The Portland daily press., 1871-08-05

To the Editor Of the Press:
A correspondent of the Boston Advertiser
rejoices in the assertion-I hardly think it is
well founded THAT Oswego, by way of the
Hoosac Tunnel, is 70 miles nearer Boston
than it is to Portland by way of the Wood
stock, White River Junction and Ossipee
route. But concede the truth of this state
ment, and still the advantages OF Portland
over Boston as shipping and forwarding
port in the matters of economy and facility,
&c, will more than overcome this this differ
ence in distance.
But Portland looks to the Rutland line as
only one of her lavenues for communication
with the West.
By the Rochester road via Concord she will
have another.
And by the Ogdensburg road yet another,
and one by Which the distance betaoeen
Portland and Ogdensburg aviU be less than
that By any possible route betaceen o.
acego and Boston. 1t must remain true for
all time that the shortest line between
the Lakes and the sea, is where the map
places it-between Ogdensburg and Portland;
so that whatever commerce comes upon AIRY
of the great Lakes will find its shortest and
cheapest transit to tide-water over this road,
either from Ogdensburg, or after the construc-
ton of the Caughnawaga Canal, from Swan
ton, vt.
But it is not alone to the West, or to the
Lakes and their commerce, that Portland
looks to be connected by lines of railroads
Her greatest advantage over all other Atlantic
ports will be realized when the line of rail-
road to the Northwest, now being provided
for between Montreal lola the Sault ST. Ma
ry) and Minneapolis shall be completed The
last named city, situated at the Falls of St.
Anthony and on the line of the Nothern Pa
cific Railroad, has by that road already con-
nection with Duluth upon Lake Superior and
will have one land the most direct that can
be made) with the Sault st. Mary, Montreal
and Portland. Minneapolis is to he the Chi
cago of the Northwest. The vast traffic that
will centre there and at other points in Min
nesota, Dacotah, Northern Wisconsin and
Northern Michigan, will be ONE HUNDRED
miles nearer Portland than il will be to Bos.
ton or any other Atlantic port. Montreal, by
the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad, will
be but $50 miles from Portland, and by the
Grand Trunk Railway, should it shorten its
line between Island Pond and Montreal, the
distance will be no greater.
An earnest and hopeful competition will
grow up between these roads connecting
Portland with Montreal, by which the public
will be served and their own corporate inter-
ests promoted.
This line cannot be FLANKED. 1t is short
er, by four hundred miles, than any existing
line between the ocean and the true North
west, and, by 100 miles, than any other road
can be made. Portland is not only the "nat-
ural seaport" of the Canadas, but of the
northwestern States, also. A nearly air line
between Portland and Minneapolis will be
built, and the Sault st. Mary will be bridged
at no very considerable expense.
While we should be duly anxious to in
crease our lines of communication with Chi
caeo, st. Louis and the West proper, we must
not forget that it is to the Grand Trunk
Railway and to the Portland and Ogdens-
burg Rairoad-( in connection with the
Caughnawaga Canal and the enlargement of
the Welland)-'hat this city must look for
her largest and surest traffic-a traffic with
the Northwest. This is hers by a right
which no ingenuity, or enterprise, or capital,
can successfully dispute. ***