Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-12-19
Shore Line Railroad.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, !
Bangor. Dec. 18TH, 1872.

The following order was unanimously passed: -
oRDERED, That the Mayor an Aldermen call
legal meeting OF the legal voters Of the city of
Bangor, in the same m amer meetings tor the
election of city officers are called. TO be held or
before the 9th day of January ls-s, at 10 O'CLOCK
In the forenoon, ut the u-ual place of voting IN
the several Wards In said city. TO If the { ity
OF Bangor will vote to authorize and instruct the
Mayor aud Aliermen Of said city. 10 snbsc r,be To
The stock OF the Bangor and CALAIS Shore Line
Raj road Conpany. ~ the amount of ol5o 90
under and in accordance with the provisions OF
the act incorporating said Railroad Company;
Whenever said Mayor and Aldermen shall De
satisfied ard decide that he sum OF 40 ooo stock
has been actually subscribed by bonsaie and
es,on -3bie susscrihersJo the stock of said Rail.
road Company, including the amount Of el5a 90
to be subscribed a. herein provided. by said city
OF Bangor; and shall be further satisfied and
decide, that - I'd sum eco oso stock subscription.
VIII In ure the complete construction and equip
ment of saii railroad. inciud NIX fencing. Lard
damages, claims and costs OF every DESCRIPTION,
as hr-t-elass three ct -guage railroad and
equipment, from some point IN the cit. OF Bangor,
50 as TO connect with any railroad in said city 10
East Machias, during The year of ISIS, and at =
cost not exceeding SO co. per me-PRosrDEp
that the contract Tor the construction aud e9Tp-
ineut OF said road above shall first be offered
to citizens OF Bangor and cit ixens the line Of
said railroad at priee not exercising twenty
Thousand dol airs per mile. aid PROVIDED that
the charter of sAid road shall be amended as
To provide tor the election of two of the nine
directors OF said road By the ity Council Of said
city OF ilangor In joint convention; and PROVIDED
that the contractors to build said railroad shall
obllsifc themselves TO The sstirfac Of the
Mayor and Aldermen TO take the first Mortgage
bonn- OF said road at rate not less than - cents
on the dollar. In payment OF all amount. that may
Ice due them under the contract TO build card
road. ia excess Of The an ouni OF 1900 o stock
subscription as above and also to see whether
the V"ieIs OF the city 81 BsBgor-in said
cts h "a vote to take said stock in The manner
Ai"resai'- Ill elect t. pay Tor said stick by the
issur ant sale OF Cay Bonds, as provided in said
act Incorporating sAId Railroad Company. or 10
pay for sad stock b, dip ct tax L. be assessed
AMI incsai q in the taxes OF the municipal year
1873 and 1874.
ASKING FOR BREAD AND GIVING A STONE.
Nearly two years ago, the people of
Washington and Hancock Counties began
to agitate the subject of Shore Line Rail
Road from Bangor to Calais. Bangor
seemed earnest and Jealous. Her leading
citizens attended the meetings. took an
active part, offered encouragement. held
out inducements. gave pledges that the
Queen city of the East would do her fau
st1rc aud more in aid Of Tie enterprise. A
Charter was obtained. an orgauizalio
completed. Directors and officers chosen.
and the Eastern towns a. far a East Ma
chias, pro mptly voted TO take stock in the
Road 10 the amount of five per cent. of
their respective valuations. Time passed.
Everybody began TO ask what " i'll Bangor
do: Bangor was silent. During this
time. the Directors had received propo-
sltion from contractors to build and equip
the road from Penobscot River TO Machias
or Calais. for the sum of not exceeding
$1,000 per mile. which contractors would
also take an equal amount of stock with
the people on the line. II became neces-
sAry for the Directors to decide and act in
this matter Accordingly some three week,
ago. the President of the Road visited
Bangor and asked that a City meeting
should be called. to see if the City would
vote 10 take stock. After ten days DELAY.
the above remarkable order was passed by
one bEanch OF the City Government, viz.
the Common Council.
First. The order presupposes that the
Directors and Company are not compc-
tent 10 make their own contracts. and
assumes 10 make one for them. For ex-
ample. to make their subscription available,
the road must connect with a Railroad in
Bangor, aud the $4,000 per mile must
cover everything. all Ian! damages.
claims. aud costs OF every description"
Second. The contract must first be
offered 10 .'citizens Of Bangor and citizens
on the line" at price not exceeding $50
600 per mile. Should foreign contractors
offer to contract for SIS 900 per mile. Ban
gor must still have the preference at not
exceeding $4,000 per mile. We do not
suppose that this vas the intention OF the
Trainer Of the order. bat such is its word
ing.
Third. The most remarkable provision
j. this. that the Company of the Road must
go To the Legislature TO have their Charter
amended 30 that Bangor shall forever have
two of the nine Directors. giving her
nearly one fourth part of the directors.
although her stock amounts only TO about
one eighteenth. Unless Bangor can have
two nurses TO this baby railroad she will
pass This is modest certainly. OF course
the other stockholders will assent TO this.
five understand Il, Bangor says to the
Shore Line r. Il. Company. nothing more
nor less than this. Gentlemen Directors.
we will give you $4,000 provided you
Will let US say where your road shall be-
gin. how ii shall be built. how much YOU
shall pay, and we, TO have the privilege Of
building it, and one quarter of the voice in
the management"
II would be better economy for the
Company to reject this most generous offer
OF Bangor, and in ad iition pay something
for the privilege of pointing the road to-
wards'the Queen City of the East than to
accept il. The enhanced cost of building
The road into Bangor, the expense of the
bridge. and the large land damages In the
my would far exceed the $3.50 900 con-
tributed by her.
ms order seems TO us, labored effort.
how not TO do it," rather than the simnl..
inquiry OF well wisher TO the project. 1t
smacks strongly of q corporation, other
than that of the City OF Bangor.
We trust that VIII n this question is sub
mltted to the people Of Bangor for their
action. il will be fair, open and practical
proposition. having a proper regard for
the interests OF all stockholders on the
line, and not such jug handle offer as the
above Then. if the people of Bangor saw
that they do not think it will be for their
interest to associate themselves on an
equal footing with the other towns and to
aid the enterprise. there is nothing more
to be SAID, and no one has a right to find
fault.
1t may not be amiss however. TO remind
Bangor that she is to-day receiving the
benefit of aid bestowed by these Eastern
Counties. in the construction of the E. A.
n. A. Road. SO far as their proportion of
the interest in the public lands could avail.
And let it not be understood that the
towns of Washington and Hancock Coun-
ties are beggars at the door of Bangor:
they can take care of themselves. As we
were all interested at the start. good faith
seemed to require that Bangor should not
IN Il lz..A