The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-11
BY TELEGRAPH.
MASSACHUSETTS,.
Boston and Maine Stockholders
Meeting.
Large and Harmonious Assembly.
ono CONSOLIDATION IN THEIRS"
Especial to Press.1

| LAWRENCE, Mass Dec. 1O.-A STOCKHOLDERS
meeting of the Boston & Maine Railroad is
| strongly suggestive of that old and cherished
institution-the town meeting. Immense trains
| come rolling into Lawrence laden to their ut
most capacity with the sturdy yeomanry and
honest tradesmen along the line, with wives,
daughters and sweethearts. who avail them
selves of their opportunity for free ride and
propose to make a day of it. 1t seems for all
the world like a crowd going to an old fashion
| ed muster or a new fashioned agricultural horse
trot A certain development of political an
tagonism is also perceptible even on the trains
where the rival tickets are distributed by active
peripatetic agents, and lively discussions are
going on about the merits of the respective
tickets and the probabilities of the result. The
Regular Ticket so called, is on brown paper,
and consists of the following list of names: Ma
thaniel G.. White, Lawrence; George G. Lord,
Boston; Amos Paul, South Newmarket, N. H.;
Nathaniel j. Bradlee, Boston; William S. Stew
| ems. Dover, n H.; James R. Nichols, Haver-
hill; John F. Osgood, Boston; Sam'l E. Spring,
Portland; Nathaniel W. Farwell, Lewiston.
The opposition ticket, headed Stockholders
Regular Ticket is on white paper, andis COM
| posed of the following gentlemen: N. j. Brad
| lee. Boston; Daniel Saunders, Lawrence; Peter
Smith, Andover, Mass. Benjamin L. Merrill
Exeter, N. H.; William Merritt, Charlestown;
George o. Carpenter, Boston; William s. Stew
ems, Boston; Samuel E. Spring, Portland;
Horace A. Wheelock, Auburn.
1t will be noticed that only three names ap-
pear on both tickets, viz: N. J. Bradlee, S. E.
Spring and William S. Stevens.
| r - I
curious visitors file across the bridge in great
procession, which finds its destination at City
Hall, a prettily painted room with gallery all
around and stage in front, Respondent with
| gaudy scenery. At the door stand ticket dis
tributors touting for their respective employers,
and there are indications in the air of lively
contest 1t is curious to listen to their talk
sometimes rather vioent-about the old man.
J agement and the proposed changes, both sides
finding vigorous partizans. The hall is soon
filled to its utmost capacity with an audience
intent upon what is to come
At 1890 a. m. President White called the as
sembly to order, and the call was read by the
clerk. The report of the Directors was pre-
sented in a pamphlet by the President, upon
which query was made from the floor wheth-
er the dividend already ordered was to be
made from money borrowed for the purpose.
The President said it was, as earnings had
been expended in construction. The same
querist then went into a comparison of earn
ings between this year and last, which elic-
tied but little attention. The report was &C
cepted without reading.
Article of the Bylaws was amended by
substituting 9 for as the number of directors,
for the purpose of giving two to Maine. Some
discussion arose, one citizen proposing 5 or 8,
with salaries, who should attend to the bust
ness. Mr.. Bartlett of Great Falls faeetously
said that this road had more to contend with in
Maine than ever the Apostle Paul encountered,
and that the two men proposed were giants at
home and abroad, and would do the road no
end of good in its Maine unpleasantness. This
settled the matter. and became the favorite
| number.
Mr.. Means of Andover said the tickets con :
tanned the names of many strangers of I'M
known proclvities, and he accordingly present
ed series of resolutions against any entang-
ling alliance with the Eastern road, and in
structing the directors to oppose consolidation
in any form with that road. He also expressed
confidence in the future productiv eness of the
road, although it had cost more than was an
ticipated. These resolutions received brisk
passage. The meeting then proceeded to cleo
ton of directors, the following committee be-
ing appointed to receive, sort and count votes:
Robert Marsh aud George Lewis, of Boston !;
j. L. Brown, of Newbulyport; j, V. Smiley,
of Haverhill; Charles Woodman, of Dover.
Mr.. Poor of Andover offered protest, as a
stakeholder, against the reception of votes on
stock belonging to the estate of Cyrus Wake
field, held as collateral security, which was re-
ferred to the committee to receive votes
While the committee was counting votes, the
meeting was again called to order, and the fol-
lowing vote proposed:
That the directors be- and hereby are author
lied to issue bonds of this company TO an amount
not exceeding two millions of dollars, of which
portion shall be $500 bonds, payable not more
than twenty years from date, with interest not
( exceeding seven per cent. in currency, or six
per cent. in gold per annum, payable semi-an-
nually for the purpose of providing means for
the completion of its road, and of funding the
floating debt of the corporation. Passed.
An irregular discussion of the free pass sys-
tenn was carried on in desultory way, when
there was nothing else to talk about, and SEEM
ed to serve as sort of vent to many elderly
| u
tied up within them, and who have probably
been delivered of similar harangue annually
for the last twenty-five years. One heathenish
fellow actually attacked the ministers half fare
system, but was greeted with disapprobatory
Kisses. Several gentlemen devoted themselves
to laudations of the Maine and denuncation
of the Eastern the latter were always re-
ceived with marked manifestations of approval
showing that no measure of consolidation or
combination between the warning corporations
will receive favor from the B. & M. stockhold-
ers. Numerous other topics were discussed; in
fact, great number of men expressed great
variety OF views upon great variety of topics.
Some were humorous, some violent some inter-
rogatory, some argumentative, and some sta
tistical. Nobody paid luuch attention to it all,
and it seemed to be generally regarded as sort
of diversion which might be amusing to the &C.
tors, and harmed nobody.
President White managed his motley crowd
most admirably. He was cool, qniet, courteous
and tolerant. He let them talk without much
strictnees of parliamentary rule, and would &C.
casonally interpose brief explanation or an
swer question to elucidate any matter which
seemed obscure. When some rampant repre-
sentative of the opposition would put question
with the air of propounding poser, he would
simply and directly answer it without magnify
ing it by entering upon defense of himself,
and thus very neatly took the wind out of bellig-
| erent sails.
The character of the meeting may be readily
understood, by considering there are 1899 stock
holders in the road, of whom about 1000 own
four or less shares each, and about 1900 own
| only one share each.
Women of all ages and conditions formed
considerable portion OF the crowd, and the prac
tical workings of woman suffrage could be OBJ
served in the midst of greater confusion, than
would exist once in hundred times at the
polls. They walked up and deposited their
votes with perfect regularity and Goodness,
and didn't seem at all "uusexed,' as railers de-
light to predict, by the operation.
The result of the balloting showed 26,019
votes for the Irregular" ticket, and 5593 for the
opposition-a clear and emphatic triumph for
the former management
| addition Of md