The Republican journal., 1869-12-09
RAILROAD MATTERS

| The Augusta correspondent of the Boston
| Herald, under date of the Isl inst, gives the
| following account OF the progress and pros
poets Of the consolidation movement
| The long talked Of scheme for railroad consoda.
| ton in this State is coming to 4 head. 1t will be
| remembered that the Maine Central runs from Ban
gor to Danvlllc Junction, and is obliged to 20 into
| Portland over the Grand Trunk. Here the Port
| land and kennebcc road have the ADVANTAGE for
their road runs into the city. Last winter the Maine
Central succeeded in getting a charter to extend
their road from West Watervillc to Norrtlgew ock
which is five miles above Skowhegan on the river
| and taps the krnnebcc road. Negotiations have
| for q long time been going between these two
roads, and it is now thought basis for consola-
| ton has been agreed upon. If these arrangements
arc carried out the gauge Of the Maine Central will
be changed and made narrow. The trunk line
will be through this valley, and cars will be run
direct from Bangor to Boston. Ii the Legislature
| ratiies this programme. it will as matter of
course, regulate the tariff Great interest is felt in
the success of the consolidation, as it would give
| us one powerful corporation which could compel
the Boston roads to give US more facilities to reach
| " the hub 1t IS rumored that under the new
| management, if carried out Hon. Il. ID. Rice the
popular President of the Portland and kennebec.
will assume the duties of President of the new cor
poration, and Edwin Moves, the Superintendent of
the consolidated lines. The success of this plan is
for the public benefit, because the Legislature re-
serving the right to regulate the tariff would not
create a monopoly. and would remove from the
capitol the corrupting influences of Il strong lobby
which each road has for years had here dancing at
tendance each session Of the peoples represent
atlycS.
1t is 4 fortunate thing for Belfast that she
struck for railroad communication at the
right moment. While the strife tor legisla-
great corporations, it was an object for either
side to secure Waldo Countv-it was in fact
almost vital, is the balance of power Few
are aware Of il, but this motive really Law at
the bottom of the very favorable lease Sc
cured by the Belfast and Moosehead Lake
Road. Had the terms of consolidation then
been agreed upon, we should not have seen
the Directors Of either company here, or an
offer to lease our road at higher rate than
three per cent on its cost
When the history Of the enterprise is re-
viewed, from its practical start, Il year and
half ago, its success seems almost miracu-
ous Starting with what was known to be
a most favorable contract, and what were
believed to be the reliable subscriptions of
responsible men, the directors and friends of
the road saw its faint hearted friends fall off.
the timid capitalists become petitioners for
an in JUNCTION, its credit cried down, the doors
of the local banks closed against it, until the
directors were obliged to raise money on
their personal notes to keep the breath of life
in it. Out of the slough Of despond ii bas
been brought, by pluck and good manage
ment, backed by the peop1e of the city, until
it is sure of becoming I; part of the great
railway system of the State, with a guaran-
teed interest of six per cent. on its stock.
And, greater than all, our city, with its splcn-
did harbor, is to receive the great business
of the interior, which is its Just due All
this, we say, is the result Of pluck, persever-
ancc and faith united with the most fortu-
nate combination of circumstances
And yet there arc men in this city, sub
scribers to the stock of the road, who con-
tinue to find fault with the enterprise and its
management, because there is something
which they imagine to be wrong about it (!
They are not willing to take railroad, with
all its advantages, which costs nothing, be-
cause somebody, somewhere, ut sometime