The Portland daily press., 1872-07-12
"Flanking Boston,

The Boston Commercial Bulletin Of July 9th
has an article with the above heading in the
course of which occur the following two para
graphs:
portland has long been organizing a flank
movement in the shape of the Portland and
Ogdensburg Railroad, which has progressed
very slowly, both on account of financial and
natural obstacles, and just now hangs fire"
owing to the recent refusal of the city of Port
land by apopular vote to loan its municipal
credit in aid of the enterprise to. the extent of
81 $780, 900 in addition to its previous subserip-
ton of upwards of 100000.
1.-THE engineering difficulties to be surmount-
ed. in running this road through the White
Mountain Notch and over the Green Mountain
Range, are scarcely less formidable than our
own Hoosac Tunnel job, which is now happily
ON the verge of completion. Private capitalists
naturally stand aloof from such an undertake
ing; and if our Portland friends who are chiefly
| interested, refuse to come down with the
dust" it is hardly probable that this flank
movement will ever ruin the commerce of Bos-
ton." .-|.
Now as to the foregoing the writer desires to
make one or two remarks This talk about
"fank movements is sheer bosh. In every
railroad enterprise not originated in the Hub,
Boston sees formidable rival and unless it
can be controlled by Boston capital and Boston
| bItClOTS, DOStOu OppOSco ~ eootu HAIL.
| Boston was never more effectually flanked than
she was some twenty or thirty years ago by her
| own citizens, when at a huge railroad celebra-
ton, in large map hanging across one of her
principal streets, Portland was omitted from
the map of Maine, and was otherwise studious-
ly ignored; in less than six months thereafter
Boston merchants found that a balance of
Portland trade amounting to over two millions
of dollars had gone by their left flank to New
York With many left handed benediction
on the short sightedness of those who had done
that thing, they set themselves at work to re-
cover it, but doubt if they have succeeded yet.
AS to changing fire. every experienced gum
ner knows that is liable to happen. The APP
propriate remedy, "put on a new cap and try
her again." was applied, and the report was
loud enough to give our St. Johnsbury friends
their Fourth of July over again.
With regard to the engineering difficulties,
we will leave that to the proper officials The
contractors, either personally, or by authorized
representation, have been over the route throw gh
the Notch more than once each way, and with
all the difficulties of the way before them have
contracted to complete the road to the Con-
necticut river ready for the trains for definite
sum. If my geography is not at fault we have
as that does not come east of the Connecticut
| River. The Vermonters will take care of that.
| The contractors on the part of the T. q .. Com
pany, are men of experience and means, and
we have the most solemn assurance of the di-
! recton here that there will be no lodging or
humbug game. The cunningly concealed in
situation as to the probable expense of the
thing therefore amounts to nothing and falls
harmless, as have all the other objections level
! ed at the enterprise. QUIsQUIs
AFTER THE FUNERAL.-A special from Bal
| timore after the Convention, says:
No BETTER evidence is needed of the notable pan
city of attendanceiupon the so-called Democratic
! Convention than is furnished by the fact that
last nights trains completely emptied the city
| of strangers without the least strain upon the
! transportation facilities.
Up to the very hour of departure of Wednes-
day nights train, sleeping-car accommodations
could be obtained without difficulty. Nobody
went home with any sort of enthusiasm except
such as few leaders in the Greeley movement
from each State sought to manufacture for the
occasion.
The Kentuckians especially were disguised
and discouraged. They had been promised that
the Greeley pill should be sugar-coated with
quasi Democratic platform, and were mad be-
cause they had to take Greeley with the Gin
cinnati declarations They say the September
convention at Louisville will be large and more
enthusiastic than this fasco.
The only hopeful element were the original
and unrepentant rebels, who see faint hope
for the restoration of Southern political
predominance in the Greeley movement. These
ware intensely gratifed with the silent subser-
viency with which the Northern Democrats lis
tened to the playing of favorite rebel tunes.
They are especially vindictive at Bayard ard
the Delaware delegation for not being polite
enough to let the game be played out without
interfering.
Citizens of this city universally admit that
the convention was a disappointment to them
and say that after this when the Democratic
party wantsto have first-class funeral, its man
ayers had better select some backwoods town
that has been fenced in for the purpose, instead
of live city that wonld have been glad to re-
spond to any manifestation of enthusiasm.