The Portland daily press., 1870-01-19

The first question of Importance that came
before your Board alter their organization,
was the location of the line from Portland to
the State border. Upon this devolved the So
luton OF our third proposition, viz: the devel.
opment OF the resources OF oar own State
The report oil the engineer, herewith present.
cd, shows the time, expense and careful con-
sideralion devoted to this branch Of our duties.
With the tables before us, exhibiting The COM
paraiive distances, equated distances, cost OF
construction, yearly cost OF maintenance,
yearly cost OF working, and sum total repre-
sentlrg the last three items, of .he sever al
routes surveyed, prepared by the Engineer as
the result OF the work OF his department., we
went into most thorough and careful exam
iuation OF the same, and also OF the present
condition and the probabilities of the future
increase OF the business pertaining 10 each.
The result of this investigation was the selec
tion of a route, which passing round the
western end Of the city 10 crossing of the
canal below the basin, continues on an air
line 10 the Presumpscol river at Cumberland
mills. This river is the outlet of Sebago
Lake, Brandy pond, Long pond, and mole
than twenty bodies of water OF less extent, be-
sides many rivers. Its head waters are held
in control by dam at the Quiet ofthe Lake,
so that freshetis unknown upon the river,
while the immense extent of water shed and
droutb. 1t is constant and uniform through
out thu year.
Our line extending up the east bank of this
river, passes through the fine old town of
Windham. within a lew hundred feet of 'Ma :
lison's Fall" Little Falls and "Gambo
Falls" three powers in distance of three and
half mi es, having head OF over fifty feet,
which is su 'ceptible of being doubled, ali with
i'll twelve miles OF Portland. while above this
point on the same liver, and within tour miles
OF our line where it crosses the river, are six
additional falls with head OF over eighty
1eet. NOW II 1t be true, as asserted by " alter
Wells, in his elaborate and able report on the
| water power OF Maine, that "aslde, peroaps,
| from agriculture, no other natural resource oil
4 this State can for moment be put into COM
parison with its manufacturing capabilities; =
that water power possesses an economical
superiority over steam for ectensiUe manutac-
turing, which no cbeapness of coal or other
steam material by any possibility available in
this country can counteroalanse; that the
| vast populations in the interior and western
districts Of the country will be obliged, by va.
| rious physical and economical circumstances
10 rely upon the East ior the grand staples o.
manufactured goods; and that climatic con.
ditlons in this State combine with water pow
er facilities to give the highest efficiency tc
manufacturing labor, a fact which alone in
the event OF sharp competition would de-
| termipe the balance IN our Iavor against any
other manufacturing district our land
All this will also add 10 the soiaiAS ec,' o'
freight that mus. come upon our ioau' Ane
station to be located at Gambo Will also prove
q most excellent point of distribution ioi
freight destined to snnad and from m those towns y
ing to the east OF seoago Lake. Crossing thu
the foot OF Sebago Lake, the terminus OF NOR,
than thirty miles of fresh water navigation
dlaining an immense region of couotr
aboundlns In wood, lumber and agriculture
products with many thriving towns and vii
lagos doing large and active business in mer
chandlse and with very considerable amour
OF capital already invested in manufactures G
various kinds. Here too ON the borders G
this lake, in the beautiful town Of Standish, II