfh
The best opening for us, is that which shall
present to the general judgment the surest
and largest future. We want growth In view
ofthis, does it not appear that what Portland
| above all things else needs for her growth and
| prosperity is direct dllrdI communication
| with the West, across our Oaon territories,
| 11nitino hy cloca ,,o;r&.
this side and beyond the Mississippi? Do not
the necessities of capital and trade demand
the speediest movements of freight to and
from distant points? But this can only be
| had by through rail and close CONNECTIONS,
such connection as will permit the car load
ed upon the extreme Western frontier, to
break bulk at our wharves. To accomplish
such result seems every way desirable, and
worthy our strongest efforts. We believe this
to be within our grasp, and that every consid-
| Grafton of duty and interest-not to ourselves
alone but to those who are to come after us
demands that we should not lose the oppor-
| tunity.
| We do not wish to be understood as under
valuing water cOmmunication,-but in our
frozen latitude, wisdom, common prudence
and careful regard for the future and our
own interests, demand that we should not de-
pend upon this form of transportation alone.
If among the routes that offer, we can OBJ
tain one that combines the excellencies OF
both land aud water carriage, we should gain
by such route all that ii is possible to gain.
We observe that at recent meeting held
in Toronto, c. w., at which 1t. Gov. Boss, of
| Illinois, was present, much attention was Civ
en- to project-long entertained-of uniting
the waters OF Lake Huron with those of Onta-
rio, by means OF ship canal-forty miles in
length. The Importance of this cannot well
be overestimated With this canal completed,
the distance between Chicago and the East
| it is stated-will be lessened some 300 miles
and six days over the Buffalo route,-a saving
| of time, interest, and danger from heating of
| grain, which of themselves are items OF great
importance. BY this route, Oswgo, as Lake
port, is brought much nearer to us in point of
time with an all rail direct communication,
than any port on Lake Ontario or the St
Lawrence. BY direct rail, Oswego and Og-
densburgh, are about equi-distant, with days
time and the earlier opening and later closing
of the navigation at that port, in favor Of the
route via Oswego. If we should be placed in
direct rail communication with Oswego by the
shortest route, the distance to Portland-we
only give estimates-wOnld be about 800
miles, against 403 miles by way of White Riv-
er junction and Rouses Point to Ogdens-
bursh. II, however, we follow the Syracuse
and Oswego railroad, the New York Central,
and Rensselaer, and Saratoga to Rutland, we
find the distance to be about 415 miles to Port
land.
As water communication, however, the
greatest gain by the proposed canal would be
via Whitehall. This has long been an obec-
tive point with Portland. This will give the
longest possible water communication, involv-
ing rail communication of 100 miles, placing
us equi-dstant from Whitehall with Boston,
we allude now to the route via Woodstock
to Portland,-and placing us, as shipping
port, more favorably than any other, in conse-
quence-if there were no other reasons-of
our being so much farther to the eastward.
The distance from Whitehall to New York, by
rail, is 2l5 miles. ts5 .s
Ii we are to consider alone the future of
Portland, we cannot too highly estimate the
importance of an all-rail communication with
the West, which foreign influence cannot con-
troll. After weighing carefully the Importance
and advantages of the varions routes which
have been presented to our observation, giving
each and all that consideration which their
several merits deserves, and having decided
upon the one which combines the most and
offers the greatest advantages, let us push ON
that line to rapid completion, and let us not
forget that time wasted is time lost, and time
lost cannot be regained.
THE WASHINGTON CoNTRIBUTIoNs.-We
print on another page the report of the Exec
utive Committee of the citizens of Wash
ingtoh, charged with the duty Of collecting
funds for the relief of the sufferers by the
Portland fire. These contributions were es-
pecially noticeable because the givers were
not much influenced by personal or business
considerations but rather by the purest and
most humane motives of sympathy with sor-
rowing and suffering fellow beings, and de-
sires to alleviate their troubles. The expenses