The Portland daily press., 1868-11-18
Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad.

To the Editor Of the Press:
AT public meeting held in this city in May
last, of the friends of the Portland & Ogdens-
burg Railroad, Hon. Samuel E. Spring public
ly stated that no portion of the 100000 voted,
or to be voted, by the Municipal authorities of
Portland to the stock of that Company would
be touched until $450,OOO of reliable cash SUBJ
scriptons had been added to it, making total
of 81 100000 of available stock before the or
ganization Of the Company.
Mr. Spring requested the newspaper men
present to make record of this pledge, to
which the other friends of the road assented,
and the matter stands thus recorded.
In order to carry out this arrangement, a
subscription of $4,000 was assigned to Port
land. Of the remaining 100000 only one-half
was obtained by conditional subscription from
the towns of Conway, Fryeburg and others,
upon the idea of following up the Saco Valley
The towns of Cornish and Standish having
voted not to take stock in the Ogdensburg line,
the friends OF it have turned their attention in
another direction, and now propose to run up
the valley of the Presumpscot ON the east
shore of Sebago Lake, with the assurance that
100000 can be raised on that line including
the rich towns of Windham and Bridgton.-
From Bridgton the line can be run to Frye
burg and Conway By adopting this line, re-
tanning the subscriptions of Conway aud Frye
burg, and securing new subscriptions between
Bridgton and Portland, the 100000 required
may be reached, releasing Balwin, Hiram,
Browntield, and. the other towns lying west
Of Sebago Lake. Another important consid-
Grafton comes in aid of this plan; it will enable
the Maine Central to secure new line to Port
land by building short link of about II miles
from Danvile junction to Raymond or Wind
ham, 1t would increase the distance very
slightly from Danvile Junction to Portland
over the present route by running line
through Gray and north of the Little Sebago
following down the Presumpscot forming a
common line to Portland, with the new one
proposed.
Surveys are now in progress between Dam
vile Junction and Poitland, with view to
find the best route for the Maine Central ex-
tension into this city, and should the route
prove favorable from Danvlle junction to the
shore OF Sebogo Lake. it is natural to suppose
that this line may be adopted.
The means for building the Maine Central
Extension can be easily raised, as the sum an
nually paid the Grand Trunk Road for the use
of its line need only to be capitalized to furnish
the required amount.
If, therefore, the friends of the Ogdensburg
road and of the Maine Central extension should
harmonic, a line might be easily extended
from Danvile Junction into Portland, and a
new line extended northward along the eastern
shore of Sebago Lake, accommodating Bridg-
ton and reaching from there to Fryeburg and
further north.
The effect of such a movement would be to
unite all the towns west of Sebago Lake and
in the Valley of the Ossipee upon the Rutland
line, enabling that Company to extend its line
over its cheap route to Meredith Village.
If some general plan of this character was
entered upon, all interests in Portland would
be harmonzed, and the lines carried success
fully forward. Portland wants to connect it.
self by Railway with all the towns in the inte-
rior northwest as well as west, and a Railway
from Portland to Conway on the east shore of
Sebago Lake is entirely within reach, while it
is equally apparent that there are abundant
means to carry out the Portland and Rutland
Railroad, as far as Meredith, so as to secure a
connection with Ogdensburg and the West by
the way of Montpelier, and ensure the direct
line to that land. And it is to be hoped that
the discussion may be kept up in friendly
spirit by all the true friends of Portland, with
out wasting more time in rivalries and useless
contests about routes.