Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-16
Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad.

A correspondent of the Springfield Re
publican, from Portland, Maine, makes the
following statement of the Vermont interest
Of one of her railroads.
The Portland and Ogdensburg is Maine
road, though all its building operations are
now going on in New Hampshire and Yer.
mont. Its sixty miles in Maine we're open
ed almost two years ago---that is, in August
1871 and its l47 miles in Vermont
lof which fifty are now OPEN will be
completed this year, or early 10 1874.
The fifty miles through New Hampshire,
from North Conway to Dalton, are the
hardest part Of the line, and will be the
last completed, because they are in the very
heart Of the White Mountain region, but
ground is broken there for eighteen miles,
six miles are completed, and six more will
be open before withdrawing at the be-
ginning of 1874 not more than fifty miles,
and perhaps less than forty Of the two hun
dred and twenty-eigbt miles between Port
land and Lake Champlan, still to be built.
Portland has more at stake and has EN-.
barked more public money in this road
than in any other, and its completion is of
more consequence to the city than any rail-
road enterprise now going on. 1t is also,
from its location and history, one of the
most interesting Of these enterprises--quiet
as much so as our lloosac tunnel, though ii
will not cost half so much for its whole two
hundred aud twenty-eigbt miles as our five
miles Of tunnel, when completed, will have
cost the State Of Massachusetts. But what
the Hoosac tunnel is to Massachusetts, the
Portland and Ogdensburg line is to Port
land, as will appear from the followin
summary of its history;
Before the building Of the Atlantic and
st. Lawrence road, which has long con.
nected Portland with Montreal, the proiec.
for railroad through the White mountain
notch was advocated, but was deemed i'm.
practicable by most persons. The success
full working of railroads with steep cross.
ing mountain ranges, had not been sufficient.
ly demonstrated twenty years ago the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad was new, the
crossing of the Alleghanies was regarded
as hazardous experiment, aud the Rocky
mountains had not been attempted. More
over, Mr.. John A. Poor, the great railroad
satistician of Maine, had a project for a
road to Rutland, south of the mountains,
and another for a road to st. John !;
the Montreal people were for coming
down north and cast of the mountains
and SO the Notch route found little favor.
But when the great Importance of the wes-
tern freight business began to be understood,
and the position Of 0gdensburg and Lake
Champlain with reference to the New Eng.
land railroads was seen, and the great cir.
cult made to get round the White noun.
tains annoyed railroad men and kept north
ern Vermont locked up from railroad facil.
titles, the Portland capitalists turned their
eyes once more to the Notch route, aud got
charter for the Portland and Ogdensburp
road early in 1867. Two years later thew
got right of way from New Hampshire
to extend their road through the Notch,
and began to build the Portland end of the
road. In order to do this, the city of
Portland was persuaded to make subsrip.
ton to the capital stock, and is now by far
the largest stakeholder in the oornoration