Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-10
of no more account than If sunk, or wiped

Of no more account than If sunk, or wiped
from the face of the earth.
push things on this new road located with
out law or charter, and in order to intimidate
the owns1 of the land they get up an issue
between them and the courts and through
false representations, l have no doubt, pro-
cured an injunction restraining all persons
from interfering with the building of the Bos.
ton Maine Railroad. Armed with this in.
strument, the sheriffs came and arrested two
of our best citizens. carried them to Jail by
night, and carried another thirty miles to
Saco and then tried, fined and put him un.
der bonds. Gentlemen these men did moth.
ing worthy of bonds or Imprisonment as can
be abundantly proved. This was in the last
week OF Octooer; we well remember the time.
Our citizens collected together in all parts Of
the town and talked in low and excited tones !;
their moral sense of justice was outraged,
dearest rights were being trampled under
foot, the strong arm of the law was brought
to bear upon them with great injustice. As
good peacable citizens as ever lived, men
never known to be in trouble with the law,
counseled resistance to it. All that was
lacking Of riot, was for any one Of our
good citizens to say come, and whole people
would have rushed to the rescue and driven
the officers Of the law from town.
Need say that the Railroad Company ac-
complished its end? Our citizens. the land
owners. were completely unnamed, scared,
by this treatment. All this and more would
We have proved to the Committee on Railroads
Ways and Bridges. if the attorney of the
Boston Maine had not moved to withdraw
the petition and bill 'referred" to it by this
House, to allow the Company to take up its
track from South Berwick junction to Salmon
Falls. Gentlenen may ask why they applied
tor a charter to build road to one place, and
built it in another2 will ask why their eng
neers cut 30 wide road through forest
where they had charter, early in April, and
contractors not commence to build the road
as located, without charter, before the last of
October?
In answer, I say that if gentlemen will 60
into the Secretary of States office, they may
find together in the index book, the so called
act for the extension of the Boston & Maine
and the act to build the Alfred & South Ber-
wick Railroad.
On that map you may see that these roads
are being built together in one road as far as
North Berwick, and twelve miles more
through sandy plain, from North Berwick
to Alfred, and the Portland 6 Rochester rail-
road is tapped. / will 60 further, Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen. and say that while
the Boston Maine 10 building on a straight
course from the State line to North Berwick
and on towards the bosom of the great COM
mercial metropolis of our State, this COM
pany is also building in the same road
towards the great manufacturing centre,
Lewiston. The hand writing is on that map
on the wall, and he who reads may Judge.
Who Of you gentlemen will dare to say that
within two years the route through Bangor,
Lewiston, Gorham, Alfred, North Berwick.
and Boston, will not be the greatest, as it
will be the nearest Railroad thoroughfare in
this State, to the great commercial center of
New England?
With the developments of the summer and
autumn, this prospect in the distance, viewed
with an eye to business, seems to me to be
reason enough why South Berwick is left one
side. But wanting sufficient reasons for this
rich company to ruin SO many people, injure
our town so much without just compensation
but not sufficient reason to imprison our cit
izens without law, and for riding over them
in rough shod and arbitrary manner, if they
dare TO stand up for the dearest rights of man.
The order was passed.
On motion of Mr.. HoLBRooK of Knox,
ORDERED, That the Governor be requested
to communicate to the House, and for what
specific purposes the contingent fund appro-
priated for the Governor and Council in 1871
was expended.
On motion of Mr.. PERRY of Oxford,
ORDERED, That the Governor be requested
to communicate to this House the number of
acres of land received by the State of Maine
from the general government for the endow-
ment of an Agricultural College; also when
said land was sold, to whom, the specific
amounts received at each sale, how the same
has been invested, and the annual income the
college 10 now receiving from the same
Mr. WyMAN from, ho on,,pitfoo an Mou
ufactures, reported ought to pass on bill an
act to incorporate the Dixfeld Manufacturing
Company. Read and assigned.
MIR. FIELDS, from the committee on Legal
Reform, on petition, reported bill an act
authorizing the appointment of deputy town
clerks. Printed under rule.
Mr.. TIrCoMB. from the same committee,
reported ought to pass on bill an act to in
corporate the Augusta Trotting Park Associ-
alton. Read and assigned.
Mr.. BLISS, from the Judiciary committee,
reported leave to withdraw on the petition of
the selectmen of Presque Isle for an act to
legalize the doings Of that town in voting and
loaning its credit in aid of manufacturing.
Pending the acceptance of the report, the
same was tabled.
Mr.. WILSON, from the same committee, on
order, reported bill an act to change the law
relating to divorces. Printed under rule.
Also reported on petition, bill an act addi-
tional to an act to incorporate the city of
Lewiston, relating to the election of their
assessors and overseers of the poor. Read
and assigned.
Mr.. LORD, from the committee on Educa.
ton, on petition, reported bill an act author
izing the cityeof Gardiner to raise money
for the maintenance of a public library.
Read and assigned.
Mr.. PHILLIPS, from the same committee, on
petitions, reported resolves in favor OF North
Yarmouth Academy and resolve in favor of
Exeter High School, with statements of facts.
Read and assigned.
READ AND AssIGNED-An act to set off a
part Of letter E Plantation and annex the
same to the town Of Madrid; an act to au
thorize the Kennebec & Wiscasset Railroad
to add to and amend existing acts in re-
lation thereto; an act to incorporate the
Maine Industrial School for girls; resolve in
favor of same.
Bill an act to repeal an act incorporating
the Birch Stream Dam Company on it, passage
to be engrossed was tabled, on motion Of Mr..
Atwell.
Bill an act to amend chapter 27 of the Re-
vised Statutes concerning innholders, victual-