The Portland daily press., 1868-03-23
Portland and the West.

We print this morning another communica-
ton on the projected Portland & Rutland
railroad, in which it is conceded that this Is
not " the most direct practical line from Chi
cago to the sea-" The writer claims, how
ever, that it is the most direct, practical line
to Liverpool, and that upon its completion
Portland will occupy an enviab:e position up
ON the line of the great Atlantic and Pacific
railway from Halifax to San Francisco. He
proceeds to show that the construction of 100
or III miles OF railroad from Rome, New
York, to Whitehall ON Lake Champiain
would put Portland 293, Boston $40, and
New York 254 miles from Rome, leaving New
York still 80 miles nearer to Chicago than
Portland. This Is the result, even if the
Rome and Whitehall road were to be built, and
we do not understand that it Is seriously
contemplated at present. ..-
With this advantage of about forty miles It
Is obvious that New York win fake all Euro
pean freight on which the tariff for transpor-
tation Is of greater consequence IMAM the saw
ing of time which might be accomplished by
sending it further by rail. Transportation must
be Cheap as well as speedy. Water carriage
Is cheaper than land carriage. A difference
of mill on bushel will send grain to New
York instead of Portland whenever the saw
Ing Of time is not Of primary importance
that Is to say, in nine cases out of ten. On
the other hand, when it becomes of vital i'm
portance to get cargoes forward az the earliest
possible moment, regardless of expense, why
should they stop at Portland? Why not
push through to Halifax, day and hall
nearer Liverpool
When the European and North American
and the Intercolonial railways are completed
there will undoubtedly be a line of swift
steamers running from Halifax. Ventures in
which time is the all important consideration,
will furnish business for such line. But
there will always be business of another kind
for Portland, If she makes good her connec-
ton with the great lakes. She will have,
when the Portland and Ogdensburg road is
finished, the shortest line of railway tapping
the granary of the world. Through the
chain of lakes the harvests of the West will
be borne to the entrance of the St. Lawrence,
and thence in single day to the sea at Port
land. 1t will be hey ond dispute the cheapest
possible outlet for the West, and will COM
mand the legitimate business of marketing
her immense crops. With its Western con-
nections along the Ontario shore, it will also
firnish facilities for spectators, which it will
be difficult to excel
The distance to Chicago by rail does not
differ greatly by the two routes. By the Rut-
land line, one important section of which is
not even chartered nor if report says truly,
likely to be chartered, our correspondent
makes the distance from Portland to Chica.
go 1045 miles. By the Ogdensbug route
with the Ontario Lake Shore link which is
certain to be built, the distance from Port
Land to Chicago is only 1918 miles. The Og-
densburg route, therefore, is but little longer,
has the advantage of water carriage in sum-
mer, and is wholly out of the range of Boston
and New York. The notion of Portland
competing successfully with New York and
for this purpose using Vande1bilt's line,
crowded with New York cargoes built for
New York business, and overladen with Bos-
ton freight besides, Is too chimerical to be for
moment entertained.
The Portland and Rutland railroad has
merits of its own. Portland can have
none but good wishes for its success. But it
cannot fulfil the promise of the Portland and
Osdensburg road, SO far as the West is con-
cerned. 1t is too early to talk of the trans.
continental trade from Asia to Europe as yet
but we believe the State of Maine will realize
very little direct benefit from the completion
oil the Central Pacific railroad, while she
49, A-~r'-- s---- 49, Na-tborp Pacific
toward which this Portland and Ogdensburg
road reaches out.