The Portland daily press., 1871-10-17

harter was obtained from the State of Maine |
or company to build from Waterville, then |
erminus of branch of the Atlantic and St. |
lawrence road, to the boundary line of New |
to connect with the portion to be |
'1ilt in the provinces, which it was proposed |
o run to HALIFAX. Charters were inmedia- |
ely granted by the governments OF Nova SEQ
ia and New Brunswick, which granted facili-
YES TO the corporators, and in the latter part of
800 end in 1851. Mr.. A. G. Morton of New
Ok lwho died during the past summer)made
! survey OF the whole route for the State OF
Maine and atsts expense.
Then, in 1852, the companies in New Bruins
WICK and Nova Scotia, together with the prov
lnces, made contract with Jackson. Ieto
Belts & Co., of England, 10 build their por.,
tons OF the road, and the first sod was turned
in St John in 1858. Robert Jardipe belng Tue
President of the New Brunswick company
They continued work until 1855, sb1t mace
little progress, and during the hoanclal
difficulties of that year, caused by the Orihean
war, they suspended entirely.
Two Years after the government OF New
Brunswick took up the portion between ST;
John to Shediac, as government WORE, aoo
competed it in 1860, Mr.. Jardlne then belpg
The commissioner the original name being
preserved Tor this portion. During the same
De riod the Nova Scotia government built the
oortion between Halifax and Truro, ON the
same basis, calling it the Nova Scotia railway.
These two portions are now owned by the DO
Mouckton and Truro is now being constructed
by the Canadian government to connect these
TWO portions. When this is done the gap of rs
miles now remaining will be filled, ard a con
tinuous line from Bangor to Halifax will he an
accomplished fact, the entire length from Ban
gor to Halifax being 478 miles.
While this work was done in the provinces
the Kennebec and Penobscot road was built
from Waterville to Bangor.
Thus from 1866 to 1866 active operations on
the European and North American railway as
a whole were almost entirely dropped, but the
work had gradually progressed by piecemeal,
as it were. Ia November Of the latter year,
Mr.. e. r. Burpee of st. John, imbued with
the importance of the matter, came to Bangor.
and had conference with Jonn A. Poor and
others, and succeeded in bringing it out from
It's comparative oblivion and Quiescence. Dur
log the same fall Mr.. Poor succeeded in buy
ing the charter of the Penobscot Valley rail-
road, which covered the route from Bangor to
Oldtown, IL miles, ana which owned the grad
ed road TO OronO, above spoken nf
- In tho following April q charter was 0Dtaln-
ed from New brunswick to build a road to the
boundary of Maine, to connect with the road
TO be built by the Maine company, of which
Poor was then President, and that govern
r,ent also granted a subsidy of $40 600 per
mile.
la May, 1864, Mr.. Burpee made asurvey and
location at the expense of the Government OF
New Brunswick, and organized a company,
with Mr. Parks OF st John as President, Oh
famed subscriptions from private individuals
to the amount OF $4,000 and from the Gov
eroment of that province of $500 900 more
In June, 1865, a contract Was made between
these two companies, whereby the Maine com
pany was to take the facilities of the New
Brunswick Company, and build its road, az
we'll as that on this side the boundary. The
Maine company shortly after let the building
of the whole road, from Bangor to st. John, tt
Pierce q Blaisdell of Boston.
Very little progress was made for year OF
two, but in 1867 active operations were com
nenced on both ends of the route. Pierce &
Blasdell sold cut their contract to the Inter
national Construction and Transportation
Company, and in June II, that year, Mr.. Bur.
pee took the contract tor building 30 miles o.
the road from st John to Vanceboro' This
was Fl oished and opened on the LIST of Deem
Der, 1869. Mr.. Parks, who was President o.
that company up to this time, left for Liver
pool in January, Oh the City of Boston, AND
was among her unknown victims, and Alex
Jardiue, brother of the first President, was
chosen to the place. In the Maine company
there vas also change, Mr.. G. X. Jewett O
Bangor being elected to the Presidency il
place of MIR. Poor. the father of the road, wht
then ceased active connection with 1t. The
road was built from Bangor to Mattawamkeag
during the same time, and opened to trave
thus lar, So miles, in November. 1869.
The country from thence to Vanceboro', OF
| the border, presenting some difficulties, worl
was delayed upon it until 1870, OH account O
| the difficulties of finding good location, whel
the contract was let for these &c miles t
Brooks, Gordon & Ryan, of Brockville, Can
ada.
The first train passed over the entire roa'
| from Bangor to st. John on Tuesday of las
week.
GEN. GRANT AND LORD LIsGAR.
Gen. Grant is expected to meet Lord Lisgar
GoverDor-General of Canada, in this city a
about 10 o'clock to-day. The train from Bos
ton with the President and his suite on boarc
will stop at the depot only few minutes t.
enable the Governor General to join the party
Lord Lisgar has held his present position, i
we are not mistaken, ever since the confeder
alton of the provinces in 1867. He is bette
known as Sir John Young than as Lord Lis
gar, the latter title having been conferred up
| on him in 1870 The name is derived from Oh
| of his Estates in Ireland. The main inciden
| in his administration so far is the Winnipe
| rebellion of the summer of 1870. WINNIPEG
was organized as territory under the name O
Manitoba in May Of tho+ s-oa-, INIT ,phAn
DougaIl was appointed Governor and attempt
ed to assume control in that new territory tn
half-breed inhabitants under Riel revolted
How this formid able outbreak was quelled b.
the prudent measures of the Dominion autho
rites is a matter of recent and familiar history
The Fenian raids from the United States
which have been happily nipped in the blu
without impairing the friendship of the tw
countries, the agitation of the Alabama claim
| question, the intercolonal railroad, the adjust
ment of the tariff so as to do substantial jus
| tice to all the provinces consolidated in tn
| Dominion, and the improvements Of the bank
ing system are some OF the other more import
| ant events ttat have occurred since he was az
| pointed Governor General. His administra
| ton has been remarkable for its high-tone
craftsmanship and general popularity. 1t
pleasant to anticipate this friendly meeting G
The chief executive officers of two neghborip
countries whose interests are identical, an,
whose friendship has lately been cemented b.
the ratification of the most remarkable treat.
in modern history. Let us welcome Lord Lis
gar as we'll as General Grant. The meeting i
suspicious and will do something to confirm
the existing state of good feeling between tn
United States and the Dominion.