The Portland daily press., 1872-07-09
The Railroad Meeting at City Hall.
ARE THE RESOURCES OF THE WEST ExHAUTED

|
before the decisive vote is taken that shall de-
eide whether Portland shall remain in her pres
ent depressed condition or take new departure
in the race of wealth or prosperity, was held
last evening at City Hall. The audience was
large-fully equal in numbers to that of the
oath ult., and was fully equal also in enthus-
iasm and determination. The Portland Band
was present. and before theipeaking began, fa-
vored the audience with good music.
The meeting was called to order by w. F.
Milliken Esq, who nominated Rensselaer,
Cram, Esq, for Chairman. On taking the
chair Mr.. Cram said that in the inception of
the enterprise he was not able to see his way
clear to favor the road He saw only Ogdens
burg as the terminal point-a harbor that is
closeds by ice five months in the year, and he
saw in it no Western connections As a local
enterprise he regarded it worth something to
the city and he subscribed $4,000 to its stock.
He opposed the stock subscription of the city;
but since that time he had, by examination of
the facts presented been led to change his
mind He went on to explain the Western
connections which this road would make, and
thus form the Portland and Ogdensburg into
grand trunk line. Referring to the 5O,000,0O0
acres of land given to the Canadian Pacific
road by the Dominion Government, it is worth
to-day $4,000, 900 if put into the market in
lump; and its vast productions of lumber might
be turned to the benefit to Portland. The larg
est lumber dealers of Montreal are anxious that
portion of this business may be transferred to
Portland equally with Montreal to give them
au unfailing shipping port. The Grand Trunk
cannot do the business that will be presented
I to it for the next ten years even with a double
track, and it is necessary to obtain another
trunk line from the West to the seaboard Mr..
Cram pointed out the airline directness of the
proposed railway from Portland, Me-, to Port
land Oregon, forming it the straightest posi-
BILE route from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and
then referred to the lumber trade of Montreal.
There are Al, O00, 900 of lumber required annual
ly for the South American market, shipped
largely in American bottoms. The lumber from
the Ottawa region is brought to Montreal by
barges. The same lumber can be brought by
rail to Portland from Ottawa at less rate than
it can be shipped from Montreal, making the
lumber business of South America solely
Portland enterprise controlled by Portland
capital and assisted by Portland mechanics Mr..
Cram described the mineral resources and rich
agricultural facilities of the region through
which the transatlantic line will run, and re-
marked that Sir Hugh Allan is anxious to re-
tain Portland as a port for EMERY for his ships.
The Grand Trunk Co., is establishing Compel
ing line, to take from Portland the freight
which the Grand Trunk will supply, and Mr..
Allan desires the new trunk road in order to
sustain acontinuous line of steamers to Port
| land. Mr.. Cram denied in the most emphatic
manner, the current reports that the Portland
and Ogdensburg railroad owes the Portland Co.
100000 with no means of payment. He stated
that the only amount of Indebtedness of the
one to the other was $4,000, which would be
paid loan or no loan. He also denied the re-
port that either he or the bank with which he
was connected, held dollar of Ogdensburg
bonds.
Gen. Anderson on being called out, was
greeted with enthusiastic cheers. He said that
this was the last night of the campaign, con-
Quoted on our part with fairness and argument,
but on the other side by falsehood and personal
detraction, which the organ of the minions had
not the manlness to rebuke, and it remained
for neighbor from over the bay, brought here
to tear the characters of the promoters of this
enterprise to pieces, to put his foot upon these
| falsehoods and hurl back upon his employers,
their falsehood and distinctly state that the di
rectors of the Portland and Ogdensburg were
honest and truthful.
Gen. Anderson then proceeded to a review of
the arguments of Hon. Francis o. j. Smith, on
| Saturday evening; taking up first Mr.. Smith,
a. H. l1,,.lA do
| if Portland abandons it, Mr. Smith says that
Boston will build it if it costs three times the
| estimated cost because it would give them the
| control of the great business of New England
| In this Mr. Smith admits the importance of the
road. Let us look at the question of the consti-
| nationality of loaning municipal money to build
| railroad through New Hampshire. Let us
look back into history. In 1881, a young man,
| a representative of the city of Portland, asked
the Legislature of Maine to appropriate $4,000
| to repair highway through New Hampshire,
in order to bring a local traffic to local point
| and that young man was Francis o. j, Smith,
the controller of the paper that now can see no
| good in any railroad, except the one in which
| the editor owns $4,000 in stock. Now what is
the difference in the result if Boston builds this
road instead of Portland? Every one that ships
| flour from Chicago knows that it costs as much
| to leave a barrel of -four at Norton Mills or
Danville Junction, as to lay it down in Portland.
| Now apply the rule. If the road is owned by
| Portland, flour can be brought to Portland at
| $1.10 per barrel. If it is changed off at North
Conway, it pays $1.10 to that point, and way
| freight additional to Boston. If Boston owns
the road, Portland must pay the additional way
freight from North Conway. And the same is
relatively true of passengers. Now the ques-
ton is whether you will build this fifty miles of
road, and own the grand trunk line, or abandon
it to Boston, and own but branch, subject to
the demands of Boston. If Boston is anxious
to have us build this line, as Mr.. Smith says
why does she oppose the loan? Why take our
citizens away from home and pass them over
her roads to find fault with one road, and
then come back and falsify us with half obtained
facts? Why use her money here to defeat the
loan? Mr.. Smith says the road will be of NO
use to Portland tt will bring over a little lum-
| Der, bnt that's of no account. He admits in his
| speech that it will double and treble the bust
ness of our iron mills. ask you, laboring mer
if it is interest to you if it brings more labor
w oipiuhu' L oSh Jou3 ihcAShohoS3 IL ~ 10 VI
no account to bring the lumber business OF
South America to Portland? I say then, thai
the numbering interest is of great account tt
Portland. Mr.. Smith says it will double Oh
treble the iron establishments of Portland
These establishments now employ about SO(
men; and if this number can be trebled, 70,
will have 2iOO men, and an addition of GOO
population from the simple iron works of Port
land-equal to one fifth of your present popu
lation. Add all the other industries, and yol
have a corresponding increase of business ant
population.
The Argus says onr traders are the mere
drones in the hive of Portland industries. Nov
if they exchange commodities, and the trade
brings back the balance of his exchanges an,
distributes them, he is not the drone but tn
busiest bee in the hive; and far better thai
those men who stand on the corner of tn
street and denounce the citizens who are tryin
to open up new avenues of business.
Referring once more to the false statement
of the opposition in regard to the contract
: Gen. Anderson stated that the contract wa
! not published for two reasons, the chief o
which was that it was q business document, on
party to which is engaged in the work of raj
road building, and an exposure of their privat