The Portland daily press., 1867-02-11


If any of our citizens imagine that Bangor is
slumbering over this matter of railway con-
nection with Piscataquis county, it is time to
dismiss that supposition. Bangor is fully alive
to the fact that the company which breaks
ground first in that direction will secure
profitable business. portland" saws Ban
gor correspondent of the Boston Journal, "pro-
poses to assist in bnilding a branch from the
Maine Central to the Newport, and tap this
county from the west of Bangor, thus dtgertsng
the trade from u.s." 1t is fair race, and the
best town will desrve to win, but We may as
well understand how thoroughly in earhes'
the Bangor people are. The following eA'i"o's
from the report recently made Dya special
Committee of the Bangor Clty oouiicA, VIII
serve to indicate the spirit which pre'aiis there
and give at the same time some idea OF the re-
sources of Piscataquis county as they appear
to the people OF Bangor:
leaking upon the Z. &. N. A. Railway "a a
fixed fact, there Is now left to Bangor only one
;%nortant section of country, from which 70
draw increased trade. To secure this onr cit;.
zens must act at once--there can be no moro an
pineness--no more folding of the hands.-letb-
argy must be thrown of-our people must act
like men-like tiUe men. They must take wise
counsel OF prudent, yet brave, earnest, enereet-
ic men-the counsels of timid conservatives
men, which have never advanced the prosperi
ty OF any people, must be let alone-tle do
nothing plan, which will end in loss-must be
abandoned for the do-something, which will
pring gam. Mastery inactivity" changed to
mastery activity and labor which overcomes
obstacles, and compels success.
Bangor is the natural depot for the business
or Plscataquis county, and affords it the near
est access TO tide water. If our citizens move
at once, and build railway, the trade of this,
the most important section of country now
naming TO us, may be secured. If the road is
delayed the prize is lost. Even now, other bus
iness centres are planning to extend their works
into this country. More than this, the hearts
of the people OF this country, which for long
years looked to Bangor only, for aid to bring
them into speedy connection with the sea coast.
are becoming sick with hope deferred and are
turning with favor to a projected line of railway
west of us. 1T the railroad from Bangor is not
constructed at once, that from Newport via
Dexter will be. And again will our citizens
have 20 regret-not "providential misfortunes''
but neglected opportunities"
In the Judgmeat of your Committee the re-
sources OF Piscataquis County cannot be over
estimated.
The soil of Piscataquis valley is said to be the
any in the State.
The quantity of iron ore is sufficient to last
for ages.
The quantity of slate is unlimited, the quail
ty better than any other American-equal to
any forelgn-and when railroad shall enable
the proprietors to transport their production
TO Bangor at reasonable cost, they will drive
imported Slate from the American market-
Two quarries only are now worked. The own
ers say to your Committee that could they be
assured railroad would be built in year,
they would at once quadruple their present
manufacture, and that twenty other quarries
can be opened as fast as facilities are given
Were the quantity increased only four fold il
would give for export nearly 100 cargoes Of the
average size OF our coasting vessels. The de-
mand for slate is unlimited and here the sum-
ply is inexhaustible.
The proposed road beginning at Bangor the
centre of a population OF 10000, connects at the
other end with county Of %, 900 inhabitants
of great agricultural resource-in which are
thriving towns, hourishing. factories, album
dane OF mineral wealth, waiting only for rail-
road to be fully developed. This country also
contains vast quantities of timber, hitherto CON
sidered of little value, but now becoming
more and more sought for, because of the fail
ing supply In the older parts of the country,
rail. -
which bear upon the business of the road i,
built:
LIST. 1t connects 10000 people at tide water
with nearly 30000 inland.
I'd. 1t opens country of great agricultural
resource.
3D.. 1t will at once command large business
from the products of farms, mines and quar-
ries. - - s'- -
4th. 1t will open market for great auanti-
ties OF lumber, which cannot be run by water
and which will not pay if carted by teams.
9th. 1t will convey the supplies used in get
ting large portion of the logs cut upon our
river, and the travel connected Herewith
9th. 1t will command the pleasure travel,
already large and constantly increasing, to
Moosehead Lake, Mt. Katahdin and the wild
regions of Maine.
anu TO THESE may be added, that it will
double the value of the wild lands in that
county-which would amount to sufficient to
pay the cost of the road.
believing that the proposed railway is of first
Importance to Bangor, not merely to increase
business, but to prevent an actual decrease,
your Committee report favOrably upon the
suggestions i'll the communication from the
Directors of the Bangor 81 Piscataq uisR Rail-
road Company, and recommend that our Rep
resentatives ia the Legislature be requested to
obtain the passage of bill at the present
session, to enable the city of Bangor to lend
its credit to the Bangor & Piscataquis Rail-
way Company, for an amount not exceeding
tive hundred thousand dollars.