The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-11-06
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Saturday Morning, November 6, 1869.
PORTLAND.


Wewere all taught, when we were young,
feeling of respect for the good woman in
the story who, invaded by the unusual
swelling of the sea, attempted with her
broom to keep back the surging waves OF
the ocean. A similar feeling arises in
witnessing the heroic efforts of the leader
of the Ogdensburg forces-parties in Port
land, undertaking to build an Independent
line of railway through the Notch of the
White Mountains from the harbor of Port
land to the st. Lawrence at Ogdensburg-
to stem an advancing tide. The Judgment
of the country long since determined the
folly of an attempt like that now witness
ed here to work against nature; and the
still greater folly on the part of men or of
communities of small means, to waste their
substance in unwIse or unnatural UNDER
takings like that which seeks to build up
centres of trade, great shipping ports, or
large towns, without present or prospec-
tive business to sustain them. 1t is the
history offailure everywhere. A few years
ago, Michigan City at the head of the lake,
was to rival Chicago; Alton flattere1 her.
self into the belief that she would outsrip
ST. Louis; Dunkirk was at one time threat
ening to surpass Buffalo; and the Boston
papers twenty years ago, argued that Og.
densburg was to become a greater ship
ping port than Montreal. Is it too late for
Portland to profit by the mistakes and fol-
ly of Boston?
We must confess TO certain degree of
respect for the Ogdensburg man, who. In
the Journal of October 30th replies to the
| communication of "Viator" lately inserted
in the Portland Aduertiser. With just
pride in maintaining the commercial repu-
tation of his town, he has arrayed all the
facts at his command favorable to the Og-
densburg side; and there is no doubt that
! at this moment at or near the close OF
river and lake navigation, there is some
show of life at Ogdensburg, which was
not to be found there at the time of our
visit. OF the party of sixteen who passed
through Ogdensburg by way of Montreal
| from Portland on their way to Oswego
seven on their return spent day and &
half in their examination of Ogdensburg
| and the statements of "Viator" were care.
fully considered and concurred in by sew
| eral minds before being submitted for
publication. All will be but too glad to
correct any error into which they may have
heen led.
1t is proper to say that, in discussing
the merits of Ogdensburg as a railroad
terminus upon the st. Lawrence, we had
no disposition to overlook the beauty of its
situation, the magnificent frontage upon
the st. Lawrence, upon deep water. ex-
| tending for miles along the shore; or the
| manufacturing facilities in the form of
water-power running to waste; or the
historical associations connected with it.
| But it is useless to deny that abandoned
by it's former great men, Van Rensselaer,
and Parrish, it is now a secondary ship
ping port or landing place for produce
and merchandise.
The simple inquiry that interests the
people Of New England is, as to the bes'
point upon the st Lawrence or lake wa
ters for the first line of railway to be now
extended to the harbor of Portland, az
an outlet for western produce. From the
eastern end of Lake Ontario, in a semi
circular sweep from Oswego to Montreal
various ports or points have been pointed
out as the proper place for the northern OIL
| 80 DNx
land; and in considering the question, Og
| d6nsburg comes into comparison with Mon
/ treal and Oswego. No other place be-
tween Montreal and Oswego has of lat'
made any pretensions to being a prope
terminus of such line. All admit th'
success of the Montreal line to Portland
and until recently all parties admitted thu
absolute failure. as commercial enter
prise, of the line from Ogdensburg to Bos
ton. That the road has some business, al
admit; that it has expended large sums o
money to provide facilities for business a
| Ogdensburg is true; that there has beer
an increase of transportation over the line
by development along its route and in
crease of the lumber trade, all are happy
to perceive. But this does not meet tn
question we design to discuss, namely, tn
propriety or expediency of building a ney
line 10 Ogdensburg to share with presen
competitors the small through business il
the way of produce transportation from
the West.
Let us examine for a moment into th
cost and business of the Ogdensburg rail
road. 1t was started in 1915 to head of
the Portland and Montreal line, organized
in 1916. and completed through to Ogdens
burg Oct. 1st, 1850. The cost of the lin
for the several years from 1851 to 1856, a
returned by the State officers, was as fol