The Portland daily press., 1873-06-24
Disc continuance Of High Street.

Discontinuance of High Street.
After visiting the proposed location of the
Boston and Maine Railroad on High street yes
terday, the committee adjourned to the Council
room at 4 p. m.
Upon meeting in the Council room Mayor
Wescott in the chair, Mr.. w. l.. Putnam, the
counsel for the Boston and Maine road offered
the following propositions:
LIST. The Boston & Maine will widen Maple
street twenty feet ON the west side.
I'd. They will dedicate to the public for the
use of teams and persons approaching or ieav-
ing the station, one additional space of uniform
width extending from Commercial to f ,oid
street and adjoining Maple street, SO tlas f I.a
spaces and the widening of Maple sttee f Hi%h
equal the number of superficial Ieea , ", - r.
street discontinued, such space ~ 70 bool,S
subject to such regulations lJ az I,Ts &c tIo
and teams. not inconsistent VIII the !aws Vi tne
Stata and tbe ordinances OF the city, as the
railroad NAV from time to tlme estaDilsh. Also
sod abroad reserving the right to extend
s;JewaIk on the western line of said space, and
also the necessary sidewalks not to exceed
twelve feet in width without consent of the
City Government, Littlefield & Wilson to have
until June l, 1875, to remove their buildings,
but the remainder of the street and space to be
opened on notice from the City Government.
Sd. Said railroad will SO construct their cross
ing of Park street as to enable the city, when
ever they desire, to improve the grade of Park
street as prepared in the report of the City En-
gineer.
4th. Said railroad will pay the city $4,000
to be used in improving Park street, or used
elsewhere as the city may desire.
9th. Said railroad will never impede Park
street and will never cross the street at grades.
After reading his propositions Mr.. Putnam
read from the City Engineers report, showing
that if High street is not discontinued no such
passenger station can be constructed by the
Boston and Maine between High and Maple
streets as is contemplated He, Mr.. Putnam,
could see no interests that could possibly suffer
except the property holders in that vicinity.
And he thought after the improvements were
finished that were contemplated the property
holders would have as good, it not better ad-
vantages than they now possess in good wide,
easy grade streets, at Park and Maple streets.
The new station would require space for six
tracks to enter it.
Mr.. Bacon, experimenting engineer of the
Boston and Maine extension, was then intro
duced and made statements corroborating those
of Mr.. Putnam,
John Rand, ESQ.,, appeared for the P. S. & z.
and Eastern Railroad Companies, claiming that
as large property owners they were deeply in
terested in the question. Mr.. Rand contended
| that the public convenience did not demand the
discontnuance of High street; it was only de-
| manded by the convenience of the Boston and
| Maine. At the time that Commercial street
was made High street was extended to it to
| subserve the public convenience; it can only be
discontinued for the same reason. High street
| is one of the main thoroughfares to the P S. &
| ID 6rubio tod half of Conn
mercial street and gave it to the city. 1t can
be bridged as well as Park street. The Boston
| & Maine want this portion of High street for
its surface ground, for the location of their sta
| ton. They have bought all the land between
High and Maple streets below York. They
now ask the city for High street for station
| ground, and offer 1000 forit. York street
| can be moved up and thus ample room be given
| for the six tracks without the discontinuance OF
| High street. If the public convenience de-
| mands this discontinuance, why has IL not been
done before? Isn't there more business over
High street than ever before? The ST., 600 will
not begin to pay for the changes on Park street,
changes which the B. & M. are obliged to effect
at their own expense in any contingency.
Nathan Webb. Esq, next spoke in opposition
| to the discontinuance, which he regarded, in
view of the future growth of the city, as great
| misfortune, for every thoroughfare will be
needed. The only justification for laying out a
street is the public convenience and the only
justification for its discontinuance is the public
| convenience. AS business increases, this thor
oughfare will be more and more in demand. A
/! portion of the public business which is with the
| b. & M. will be benefited; but other portions
1 will be incommoded.
I. B. Reed, Esq, opposed the petition in be-
| half Of large number of remonstrants. He
| warned the committee that their action would
be in effect, irrevocable, for after the ground
has been occupied by the B. & M. it will be
| well nigh impossible to drive them from it,
There are but 1000 feet of available water front
for the whole business of the city. The city
stretches from Munjoy to Bramhall, but Tits
transportation facilities are crowded into t. e
narrow strip between India and State streets.
ent thoroughfares from this to the other por-
| tions of the city should be kept open. 1t is a
| question of the discontinuance of High street,
or os raising its grade three feet. Shall the
| west end have two thoroughfares like Park
| street, or shall it strike ont one?
Lewis Pierce, Esq, coincided in the views adj
vanced by Messrs. Rand, Webb and Reed.
Col. G. B. Merrill favored the petitioners, and
thought the value of property on High street
would be enhanced by the discontinuance.
W. L. Putnam, Esq, arose and explained
that the phrase ''public convenience" is to be
| taken in its widest sense. 1t does not mean the
convenience of a few jewellers on High street
i merely; it does not mean the convenience of
| pedestrians anu carriage drivers merely, IL
| means the convenience of the business interests
| of the whole city. There might be circumstan-
ces in which the discontinuance of highway,
and the giving it away to a railroad, would be
public convenience. New streets, over which
no man has need to travel, are laid in unsettled
portions of the city,with view to its future
needs, and it is done for the public convenience.
The convenience of a railroad must be distin
guished from the convenience of an individual
The remonstrants have COMPOUNDED the two
Mr.. Putnam preceded to sustain his point by
further illustrations.