The Portland daily press., 1871-02-06
T,the Editor OF the Press:

rune E0tt0T O the PTeSS:
read With much interest the editorial in
Mondays issue, respecting the extension of
the Boston and Maine railroad to Portland.
1t seemed, however, written more in the in
terest of the Portland Saco and Portsmouth
road than Of the city. All must acknowledge
that in the past this road has not pursued
coutse conducive to the best interests of Port
land. Apparently it has aimed, by the ar
ransement OF its. passenger trains, at least to
carry business from rather than to your city
AT present, and it may be added, for two
years, the trains to Boston have been manag-
ed to the satisfaction of the travelling public.
The road deserves all credit for the same.
but, without an early morning train from
Portsmouth or the Junction, reaching Port
land about ten or eleven o'clock, is not the
present arrangement of Boston trains from
Portland rather prejudicial to the best inter-
est of your city than favorable? At present,
noone residing west Of Biddeford can reach
Portland before II 1-2 o'clock at noon, allow
ing the train is on time. BY the time he ar
rives at Middle or Exchange streets, he finds
many of the offices closed temporarily, and
leaving for dinner, if they have not already
left. He is continually reminded in manifold
ways that he has arrived in the city at a very
unreasonable hour. The same person can
leave his home in the morning, reach Boston
at eleven O'Clock, have the best hours of the
forenoon to transact his business-the very
hours that business men will, without any
doubt, be found at their places OF business
and able to return home by two evening trains.
Five or six years ago there appeared to be a
preference with merchants and others in
towns west OF B:ddeford to make their 'pur.
chases not only OF sugar, molasses and grocer
les in Portland, which they found could be
purchased there at as reasonable, if not more
reasonable rate than in Boston, but also of
dry goods. For two years past many have
been induced to go to Boston to buy goods.
because they have SO much more time there
70 make purchases and return the same day
1nere is also another influence which induces
many to trade i'll Boston, which is the delay
in receiving freight from Portland. AS a gen
eral thing. the chances are that freight from
Boston will be received as soon, if not sooner
than from Portland.
Now all this may be answered with the
statement, that hitherto the L. >. ~ L. road
hrs been controlled by the other roads, but il
they manage their own road there will be
change for The better 1t may he so and it
NAV not At any rate is there not stronger
presumptive reason to suppose that there will
be change tor the better so tar as wav freight
and passenger trains are concerned, if there
should be two independent routes to Port
land than If only one? Would not this nat.
urally give rise to competition in way travel
and freight which would be likely to obviate
the difficulties that have been dwelt upon as
detrimental to the best interest of Portland?
The more accessible railroad IS to a village
tlxn.
itants and the more the neighboring cities
will be visited by them. The p. s. q p. road
does not accommodate the great majority of
the inhabitants OF York, Wells, Kennebuuk
and Kennebunkport tor it runs many miles
from the villages of these towns. The con-
templated extension Of the Boston and Maine
railroad and particularly if the Eastern could