The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-30
The Grand Trunk Railway.

1t is very much to be regretted that there Are
so many of our citizens, and some intelligent
business men and merchants, who are ready to
endorse all the absurd stories that are 'man->
ufactnred" by unprincipled men in Boston, in
terested against the Grand Trunk Railway
Company. Our citizens ought certainly to be
sagacious enough to comprehend the drift of
these irresponsible scribblers employed by Bos-
ton capital to break down the Grand Trunk
Railway Company, or to throw the portion of
the Atlantic and st. Lawrence Railroad into
the hands of the commissioners and thereby
secure to Boston the terminus of this road. at
no very distant day. This is what Boston is
after, and many of our people, we are sorry to
say are too ready to play into their hands.
Portland to-day is suffering seriously from
the misrepresentation that have already an
peared in some OF the newspapers,as to the dan
gerous and unsafe condition of the track
A large number of passengers from the low
erprovinces arrived in our city last week bound
to the West, and to avoid the dangers" of
which they have had such alarming accounts
| of passing over the Grand Trunk road. they
| took the Boston train and so pa ssed on over
| the Vermont Central and other roads to the
| West
1t is thus easy to see that very large num-
| Der of passengers from the West bound to the
| seaboard, that would naturally come over the
| Grand Trunk road to our city,if not to sojourn
| a few days with us to contribute somewhat TO
| the various transportation lines, hotels &C., in
| this vicinity are influenced to avail themselves
| of other roads,
But Boston pursues its "polcy" with such
| tenacity that many of our people, however
| shrewd in their general business unwarily be-
come victims to the everlasting Hub" at the
| expense of their own city.
That the Grand Trunk road is badly man
| aged, we will not attempt to contrvoert at this
| time; but that it is in such a wretched condi-
| ton as has been reported by some Boston
newspaper correspondents, is simply absurd
as the traffic of the road at this time is conclu
sive and undeniable evidence.
The very fact that during Jtfue days last week
there came over the road to this city fifteen
thousand barrels Of -four besides large quanti-
ties of lumber, produce, Sc, is sufficient evil
dence that the road is at least in fair running
| order.
|
railroad in the country, that is so severely tax
| ed by heavy freight trains and heavy engines
Tower SO long line of track as the Grand
Trunk road; and while the time made will
compare with that of any other line, consider
ing the length of road and the number of pas
| sengers transported, the accidents and casual
ties have been no more frequent or serious OF
| this road than on any other. Yet there have
been special efforts made TO trumpet" any "ac
cident'' on the Grand Trunk to the world, with
all sorts of abuse. While most other railroad
corporations wonld use an effort to hush VI
these reports, the management of the GRAND
Trunk have not had the Yankee shrewdness to
take this precaution. .-...... .-...
That the wear and tear of the rails of the
Grand Trunk road are severe all must admit
from the unusual weight of its locomotives
and its continuous heavy freight trains of cat
tie, timber, lumber, grain, &C., run over it,
great length, day aud night. The worn ant
deprecated rails are being replaced as fast a:
the Rolling Mill in this city can furnish the
new iron, to supply which we learn the
foundry is run night and day to it's fullest ca
pacity.
| NOW Willie WTlOoE udS uO HOrt luloTcS
in the Grand Trunk Rrilway than the com
mon prosperity of the city to which this road
| so largely contributes, considering the amount
1 of capital our citizens have invested in that
corporation and the amount of business that il
| turns to our profit, and wealth as well as the
facilities that it affords the merchants and
trade of our city and State, we think that it is
not only in very bad taste but an exceedingly
short-sighted and suicidal policy to the great
commercial interests of our city to indulge in
IAf, ,f,l
perity of the Grand Trunk Railway. We could
not well do without it now; and it should be
remembered that with all its short comings it
has been instrumental in placing our city
among the foremost on the Atlantic coast, as
the entry port of one of the largest and mosl
important lines of European steamers that
crosses the ocean, and stab at one, is suicidal
| to the other. M. N. r.