The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-06-05
Board of Trade.
yMroRrAxr RAILROAD MEETING.


A special meeting of the Board of Trade
was held last evening at their rooms, President
Jonas II. Perley Esq, presiding. The meet
ing was called for the purpose of hearing re-
marks from some gentlemen from Concord
and Claremont, N. H., upon railroad connec-
tions contemplated to be made with the Port
land & Rochester at Rochester. The President
called upon Mayor Stevens, of Concord, N. H.,
for an expression of his views upon the sub
ject
His Honor, Mayor Stevens, of Concord, ex-
pressed his pleasure at this interview with the
merchants of Portland. He said there were
many reasons why Portland and Concord
should be brought in close connection. One
reason was the fine harbor of Portland, and
another that it was the nearest shipping port.
1t would be pleasing to the people of Concord
if they could obtain their heavy goods from
Portland, and also to send here their beautiful
granite, by a direct route such as the one they
now proposed would afford.
The object of himself and his associates in
visiting Portland was to call attention to a
route for railroad direct to Concord, and
thence to direct route to the West The road
to Concord to run from Rochester; from Con-
cord to Claremont, N. H., and thence to But
land, VT. The road from Concord to Clare
mont is built as far as Bradford, and is run by
the Northern Railroad Company. An effort
aud the city of Concord has subscribed $4,000
towards it.
From Claremont to Rutland the road is COM
plete with the exception of IS miles, from
Claremont to Cavendish, VT The Northern
Railroad Company will fill this gap just as seon
as arailroad is completed to Claremont.
From Concord to Rochester the distance is
IS miles A charter will be applied for, and
will, undoubtedly, be obtained at the present
session of the New Hampshire Legislature for
the route.
Mayor Stevens expatiated upon the utility Of
this ute to Concord, as business road, which
would snure to the great benefit of Portland,
and, therefore, the great wish that this object
might be considered by the business men as
one that would ada to the commercial prosper
ityof the city.
Mayor Stevens said it was their wish that a
delegation from Portland would go over the
proposed route from Rochester to Concord, and
that such an excursion was proposed for Mon
day, the lain inst.
Mr.. E. d. Goddard of Caremont, N. H.
spoke in confirmation of the views advanced
| by Mayor Stevens He said the Northern Rail
road Company we're ready to back up the en-.
| terprise. Claremont and Newport had come
| uffto the work, and had voted all the towns
could allow to the extension of the road tc
Rutland. He spoke of the Importance of the
road from Rochester to Concord, and thought
the business hetwaan his section of the Stats
and Portland would be very large if the con-
nections were made. At present it was round
about way to get to Claremont. He did no
know as he had ever seen Portland man il
Clarenont. 1t was their desire to become &C
| quainted, and to do business with Portland,
and by this route they could do it.
Mr.. B. E. Badger, of Concord, said they had
| come to invite the attention of the merchants
| Of Portland to a through route to the west--s
route, they thought, that would furnish golden
fruits to Portland, and which they desired te
partake Of He then went into an explanation
| Of the proposed route from Concord to Rut
| land, VT, and said there was not the slightest
| doubt it would be built.
The distance from Portland to Rutland by
| these routes was 1874 miles, as thus:
Portland to Rochester, 30
Rochester to Concord, g
Concord to Claremont, &c
| Claremont to Rutland AS
1874
OF this 1874 miles sS are already built, and p
miles the same as bnilt, leaving II miles to be
built, OF which IS miles is the route from Roch.
ester to Concord. OF the remaining Sc miles
the Northern Railroad Company will build
about eighteen as soon as the extension to
Claremont is assured, leaving but IS miles Of
road to be built in New Hampshire to com
| plete this great connestion.
The road passes through the centre and most
populous portion of the State. 1t brings Port
land nearer to most of the towns on the route
than Boston. 1t brings Concord as near to
Portland, within 10 miles, as Boston. The adj
yantages of this route and the business to be
| gained from it were, as he thought well worthy
of the consideration of the people of Portland.
1t was his wish, he said, that when the matter
| of a charter for this route was brought before
the New Hampshire Legislature delegation
| from Portland should appear before the COM
| mittee.
Mayor Stevens, of Concord, remarked that
| the route proposed was not antagonistic to any
other. By supplying the link between Roch-
ester and Concord there could be not the slight
est doubt of the co rpletion of the whole line
| tosRutland. He thought the great advantages
Portland possesses would ensure her more
routes than those now proposed.
Ex-Goy. Washburn, being called upon, said
| he had not so much interest in the proposed
| route as in some others, but there could be no
doubt of its great benefit to our city, and he
hoped it would succeed. OF its being paying
road he had no doubt. Still, he thought it his
duty to inform his New Hampshire friends
that Portland was largely interested in the Og-
densburg road, having subscribed $1,000 OOO
towards the building of it. The work ON this
road between Portland and Swanton, VT,
would certainly be commenced this year and
| the road would be pushed forward to compile
ton as speedily as possible. He wished his
New Hampshire friends to understand that
that Portland will not abandon her purpose to
build this road for the sake of taking up with
any other. If the New Hampshire gentlemen
are not inimical to the Ogdensburg route they
| viii have the sympathy of the Portland people
with them, and perhaps their assistance. He
made these remarks in consequence of one
that had fallen, perhaps unintentionally, from
Mr.. Badger, from which it might be inferred
that he, Mr.. b., thought that Portland would
| drop the Ogdsnsburg and take hold of the pro-
posed route. Portland, said Gov. W., will
never give up the Ogdensburg road as long as
she is situated on Casco Bay.
Mr.. Badger disclaimed any idea of Portland's
abandoning the Ogdensburg road. He thought
that road should be built as well as the one
now proposed.
John A. Poor, Esq, was called upon. He
said he never had any fears that railroads run
ming out of Portland would harm the city, al
| though it had been expressed that one impor-
tant road Portland & Rutland) would be built
| in the interest of Boston. Portland, with her
commodous harbor, must be the outlet of all
railroads from the West that connect here.
Portland needs direct western communica-
ton, and the subject was preached twenty
years ago, but the people were not then ready
| to act upon the matter.
Mr.. Poor explained at some length the ad-
| yantages that would accrue to Portland from o
/ f1~a.,rh ror,to ~ In Uask Tba l;~aok o,fe