The Portland daily press., 1867-04-29
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
II Monday Morning, ApIil 20, 1867
[For the Press.]
Reply 10 one who writes from but not for
Comm ercinl Street.

lrOr the fressI
Reply 10 one who writes from but not for
Commercial Street.
A writer in the Press ofSaturday, who writes
over the signature of Commercial Street"
while protesting to be in favor Of new rail-
road to the West, labors to destroy probably
the only chance that exists or will exist for
years of securing such road He assumes
that there are to be two parallel roads, and that
without knowing any thing concerning the
ieasipliity OF either, we are bindly loaning the
city credlt to both. This writer knows, or
shouid know, thst an unconditional grant of
only S25OOOO will be carried by the vote of
Tuesday-and that such aid will take the Roch-
ester road to Alfred, and turn to Portland a
large amount of traffic which has heretofore
gone in another direction. This loan will be
secured by first mortgage on a road which
has already cost over a million of dollars, and
is earning net revenue at this time more than
sufficient to pay the interest on this loan. Can
he believe there is any risk in this? If the ad-
ditional S45OOOO shall be granted it will only
be at some future time ,ohen all the objections
Of this correspondent shall haze been practicable
met and reDaored-,chen not only the feasibility
Of the connections beyond Rochester shall haue
been demonstrated, but their accomplishment
made a fred fact. Thus all the conditions
named by him as wise and prudent are secur-
ed by the terms of this vote.
And the same is true in respect to the Og-
densburg road-not dollar is to be raised or
drawn for this purpose until, a. q feasible
route is found, and (2,) capitalists have proved
their confidence in it by taking stock in and
working upon it, and carrying it so far forward
that it is rendered certain land has been so de-
cided by the Mayor and Aldermen) that
through route to Ogdensburg and the Western
cities has been placed beyond contingency
when all the conditions required by "Co,nmer-
cial Street" have been performed, then, and
then only, is any call to be made upon the
city. But says this writer "Why not wait?"-
1 answer, there is no need of waiting. 1t ia
known from the testimony OF Mr.. Linsley,
most accomplished engineer, that the road
through the Notch is feasible, and neither diff
fcult nor expensive, ,-and that parties in Yer
mont are acting upon the strength of this fact,
expecting to be Welcomed by Portland. But
your correspondent proposes to hit them in the
teeth, and tell them that we have no faith in
them-and send them, if he can, to make con-
Reotions in other directions and with other
cities, leaving Portland to repent at leisure
over magnificent but wasted opportunity.
Is this the real feeling of Commercial Street?
This writer also asks, in effect, why not re-
serve all our strength and appropriate the
whole 81 100000 on one road? The ready an
swer is that under the law the city can appro-
pirate nothing to be expended in another State
Every, dollar must be applied and used in this
State-and with proper basis of subscription
such as ought to be, and of course will be
insisted on-one half of that sum Is all that
will be needed in this State. If we had ST.
100000, it could not be used in this State. Yer
mont gives the most positive assurance that she
will build to New Hampshire line-other par
ties interested in the carrying out of this splen-
did scheme, propose to raise the means to
build in New Hampshire. But Commercial
Street" Che ought to have signed Commercial
Street, Boston is not satisfied with this. He
wants Portland to hold off till some future day.
and then contribute not only to the construc-
ton ofthe road ,oithin, but also to its construe-
ton Uithout the State. And he makes this ar
gument in the name Of prudence and caution ~
but am confident not In the name or inter-
est Of the enterprising and intelligent mer-
cnants OF Portland. & CAsCo