The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-17
Railroad Convention.


The necessity of the most direct practicable
line of railway across the continent of North
America at its widest part, as the means of
shortening to the lowest limit of time and ex-
pense the transit between the commercial
eenters of Europe and Asia, has been demon
strated by the superior speed of railway transit
over water carriage,-now rendered compare
lively easy of accomplishment, by the opening
of line of railway from the Mississippi to the
Pacific Ocean,
The main land Of the Continent of North
America extends over 63 degrees of longitude
equal to 3191 statute miles, between the 45th
and 10th degree of North latitude. Lines of
railroad are in progress, over the most direct
ronte from the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia to
Portland, Maine, from which point it is pro-
posed to construct line due West to the head
of Lake Champlain, passing through the Ossi-
pee Valley, Bristol, Woodstock and Rutland
to Whitehall, and thence to the basin of the
great Lakes, at Oswego, thence by the most
direct route, along the South shore of Lake
Ontario, and across the Niagara and st. Clair
rivers by the most favorable line to tho city of
Chicago, from which line of railway extends
to the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco, with
another line in contemplation, over still
shorter route by the Northern Pacific Railroad
to Pugets Sound.
This plan Of o Trans Continental Railway
long in contemplation-will shorten the time
of transit between England and Hong Kong
to thiIty-three days, against forty-two days by
the shortest possible route across the Eastern
Hemisphere, even on the completion of the
Snn1 ursp 30 %,a Sc,
| the travel and the bulk of the most valuable
trade of China and Japan with the American
| and European markets.
In order, therefore, to secure the most direct
| practicable line of railway between Portland
and Chicago-the important link i'll the trans
continental chain and secure Trunk Line
| equal to the demands of Western trade, the
| undersigned, in behalf of the interests we
| represent, invite the Railroad Companies, the
Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, Mu.
inequalities, and all persons interested in the
proposed railway across the Continent to meet
them in Convention, or appoint delegates to
meet the friends of said railroad in Conven-
ton, at the city of Oswego, in the State of
New York, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon of
Wednesday, the 9th day of o October next, to
| consider and act upon such measures as may
be necessary to secure the completion of said
line. ..t ..r,q ..s,. ....,. ....
OswEGo, N. Y. Sept. 10, 1869.
/ GERRITT, SMITH,
President of Lake Ontario Shore Railroad.
| A. S. PAGE,
| Mayor of Oswego.
| RoBT. f. SAGE,
| President of Oswepo Roa rd If Trada
Geo. II. Cramer, President Rensselaer, &
N. Y; John Cain. President Rutland & Wood.
stock Railroad; John B. Page, Governor OF
Vermont; Peter T. Washburn, President
Woodstock Railroad; o. F. Fowler, President
n. H. Central Railroad; William Dyer, of New
N. H., VIM. NJ. Weed, of Sandwich, N. H,
Directors in N. Fl. Central Railroad; j. F.
Reyes Ashland, N. H.; John De Merritt, Eff
fingham, n: H.; J. E. Perkins, Eaton, N. H.
=: 8. Ridlon, Parsonsfield, Me-; Edward
Chicago Board of Trade; Edward O'Neil
Mayor of Milwaukee; Miles Beach, Mayor OF
Troy; Col G. L. Godfrey, Des Moines, Iowa
VIM. G. PierrepOnt, President Rome, Water
town & Ogdensburg Railroad; Marcellus
son, President Erie s. Niagara Extensio n
Railway; II. NJ. Payson, President Leeds &
Pennington r. r. Co.; P. Barnes Portland
Me-. VIM, Willis, do; John A. Poor, John
Neal, John Lynch, John NJ: Adams, II. j.
Gould, A. W. II. Clapp, Jas. L: Farmer, John
B. Coyle, A: K. Shurtleff, r. NJ. Richardson
do, Fred Robe, Gorham, Me-, Executive
Committee of Portland s. Rutland Railroad
Co. of Maine; Charles Sheldon, lockwood
Barrett, j. w. Cramton, L. G. Kingsley, Rut-
Hiram Baird, Chittenden, VT; r. B. Dunn,
President Maine Central Railroad Co.