The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-13

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MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association
meets soon in this city. Wehope to see many
educators from the good old State of Maine,
especially the genial face of the Principal of
your High School, who used to be corner
stone OF our organization. BAYARD.
The Rail Road Convention mt Osweuo,
[Exract from Correspondence oil the N. Y. Tines
THE ROUTE OF THE NEW ROAD.
The route of the new independent line of
railroad from Portland to Chicago has already
been Determined, and charters have been
granted, and the work is now in process of con-
struction over greater portion of the distance,
with the exception of that part between White
hall and Oswego. Between these two points
road is already in operation from Whitehall,
to Saratoga; but it is desirable to have short
er route-one that shall not run so far south as
Saratoga, and perhaps not so far north as
Whitehall. With this view the committee is
authorized to organize company to build
road by the shortest route practicable from any
point they may select Sin the eastern part Of
the State of New York; to this city. The
south Of Whitehall, whence the road will run
past the southern point of Lake George, and
so on in as nearly straight line as possible to
Oswego. From Oswego to the Niagara River
already under way, with Hon. Gerrit Smith
as President, will form the next connecting
link. From the Niagara River, across the
Province of Ontario, to the st. Clair River, or
to Detroit, the line will probably run the
greater portion of the distance over the road
now being built by William A. Thompson, of
Queenstown, who stated to the Convention
that his road would run on an airline,
through a perfectly level country; that it would
have steel rails and white oak ties, with eight
oh Ay-nIrr .INr H.
distance, and that he intended to run cars
regularly over the road in four hours-a dis
lance of 210 miles. From the st. Clair River
another airline is already projected to Chica-
go, and $2000O0O have been subscribed by the
towns along the line The eastern end of the
line, from Whitehall to Portland. by way of
Rutland, Woodstock, White River Junction
and Bristol, is secure beyond peradventure, q
large portion of it being already built or in
progress,
WHAT THEN?-THE AMBITION OF PORTLAND.
When the independent line is thus complet-
| ed through from Portland to Chicago, which it
| is believed can be done easily within three
years, Portland will be as near the Queen CITY
OF the West as either New-York or Boston
The actual number of miles will be about the
same; but the additional speed gained by a
straighter road WILL it is claimed, enable the in
Chicago to Portland in less time than it is now
made TO New York or Boston, As Portland
lies some 400 miles nearer Europe than New
York, and 100 miles nearer than Boston, she
claims that the shipment of the products of the
Great West, and of the Pacific coast, to Europe
must eventually be made from her harbor. The
emigration from Europe to the Great West
| and the Pacific must also, she claims, come
through the same channel; for passengers
crossing the Atlantic by steamer or sailing YES
sci will invariably quit water for land travel at
| the earliest opportunity, especially when, as
in this case, they can reach their objective point
much sooner by so doing. But where is the
return freight to come from? A city, even
| though it have an unrivalled harbOr like that
| OF Portland, in order to become great ship
ping port must furnish freight both ways.
| What, besides emigrants, can Portland bring
back in the bottoms that carry out the prod
ucts of the great West? Lo! even here is she
also prepared for the emergency. She looks to
| Chicago In her visions of the future she see
that city the great importing centre of the con-
tnent. Surrounded as she will be before thu
close of this century with the bulk of the thrifty
and enterprising population of the United
| States are her merchants to continue to get
| their European goods from the importers of New
York and Boston? By no means. Chicago
will import for herself direct from Europe and
from Asia, and will supply the whole region Of
the upper Mississippi Valley eastward to Lake
Erie and westward to the Rocky Mountains
And her lmportations from Europe will all
come by way of Portland. Thus while New
York and Boston have been spending their
money to build railroads in the West and
overland to the Pacific, in the vain hope that
| the business of the entire continent was to be
brought to their doors, they have all the while
been cutting their own noses off and supply
| ing chicago and Portland with those usefu
and ornamental appendages.
But this is not all of Portland's ambition
She expects not only to secure for herself the
| carrying trade between Europe and the great
| West and the Pacific coast but also between
| ASIA and Europe. One of the chief object:
| borne IN mind by Portland in this ans-conti
mental Convention was its connection will
| the overland traffic between Asia and Europe
| which she also claims is to pass through hel
harbor. 1t was limited at plainly enough il
the circular calling the Convention together
but occupied q small place in its discussion.
for the reason, stated in my previous letter
| that 1t was plain to be seen from glance a
take was not E0ini, Pusp ei.----a1 ss<srts
| except Maine represented in the Convention
Nevertheless, it is not the least important fea
| ture in the programme of Portlands aspira
tions, and. if she is correct in her data not th,
least likely to be realized. By making her
connection with the Northern Pacific Rail
road through Canada, Portland would b.
brought from 500 to 700 miles nearer the Pa
| cific coast than she is by the Central ant
Union Pacific roads, and at least three hun.
HTsd miles nearer than any connection which
New YORK can make with the Northern Pa
enc Road. The chief cities of China are from
ooo TO oOO miles nearer Pugets Sound the pro-
| posed western terminus of the Northern Pa
cific Road, than San Francisco; and since yes
sells coming from China to San Francisco first
| make the American shore opposite Puget's
Sound, and then run down the coast, it will be
| seen that the traffic with China by way of Pu-
| gets Sound and the Northern Pacific Rail
road will effect saving of 1000 miles or more
| OF ocean navigation over the route Uio San
francisco. Thus Europe will be brought from
2,50O miles nearer China by way of the North.
No 1av,I skz. II =
through Canada than she is or can be by any
existing route
In addition to all this Portland expects, af-
ter the annexation of Canada, if not before, to
secure the bulk of the freight from Montreal
to Europe that now goes by the way, of the st.
| Lawrence during the summer months One
| OF the Portland delegates stated in Convention
| that the great Montreal shipper, Hugh Allen,
had said that if the Canadian Government
would permit him he would send his entire
the year as he is now obliged to do the winter
months. Thus Portland, with her "unriyaled
| harbor, capable of floating all the navies of the
| world'-a harbor which Governor Wash
| burne, OF Vermont, declared before commit
| tee OF the New Hampshire Legislature was
worth more than all the reserved capital of
| New York and Boston combined, and which a
| President of the Chamber of Commerce of
New York declared that city would give $780,
00e,O00 to possess, surrounded by water privi-
'~hSS ~.iA h"huioObuAihS AdCiliGeS SURPRISING
| any other region on the continent, with eli
mate that Governor Sprague declares has an
advantage OF ten per cent over Rhode Island
on capital invested in manufactures. Thus
does Portland propose to become the mistress
OF the seas. the entrepot for the vast interior
of the continent and the connecting link be-
tween the commerce of Europe and Asia. One
| cannot help admiring the hopefulness. the en-
terprisc and the pluck of the little metropolis
of the Down casters, albeit, he is unable to put
entire faith in her prophesies of future ag-
grandisement. The delegates whom she sent
to the Convention, with the shrewd Mr.. John
A. Poor as their chief spokesman, gave tone
and direction to the proceedings, and it is from
their speeches and conversations that the
above outline of her lofty ambition and mani.
fest destiny is gathered.
GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN rolled into Mozart
Hall last night under full head of steam. and
opened his safety valves to an audience of
about two hundred gentlemen and fiftv ladies'.
George Francis had on his swallow-tail with
brass buttons, closely buttoned over a white
vest, white choker, light kids, light over-coat,
black mani aloOns and nOlisbad r.. ~ Soo>'