The Portland daily press., 1869-01-15


A meeting of the Corporators of the Port
land and Rutland Railroad took place yester-
day morning at the Office of John A. Poor,
Esq A memorial, to be presented to the
Mayor aud City Government of Portland, was
then read by Mr.. Poor asking the loan of the
credit of the city to help build the road, and
offering as security first lien and first mort
gage on the roa1.
Judge Fowler of Bristol, N. H., was then
called upon by M. Roor, the Chairman, to
give some statement of the feeling expressed
by the towns on the route. Judge Fow-
Ter said h S own town of Bristol had voted five
per cent Of her valuation 10 favor of the road,
and the towns of Tamworth and Moultonboro
had voted large subscriptions. The people OF
Meredith had great desire to have meetinn
there. There was good deal of strife be-
tween Meredith and Ashland, each town want
ing the road to pass through there, bat there
was no doubt whether the road was bull. to
Meredith or Ashland, so long as it was built to
to one or the other, the whole road would be
built from Portland to Danbury. He sale
they meant Portland should be the terminus
of the road. The Judge said that they
were naturally selfish in Bristol because they
wanted Bristol to grow and the road would
give it growth. 1t was not necessary to speak
of the business advantages that used to come
to Portland twenty-five years ago, and If
an outlay was now made by portlanders
that business would return to Them increased
by the corresponding growth OF the towns on
the loute during that time. There was nc
doubt if the city of Portland would loan its
credit to build one half the road, the people
on the line of the road would supply the 9th
er half, and give Portland the first lien on the
road. He said by having the terminus of the
line at Portland instead of Boston q very great
item would be saved in truckaee. In Portland
the truekage is nothing; in Boston it is large
sum. The littl9 towu of B;Istol paid by actu-
ual computation the sum of $500 for truckase
alone. sE5aIse '-4rr eFt ,a --s-.- .-..-r
Nj. Poor then called upon diff ,rent gentle
men to give their opinions as to whether any
objections would be made to the city's loaning
its credit. He first called on Mr.. James Far
mer.
Mr.. Farmer thought not the slightest objec-
ton would be made by the city provided it
had proper security. such as first lien and
Rutland railroad project had assumed more
important place in the minds of the people #
Portlaud than it occupied year ago. Tue
advantages of the Atlantic and st. Lawrence
road were reaped mostly BY its projectors
children and by newcomers into the city,
whereas the projectors of the Rutland road
would derive Immediate benefits. o.. lrsr b.
Mr.. Moses Gould thought there would be no
objection on the part of the city to advance the
loan. AK ,ta-.
Mr.. John Neal said that he was aware of the
difference of feeling existing here in regard to
the Rutland railroad. That as far as opposi.
ton was concerned he expected it, but should
like it, for it would infuse new life into the
matter. Railroads have become a public ne
cessty, and if we do not build them others will,
not interested in the growth and business
prosperity of the city, and drain us of our re-
sources instead eff adding wealth and popula-
ton to the city.
Mr.. N. G. Rice thought the Ogdensburg men
would ultimately join with the Rutland in a
mutual road as far as West Ossipee when the
Ogdensburg would branch off to Conway.
Mr.. Ezra Carter thought that the opposition
on the part of the wealthy and influential men
had died out in great measure the past year.
He agreed with Mr.. Neal that railroads were
a necessity. He was always in favor of rail-
roads when they cou Id offer good security and
he thought the security offered by the Rutland
railroad was first-cIass. s
Mr.. Lord said that if the leaders of the Og-
densburg would examine the route of the Rut-
land road to West Ossipee they would assist
t. connect with the Rltlond as far as that
pllce evonif they then branchcd of to Con.
way. y
Mr.. T.. Fl. Weston was in favor OF both the
Oglensburg and Rutland and would vote in
in favor of the city lending its credit to the
Rutland. es a-s.,a.s.
Judge Fowler said that the grade from Dan
bury to the State of Maine was only sixty feet
to the mile. That the whole road from Wood.
stock to White River Junction was already
half graded aud would be completed within a
year. That if those pers ms who now oppose
the Rutland road would only pass over the
route, he was certain their opposition would
melt like snow before the sun. From Bristol
t., Danbury the grade was not over 80 feet to
the mile, and from Frankln to Daubury. by
the way of Bristol, one locomotive can carry
the weight that it now takes two locomotives
to carry over the Aulover summit by the
Northern Railroad. re.n
In conclusion, Mr.. John A. Poor said he
was very much gratifal to hear the opinions
expressed by Judge Fowler in regard to the
interest taken in the road by the towns on the
proposed route. That the great point in his
mind had been in regard to laying the founda-
ton of credit, but from all he heard from the
Judge and from the other gentlemen who had
spoken he was Convinced there would be very
little opposition to the city's making the loan.
He then gave few statistics to show the ben.
eft that had accrued to the city from railroad
enterprises as follows: E.E
Thevalue of imports into Boston in 1854
was .r.. x46 Q22 545
The value OF imports into Portland in
in 1874 waS r.r 31ai 676
The value otimports into Boston in 1868 N''7T
was '.-Ia-. 81 $40 $50
The value OF imports into Portland in
1865 Was 17.1oo,s67