The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-06-12

an AetOhip1 W Sct III u WeuSes
Mr.. EDIroR,-If your columns are not too
crowded in these stirring times, shall be
glad of a little space to invite some attention
to matter which fully believe may be made
not only to contribute largely to the growth
and prosperity of Portland and her Country
cousins" but whose benefcent influence
shall extend beyond this limit, and affect ia
yOrably the whole State.
And as my object will thereby be clearly
and at once foreshadowed, will give short
conversation that occurred few years ago
between Hon. John A. Poor and myself at
Augusta. l remarked to him that he had
done the State some service, and had won
a considerable reputation for himself by his
useful aid in developing railroad interests.
Now" said /, ''you can add both to
this service and to this reputation, if
If yon will transfer your energies from
railroads. over to the building up of man
utscturing interests" Mr.. Poor's reply
was that no man could serve two masters;
to which in turn replied that it was not
necessary to do SO, but that he could not
show his faithfulness to his first love so effect
ually in any other way, if he would now give
an impetus to manufactures, since he would
thus furnish increased business for his pet
roads. This was all, and, to be sure, nothing
very wonderful, for it is only the statement
OF truth which nobody is so dull as not to
perceive, and nobody so unfair as not to ad-
NIT. But it shows what 1 am after-so now
we go on again.
1t may be safely assumed that everybody
in Portland would like to make money faster
and easier than he is doing now. Those who
are poor would like to be less so-those who
are rich would like to be more so. For this,
and perhaps from some higher motives, they
would be well pleased to have the city, and
the country round about which is more or
less tributary thereto, prosper-to have it
enlarge its borders-to see its thoroughfares
not only walled on this side and on that with
costly buildings, but to see hustle and tumul-
tuous life thereto hear the roar of trade
thereto see men going up and down there,
with the light of hope upon their faces, and
the joy of fruition in their hearts. If PRAYER
would do and get all these things for them,
they would have them tomorrow. If years
ofinertness and vain longings could be atoned
for by the spasmodic zeal of an hour, they
would have these things tomorrow. If the
time had arrived when magnificent expecta-
tions, founded upon little else than much talk
and noisy gable about the ''natural seaport"
the glorious harbor," and all that. was to
become realization, they would have all
these things tomorrow. But neither gable,
nor spasmodic zeal, nor prayer itself, happens
to be the price of these things.
Nor is there any one thing whatever that
Is the price of them. Indeed there are very
few things that are worth having, into which,
as the price thereof, there does not enter
variety of payment, Aud where case arises
where such variety is one of the conditions,
let us know, and know it always and forever,
that even superfuity of offerings, in some
other kind, will not be accepted. All the ser
eral kinds must be forthcoming, or we fail to
receive what we are striving after. This is
true even of wisdom itself, in whose broad
palm we might suppose would always be
found the requisite price. But it is not so,
and the philosopher often falls an easy prev
to the sharper. So the man may have brains
and to spare, but if he have not ''brass" also.
they shall do him little good, this law being
so rigorous, that the absence of even inferior,
and what we esteem almost contemplate
gifts, shall render useless the superior and
more honorable gifts, however aboundlng
these may be.
Well, Portland has unquestionably great
natural resources. and some ADVANTAGES that
are peculiar. But what of it? If thew were
a hundred fold greater than they are, tbey
would not be accepted to atone for the alb
sence of other requisites, but united acith 9TH
er requisites, their value would be seen at
once. If a thousand teams laden with gold
were at the city gates or within a mile or
two, ready to empty themselves into her Ian
so long as they stick fast in the mud there,
nobody is less poor, or more rich for them.
And in such case, it is not only the fable If
Hercules and the wagner putting his should
er to the wheel, but there is more in it than
this, for if we will not make an effort to as
sist the gold-ladeR teams into the city, we
shall in vain seek to induce strangers to
come and help us, for they will regard it all
as 'cock and bulp' story, intended in some
way to wheedle them out of their money.
Now what are the ''other requisites"
some of them, in order that these bountiful
gifts of nature may be utilized? Mainly two
Faith and Capital, and 1 name faith first,
because it is that we must have to begin
with. And we must not only have it our
selves, but we must be able to beget it in 9TH
ers, tor capital will not come here from
abroad, unless the terms are complied with
upon which capital moves from one place in
to another place. If we have got good
thing at our very doors capable of indefinite ex
pansion, and yet suffer it to lie there without
putting a finger to it-without investing
dollar in ito lie there, stuck fast in the
mud of apathy and unbelief, and then go to a
foreign capitalist with view to get him in
terested in it, and to have confidence in il.
so that he will risk his money in it, we might
as well have stayed at home. Before he will
touch it-before he will so much as look at IL
he will require some guaranty of the reality Of
it, and when you have expatiated upon its
wonderful capabilities, your eloquence win go
for very little, so soon as he learns that you
have yourself givon it as wide berth as you
would to gorilla or grizzly bear. He will see
trap in it, and nothing but trap. But, on
the other hand, suppose you can point him to
some endeavor of your own, some investment
betokening confidence and involving sacri-
fee on your part, in order to make this good
thing at your doors paying thing. This is
putting quite different face upon the mat
ter, and having thus begotten confidence in
his mind, the way to get at his capital is
henceforth easy, and the more he believes,
the more freely he will bleed.
The pertinency of these remarks, if any be-
longs TO them, will be more fully disclosed in
future number, when desire to enter little
into the question of the Presumpscot water
power as privilege" possessing in many
particulars unexampled advantages. only
regret that the task has not fallen into the
hands of somebody more competent to exc
cute it in manner which would bear some
proportion to its importance.
1t is not worth while to affect any disguise
thin or otherwise, In matter of this sort,
so it may be said here and now, that / am
not ignorant that prejudice exists in the
minds OF many persons against any such prof.
ect as has been here limited at, on the score
OF the connection Herewith of a certain gen.
tlsman between whom and the city of Port
land very friendly relations are not supposed
to subsist 1t is enough to say, that the gem
tleman in question, even should he derive
some advantage from the project as facilita-
ting the sale of his property, will not be in any
way connected with the enterprise, nor has
he any connection whatever with this or sub.
sequent papers on the subject.
ENTERPRISE.