The Portland daily press., 1871-10-04
$7.o1O,6OO

The real value of property, as above, is
doubtless very nearly $13O00,00O or $541 900
to each mile to be bull There is no question,
accordingly of the ability of the towns, as
there certainly is more of their disposition, to
construct the road.
Portland has IN interest in the building Of
this branch, second only to it's interest in the
completion of the main line. From Burling-
ton to Portland, as above stated, IS 222 miles
From Burlington to Boston is 250 miles; to
New York, 300 miles by rail, 29S miles by Lake
Champlain, the Canals and the Hudson. Con-
slider the significance of these facts. Burning
ton is the third lumber market in the country,
doing business of 120,0OO,0O0 ieet per year, its
supplies being drawn from Canada, via the st.
Lawrence and the canals connecting that riv
err with Lake Champlain. % 900 cars of lumber
left the city in 1870, for points in New England
and beyond Much of this lumber goes to
places upon the seaboard. Its nearest and
and cheapest route is via Portland.
On the average 165 car loads of freight leave
Burlington daily, throughout the year, and for
an important part of this freight, Portland can
be the distributing center. Again, Portland
can compete successfully for the trade of the
above named towns. She can sell them goods
as cheaply, and can lay them down at their
stations at lower cost for freight, than can Bos-
ton OF New York. The heavier articles OF
merchandise, as coal iron, salt, ETC., will, dur
ing the season of navigation, reach Burlington
by water. Her lighter purchases, constituting
the greater part of the money value of her
merchandise, now come to her warehouses
chiefly by rail all the year. For this part of the
business, accordingly, Portland can compete
all the year.
Again, Lake Champlain is grand artt ~
of tourist and summer travel. Saratoga and
Lake George send their visitors northward
over this inland sea. 100 900 passengers are
yearly taken and lett by its steamers. The
fight of these birds OF passage is towards the
White Hills. Tens of thousands fail to reach
the mountains on account of distance and Cir
cuitous routes. The Burlington branch and
the L. q .. main line open direct path to
the Hills, 1856 miles long against 200 miles by
other routes. What " ill strike the nation as
prodigy, to wit, railroad through the
Notch OF the White Mountains" over the very
heaps of the "Willey Slide," will send such a
have been dreamed Of Thousands having
done" the mountains will hold on their way
to Portland, to Casco bay and the associated
seaside resorts, to the summer retreats along
the coast of Maine, and the beaches westward
1t is to be recolected that while the nation is
going on to Increase in wealth and pop ulaton,
as never before, there is to be for all time but
one White Mountain highland, -reooected &C.
cordlngly that so long as the sublime in nature
continues to attract the footsteps of man, there
will be, there must be, an ever increasing an
nual congregation to this uplift of mighty hills
with their ''gulfs, ''glens," "abysses,'' seas
cades'' and "pools.'
When further it is lecollected that the same
railroad combines with the above attractions
those of the Green mountains, and those, not
less remarkable, if the green valleys OF North
ern Vermont, those likewise of the Sheldon
and Highgate springs, and those of Lake
Cbamplan, it is eaoy to see that no other road
Of equal length can offer the parallel of these
varied temptations to the pleasure and health
seeker, and none, accordingly, can plead for its
speedy completion so strong an argument of
prospective tourist and pleasure travel income.
The Burlington branch is an essential, and for
the present at least, an indispensable link in
the chain of required conveniences. The as
sniance, accordingly, of its timely completion
IS regarded with satisfaction by every friend of
Portland and of the Portland and Ogdensburg
IaIlroad At a recent meeting of the directors
and friends of the branch line, a basis of terms
was agreed upon to be presented to the towns
for acceptance, which effected, as it certainly
will be, operations will commence at once The
right OF way has already been taken in stock,
or given outright, for IL miles out of the "a to
be built, and the bulk of the residue will be got
upon equally easy terms. The entire region
ay9rsed by the road is a garden of fertility
The product OF butter, cheese, and live stock is
very great The indraft of. dry goods, grocer
les, leather goods, clothing, fish, paints, oils,
drugs, hardware, crockery, ETC., is proportion
ally large, to meet the wants of an opuent pop
ulation. The speedy completion of the road is
"A foregone conclusion.
Please add to my former statements for
Cambridge, as follows: Sales of merchandise
$50 600; sales of butter, cheese, sugar, etc,
$101, 755; of lumber, leather, WOOD etc. 1923, OOO,
for Vra