The Portland daily press., 1871-08-31
Letter from New Hampshife- RAJ ir0ad
- Matters.
A NASHUA, Aug. g. 1871,

L heFe temporary interest in this town.
>aniel Webster had a more permanent one
orty-seven years ago, when he put his name
.gainst sixtylshares in the water power here and
emit the influence of his great name as an ad-
vertisement of the advantages of this spot as
he centre of a great manufacturing interest
Well, the advertisement had its effect ard
Dustlipg, thriving town, resoundiDg to the
wheir and click of spindle and loom has grown
np in a reckless sort of way without much
regard to mathmetical regularity; for except
ing one or two the streets of the old part 60 |
wandering around in their own way and often |
"cut corners to come out ahead of each other. |
But it is a pleasant town, nevertheless, and 1 |
enjoyed an hours drive through and around it,
The newer part is laid out with more regular
ity and is beautified with trees and open parks
enclosing small sheets of water. The town is
but SOM hero worshipper can point out to you
on the bank of the stream the old mill where
Nath'I p. Banks labored as bobbin-boy, and
identify the boards pressed by ibis feet, if not
produce the very bobbins that he handled.
sfThe first settlers "put head" on the town.
an Indian Head at that, and there was a
good deal of it. There's the Indian Head Mill,
the Indian Head Bank, Indian Head Hotel
saloon and stable. When the ancestorsot the
present generation began the work of settle
ment, they found the head of an Indian cut on
rock on the bank of the river, the work, it is
thought, of the aborigines; and the name if not
the thing has been peIpstuated.
The principal article of manufacture here is
cotton cloth, of which perhaps more than co.
000, 600 yards are produced annually. but steam
engines, railroad work, machinists' tools, bob
bins, locks, printing Tcards, farming utensils,
and granite in large quantities are turned out
each year. Next to cotton, iron is the great
article of consumption, and the amount capital
employed in all these enterprises il over 81
100000. The water power is furnished by the
Nashua and Meriimack rivers, and the locks
and canals are massive and splendid pieces of
masonry. Locke's well-known proposition
that sin places wherever thriving manufactor-
les have erected themselves, la nd has been OBJ
served to sell quicker and for more years. pur-
chace than in other Places is illustrated in
Nashua. Real estate is quick and the price, 1
am told, is advancing. There is considerable
activity in building, and observed one large
block of stores going up on the corner of Main
street, and on the borders quite a number of
private dwellings. The present rate of taxa
ton is $247 per 800, on very low rate of val
uation and house and store rents are moderate.
Railroads have been a great means of Nash
ua's prosperity. 1t is the terminus of the Boston
Lowell & Nashua road, which connects with
the Concord railroad, and forms part of one of
the great northern trunk lines. The Worces.
ter and Nashua road also finds its terminus
here, and connects with the Wilton road, which
is to be pushed forward to Peterboro and Glare.
mont and Cavendish, to connect with an ex-
listing line to Rutland. The railroad question
has been very quiet of late, but has received
new impetus in the settlement of the difficult
ties which have delayed the construction of the
proposed line to Rochester. The history Of
this enterprise is peculiar. As long ago as the
year 184S charter was granted by the legisla-
ture of New Hampshire for railroad from
Nashua to Epping and several attempts were
made to consummate the enterprise, but with
out result, although subsequent legislation was
invoked to favor the desires of its protectors.
and the results Of all the enactments was rath-
er to hinder than promote the work. When
the terminus OF the Portland and Rochester
railroad was changed from Sonth Berwick to
Rochester, way was opened for trunk line
from Portland to New York. The Worcester
and Nashua road, which had been built with
difficulty, and had begun to operations with
much less business than is now done on the
Portland and Rochester road, had gradually
grown in strength and Importance and desired
to extend its line and business The old char
terof the Nashua and Epping road was adopt
ed, so far as it was available, by the consent of
the legislature. 1t was necessary first to Sc
cure further amendments to the charter giving
authority to unite the Nashua and Epping and
Portland and Rochester railroads and form the
Nashua and Rochester railroad COMPANY. The
struggle at Concord was hard, owing to the eff
forts of rival interests, but the amendments
were granted. The stockholders at their meet
ing on Thursday accepted the amended char.
er, together with the various acts of the legis-
lature pertaining to said roads ''except so far as
modified or repealed by subsequent legisla-
tion." And SO for the first time in twenty
three years the friends of the enterprise found
their feet planted on solid ground and a clear
way open before them. Meantime the city of
rasnda haa SUBSCRIBED $250. 900 to the STOCK on
condition that 81 900 900 should be subscribed
before any assessment was called for. The
Worcester and Nashua railroad followed with
an unconditional subscription of 100000, and
individual subscriptions to the amount of $3.50,
900 more were procured from citizens of the
intermediate New Hampshire towns, on con-
dition that the line should be located through
fhni fnrun Dh..x ~
thorizing lease of the road, and the informal
of the Worcester and Nashua cor
porationtO lease. the road when built, andg uaran
tee dividend of per cent free of tax, has re-
moved many of the difficulties of obtaining in.
dividual subscriptions and town aid in New
Hampshire, and it is believed that all condi-
ditions attached to existing subscriptions will
be removed. ...t-.
And now something concerning the road it.
self and its location. Three through lines have
been surveyed by the engineers, and the cost
estimated. The figures are in thands of the
directors. will trace the lines as given me by
the engineers, for the information of the peo-
pie living in this section. Starting from Roch-
ester the line runs down by the Dover and
Winnepesaukee railroad to Comic, and from
thence to Lee the liue is common to all the
surveys. SASHA
Eastern Hne-Throueh Darlington, crossing
the Portsmouth and Concord road at Epping
Station; through Fremont, the northwest cor
nern of Danville, Sandown, Hampstead, to
Derry, crossing the Manchester and Lawrence
railroad at Windham station; through au1son
to Nashua. .i~
Middle Hne-From Lee through Nottingham,
crossing the Portsmouth and Concord railroad
nCf
ing the Manchester and Lawrence railroad one
mile below Derry station; Derry, Londonderry
and Hudson to Nashua
Western Line-From Lee through Barring
ton, Nottingham, crossing the Portsmouth and
Concord railroad midway or nearly so between
West Epping and Raymond stations; through
Raymond and Chester, joining the middle line
IN chester near the crossing of the Exeter
River. i#-4
The lines are nowhere more than five miles
apart, and of coutse each has a popularity as
regards facility of construction, physical geo.
graphy and building materials. The question
Of local business of course enters into the ques-
lion of selection of route. There is good dea
Of valuable timber standing along all;the
lines, and the towns between Nashua
and Rochester are fertile agricultural towns,
'ne or two of them unusually so, and the pop
llation is abundantly able to subscribe liber- |
lily. The variation of the different lines is so |
light that the question focal accommodation
s so trivial that it will have less influence up
IN the solution of the main question than is
the case. The work of soliciting
subscription has been renewed in earnest, and
he prospect is good that by the time the direc-
ors have examined and decided up the ques.
ions before them and the work made ready for