The Portland daily press., 1872-02-12
GAIT BLOCK, Feb. 10th, 1877.

Gen. S. j. anderson, President Portland and
Ogdensburg r. II. Co.
DEAR SIR:-As you desire an expression of
our views touching the further growth of the
flour and grain trade of this city, as connected
with the present, or increased transportation ia
cilities We are gratifed to give you such facts
as we are able, submitting in connection our
opinion upon the subject
The Grand Trunk Railway, our most direct
route for the West, which has done 50 much in
building up our city and is now carrying per-
haps more freight than ever before whose Of
icers and managers we have always found
obliging and disposed to accommodate to the
extent of their ability, is quite unable to trans
port the merchandise now required for the trade
of this city, hence with only this one trunk line
in operation, and this inadequate to our present
necessities, we can hardly expect much increase
in this department of trade without another di-
rect route
We find on careful examination of our own
receipts for the year 1871, of -four and grain,
principally -FOUR and aggregating upwards of
5000 tons, that of the flour, one-third part, was
received over other roads than the Grand Trunk,
and in many cases very indirect;as forinstance,
from Lake ports via steamers to Buffalo, thence
over the Erie railway to New York, and thence
by steamer to Portland.
The direct and better route would have been,
lake express to Sarnia, and then via Grand
Trunk to Portland; but the Grand Trunk scas
croaoded to its utmost capacity, and very fire.
quently owing to the large accumulations of
freights long time would elapse before its de-
livery. An easier and still better route would
be, steamers from any Lake ports to Ogdens-
burg, and thence via your road over short line
to this city.
And we are firm iny the conviction, that
when your road is completed and equipped as
you design, flour, grain and other products of
the west, will be transported from lake ports to
Portland at as low a rate of freight (if not
lower) as it is transported to any other At
lantic city; and on the contrary, merchandise
from Portland to the west.
Before the abrogation of the reciprocity trea-
ty, our neighbors in the lower British Provinces
procured their supplies of breadstuffs mostly
from the Atlantic ports, and principally from
New York, and euen noao large quantities are
purchased annually in that city. Reduce our
rates of freight from the West to those current
to New York, and give our markets supply
and this large trade gravitates naturally to u.s.
and much trade of our own State, perhaps
equally large, which now passes by.
Cheap and increased transportation facilities
from Portland to the West, must, it seems to
us, influence largely increased importations to
this port, thus bringing many more steamers
and vessels of different classes into our harbor;
and this we believe will tend to build up our
export trade for breadstuffs in this market, and
so our export sales, which we are glad to say
are not inconsiderable now, shall grow into a
large amount Besides our manufactures
which it is believed will do SO much for the
prosperity and growth of the city, in order to
thrive, must have this cheap transportation to
the West, for consumers purchase in the cheap
est market, or rather, consider the cost of their
purchases deliUered at home
AS we regard the whole subject, whether we
consider the growth of our own branch of trade
or of any, or all other departments combined,
and thus the general prosperity of the city every
considerationlurges, that additional trund routes
to the West, direct and short, should be opened
at the earliest practicable moment.
Very respectfully, ETC.,
NORTON, CHAPMAN & Co.