The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-06
Oriental OOnaruerce.

OF Tue freSs
Oriental Gonaaerce.
Several years ago, when Daniel Webster
| the Secretary of State, under Mr.. Fillmore
was appealed to in favor of a trans-continent-
| al railway as the necessary measure to secure
| the shortest line of transit between Hong
Kong and London, to be constructed from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean across the soides,
marked, 'you are right aud the measure will
some ''daJ be accomplished" 81 am too old
to 'engage in it," "the nation that secures
the commerce of the East secures the wealth
s'of the world.
Railways have moved forward more rapidly
than Mr.. Webster conceived possible, and the
commerce Of the East, already begins to flow
by new route from the Eastern nations to
the West over the Pacific railway. i
The superior speed of railway transit over
ocean steam navigation, will revolutionize the
commerce of the world. One of the most en-
inent English engineers says that the journey
from Hong Kong to London across the CONT
nent of North America will reduce the time of
transit to thirty-three days, against forty tUo
days, the shortest time that can possibly be
reached in crossing the Eastern hemisphere
1t is now conceded by leading New York mer-
chants that Portland has now the opportunity
to become great city, if we will extend line
of railway by the most direct practicable route
miles; touching Detroit, Buffalo, Rochester,
Oswego, Whitehall, and Rutland on its way
to Portland. From Rutland to Portland, two
lines are already in contemplation one by way
of Woodstock, Bristol and the Ossipee Valley;
the other by way of Concord, Rochester, and
Alfred. The rivalship along the route of the
two lines from Rutland to Portland, is awak-
ening the utmost earnestness, and letter
from Gov. Page of Rutland received in this
city, within few days past states, that there is
no longer any doubt that Rutland will COM
plete her corporate SUBSCRIPTION for $500 900 to
the Woodstock line This accomplished, the
line from Rutland to Portland via Woodstock
White River Junction, Bristol and the Ossipee
Valley is assured. We are glad to know that
the only rivalry between the Rutland line by
way of the Osspee Valley, and the line by way
of Concord, is as to which shall get through
first .
Rutland, Vermont, is evidently destined to
become leading inland city, from the advan-
tages Of its position, its mineral treasures, and
the energy and enterprise of its people; and
has already become the objective point of rail-
road movements from the Atlantic seaboard
West from Portland, Portsmouth and Boston.
being equally distant from each. From Port
land to Rutland is 1876 miles on an air line /;
while by railroad the distance is estimated at
30 miles more, or 166 miles from Portland har-
Dor. The fact that Portland is on the direct
route from Chicago to Europe, influences pub
lie opinion at Rutland in favor of the Portland
line over all others.
Hon. Gerritt Smith, President of the Onta-
IL
property at Oswego, and has always favored a
railroad from Oswego to Portland, looking at
one time to the Northern route by way of Og-
densburg. But Ogdensburg is as far from
Portland as Oswego is; while Oswego Is on
nearly the same parallel of latitude as PORT
land. Hence the recent action of Mr.. Smith
in favor of the direct route from Oswego to
Portland via. Whitehall, which secures a line
from Oswego to Portland 129 miles shorter
than the line from Oswego to Portland by way
If nfsdo Inn .oI, Co. 90
Ogdensburg on the line of the Rome and Wat
ertown railroad.
We understand that the call for the Osweeo
Convention is signed by influential parties
from Chicago to Portland, and that the Con-
ventiOn, on the 9th of October next, delegates
will be present from places all along the entire
route from Nova Scytia to California.
No town or city on the route from San Fran
cisco to Halifax has so much to hope Tor by the
carrying out of the proposed line, as Portland
Her harbOr unrivalled in its character, is the
natural shipping port of the Great West, while
its direct line to the West is coincident with
the line of the most direct route from the Pa
cifc Ocean to London, by way of Chicago.
1t is announced that the Pennsylvania Cen
trail Railroad Company il about to put on a
train which, in twenty mine hours, will go from
Chicago to New York. The route is nine hun
dred miles, requiring thirty one miles an hour
to be accomplished, all stops included. To rival
this, the New York Central and connecting
companies put Oh laSb line between chicago
and New York, making the distance in thirteen
hours less time than formerly, thus beating the
fastest time promised, ON behalf the Pennsylva-
nia road, by five hours, over a route eighty
miles longer. The Erie Railroad ALSO It is
said, will put on lightning express train,
which will run through between New York
and Chicago in thirty hours, reduction of
eight hours over the present time.
The New York Tribune in speaking of the
movement at Chicago for direct line to Port
land calls upon New York to construct new
and more direct route from New York to Chi
cago as the only means within her reach to pre-
vent the turning off of western trade from her
own port to Portland Harbor
Portland has only to move forward at this
time with energy and strength to grasp the
great prize of western traffic and become the
great shipping port of western produce, by
constructing this shortest of all routes from
Lake Ontario to the sea, by way of Whitehall
and Rutland from Oswego to Portland.