The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-08

Mr.. J. G. WoopMAN publishes an article in
the ArguSin which he predicts that IL VIII
cost six millions to build and equip the Og-
densburg railroad from Portland to the Con-
necticut and more than ten millions for the
entire line to Swanton, end that the city of
Portland will be called on for seven millions
to carry through the enterprise. Mr.. Wood
mans excessive conservatism may excuse
some natural timidity respecting an enter
PRISE OF such magnitude, but he ought hoI !"
cut loose from the fundamental rules ol ariih-
metic. The corporators say thaI lney nave
already offers from responsible parties, who
are ready TO contract for the hundred miles
hetween Portland and theConnecticut at 49,
GOO amile cash-leSS than three millions in ALL
or $S1 900 a mile, half cash and half in bonds
"a little over a million and u half cash. They
expect to make better terms, but even these
offers amount to only half Of Mr. Woodmans
estimate, and practically to not more man
quarter, since with stock subscription OF 40
or so per cent. the balance can easily be raised
on the bonds of the company.
Mr.. Woodlands previous objection to the road
was physical objection. In an article print
ed in the Press he spoke Of the passage Of the
Notch as an impossibility, comparing it to "a
railroad to the moon" We held then and
still hold that a maximum grade of 65 feet to
the mile is not insuperable. We mentioned
at the time the grades OF ia feet on the Bal
timore and Ohio road, of 116 feet on the Pacif-
ic road now building, Of 132 feet on the Sem
mering Alp in Austria, and of 140 feet on the
Mount Savage road in Maryland. In point OF
fact heavier grades than IS feet are traversed
every day ON the Grand Trunk, the Vermont
Central, and the Western railroad IN Massa-
chusetts. Mr.. Woodman does not therefore
talk of grades any further, and we trust he
will not, after comparing the figures gwen
above, entertain any longer the extravaganza
notion that road which responsible men Of
fer to build for million and half in money
can possibly cost the city of Portland seven
millions If he does, argument will be thrown
away upon him; it is useless to discuss mat
tiers of business with people who do not recog-
nize the multiplication table.
The feasibility of the route is guar
anteed by the testimony of five engineers
ard of large party of our fellow citizens
who examined the route for themselves year
ago, and as the Hon. Geo. w. Woodman said
at the railroaid meeting the other night,
"when that is settled everything is settled; the
road must be built" We believe that brief
sentence conveys the almost unanimous opin-
ion OF the live business men of Portland. We
are all interested alike in this matter. I'm
porters and shippers, all who live by commerce
and trade, lawyers and publishers whose bust
ness is directly proportional to the aggregate
business of the place, owners of real estate and
day laborers, all have something to gain by
whatever promotes the prosperity of the city
and something TO lose by stagnation and de-
cay For our own part, we intend to continue
as heretofore to weigh as fairly as the lmper-
lection of human judgment will permit what
ever arguments are offered either for or against
this enterprise, and to exercise the right, which
is also duty, of declaring the truth in the
matter as it appears to US.