The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-06
will the Ogdensburgh Road Pays

We find in pamphlet addressed to the citi-
zens of Franklin County, Vermont, a reply to
this question, which must stop the mouths Of
those whose injudicious criticisms have only
made the friends of the route more active and
successful. After the discussion of some local
questions the pamphlet says: ...--
The only question now remaining for con-
sideration is, will the road be paying road? !?
1t has been shown that the local busiress that
will be furnished The road in this county, will
more than pay the interest upon the cost OF
constructing the road through this county, and
what is true of this county, is undoubtedly
true of every county between Swanton and
Portland. passing as the Portland & Ogdens-
burgh road, of which the Lamolle Valley road
is a part, does through fertile agricultural
county, with no other means of transporting
its productions to market, and abounding with
vast forests in close proximity to the road, af-
fcrding an abundant supply Of lumber.
The country through which the road will
pass, is unequaled in the richness and variety
of It's mineral resources.
The non ore beds in Elmore unrivalled in
richness by any in North America; the Slate
quarries in Woodbury. and Enosburg, un-
boul ded in supply and unsurpassed in excel
lence; the fine Stone quarries in Watervlle
ana johnson, now valuable for stoves; the rich
mines of Copper ore in WOlcott, and the bed
of Moulding Sand in Highgate, of superior
quality; and the beds of Oehre and Terre de
Sene in Hyde Park; the Mineral Springs
along the route of the road; its nearness to the
beautiful and sublime scenery of Stowe and
the White Mountains, will give the road an
amount of business almost beyond conception
The ireights of the business of single firm
in St. Johnsbury, it is believed, will amount to
100000 annually,
It would seem that the local freights between
Swanton and Portland, consisting of the pro-
ductious of the country through which the
road passes, and merchandise from the sea-
board for the consumption of the inhabitants
accommodated by the load, will be of such an
amount as to reLder it certain that the road
will be paying road.
The road will be part and very important
part of n great thoroughtare across the conti-
nent, from Portland to Puget Souod oD the
Pacific, having advantages that no other route
possesses. Portland has one of the best, most
commodous harDors on the Atlantic coast
with facilities for shipment and transhipment
of merchandise that no other city upon the
sea-board has. Portland has the advantage
over Boston of regular line of steamships to
Europe, is nearly one days sail nearer Liver
pool than Boston, and nearly two days nearer
than New York. The distance from Ogdens-
burgh to Portland is seventy miles less than to
Boston. Puget Sound, the western terminus
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, is 700 miles
nearer the ports of Eastern Asia than is San
Francisco, the western terminus of the Cen
tral Pacific. And the distance from Portland
across the continent, by way of the Portland
& Ogdensburgh Railroad, the Lakes and the
Northern Pacific Railroad, is 500 miles less
than by way of the Union Pacific and the Cen
tral Pacific roads to San Francisco. The
Northern Pacific road passes over the Rocky
Mountains at an elevation OF 5000 feet less
than does the Union Pacific road, and over the
Cascade range at an elevation Of 1000 feet less
than does the Central Pacific over the Sierra
Nevadas. Thus freeing the Northern Pacific
t1n dan lnffh
miles of sheds, which the Union Pacific and
the Central Pacific roads are under the neces-
sity of erecting to protect the roads from the
deep SHOWS to which those roads are subject in
passing the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra
Nevadas.
Only 800 miles of new road have to be built
in order to connect Lake Superior with Puget
Sonnd. forming, when the Portland & Oe-
densburgh road is completed, a thoroughfare
across the continent, by means If these roads,
and the great American chain OF lakes. By
fine Northern Pacific road the distance to East
ern Asia is 1900 miles less than by the Union
and Central roads, insuring for all time the
transit over this route OF the productions OF
the hundred millions OF inhabitants OF East.
ern Asia and the great Northwest destined tor
Europe and Northern New England. So, too
the vast amount OF merchandise from Europe
and New England, necessary for the con,ump-
tion of the inhabitants of those almost bound
less regions of country, will mostly pass over
this great northern thoroughfare. The amount
of business from the West has doubled within
the last ten years, and undoubtedly will dur
ing every decade of future years, until the
boundless regions of the West are inhabited
| by civilized men. Some idea OF the amount OF
business that these roads will do may be formed
| from the fact that The business OF the Lakes
| now require fleet OF sixty steamers.
How enormous will the business 0, !neSe
| two roads lie when the West becomes tnicRiy
| Inhabited and the commerce of Asia with Eu-
rome and the United States, is changed from
lis oircnitous course around the Cape of Good
Hope, by the building, of railroad across the
| continent to the Pacific coast.