The Portland daily press., 1869-09-21

| line of railway across the continent of North
l America at it's widest part, as the means of
| shortening to the lowest limit of time and ex-
| pense the transit between the commercial
centers 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 46th degree of North latitude. Lines of
railroad are in progress, over the most direct
route 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 the city of
Chicago from which line of railway extends
to the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco with
another line in contemplation, over still
|
to Pugets Sound.
This plan of Trans-C Continental Railway
long in contemplation-wil shorten the time
of transit between England and Hong Kong
to THU ty-three days, against forty-two days by
the shortest possible route across the Eastern
| Hemisphere, even on the completion of the
Suez Canal, ensuring to the American route
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 a 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 October next, to
| consider and act upon such measures as NAV
be necessary to secure the completion of said
| line.
| OswEGo, N. Y, Sept. 10, 1869.
| GERRITr, SMITH,
President of Lake Ontario Shore Railroad.
| A.S.P PAGE.
Mayor of Oswego.
RoBT. f. SAGE,
President of Oswego Board of Trade.
Geo. II. Cramer, President Rensselaer, & Sar
atoga Railroad.
Chas. Chaplin, Whitehall NY.
John Cain, President Rutland & Woodstock
| Railroad.
John B. Page, Governor of Vermont.
Peter I. Washburn, President Woodstock
Railroad.
o. F. Fowler, President N. H. Central Rail-
road.
William Dyer, Of New Hampton, N. H.. j.
w. Bedee, of Meredith, N. H., VIM. M
Weed, of Sandwich, N. H.. Directors in n
III. Central Railroad
J. f. Keys Ashland, N. II.
John De Merritt, Efingham, N. H.
J. E. Perkins, Eaton, N H.
e.. S. Ridlon Parsonsfield, Me.
Edward Gibbs, Porter, Me.
j. M. Richards, President Chicago Board OF
Edward o'Neil, Mayor of Milwaukee.
Miles Beach, Mayor of Troy.
VIM c. Pierrepont President Rome, Water
town & Ogdensburg Railroad.
Marcelus Massey Vice President do
VIM. A. Thompson, President Erie & Niagara
Extension Railway.
II. M. 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. Libby, N. G. Rice, W IL.
JAS L. Farmer John B. Coyle, A. X. Shurt-
left, r. M. Richardson, do, Fred. ROBBIE,
Gorham, Me-, Executive Committee of
Portland & Rutland Railroad Co. OF Me.
Charles Sheldon, lockwood Barrett, J w.
Cramton, L. G. Kingsley, Rutland, VT.
Daniel W. Taylor, Sherburne, VT
Hiram Baird, Chittenden, VT.
R. b. Dunn, President Maine Central Rail-
road Co. If