The Portland daily press., 1873-03-10
Shall High Street be Discor.inucae

Mr. EDIToR:-An article appeared in the
PRESS of the 4th, with the above heading,
wherein the writers use the follow ing language
The Boston & Maine Railroad has no claims
against the public or on our citizens.
l have not heard that the Boston s. Maine
Railroad make ary claim on the public or the
city. On th@eontrary, whatever facilities they
have wanted on the line of their road have
been adjusted in the most satisfactory manner
Is it of no advantage to bring capital from
abroad and spend it literally in the city? Is il
of no advantage to our citizens to have a Gus.
toner that they know is bound to purchase
thus giving them the inside track in the bar.
gain? If the taxes were made fromrhe money
value when sold, instead Of the former assessed
value, it would show, instead as destroying as
asserted, a large margin in favor of the city. II
is stated that million dollars will expended in
this city by this road when, their plans are com.
pleted. Is the expenditure of SO large sum
mostly for labor and material, of no advantage
| to the city? Is it of no advantage that the
| company have made some twelve acres of valu
able land in the vicinity of Vaughan's Bridge
and that in consequence of the supply of ma
terial from the road, our citizens have built ex
tensve sea walls on the line of the harbor and
ubfc ulduc dCitS u fdlustUlc Wll1rI property!
Is it of no advantage that the city is forever
relieved from the heavy expense of protecting
the bank on the northerly side lof West Com
mercial street, from Emery street to Vaughan
bridge, it now being protected by the railroad
They say we are, complaining of the great
danger of crossing Portland Bridge. Well, this
company is not chargeable with that nuisance
they have at great expense purchased the land
for their track and have gone under all the
streets on their line, thus avoiding all danger
to the people until they come to High street,
and would gladly do the same with this street
if it could be done without serious damage and
inconvenience to themselves and the mass of
people doing business with the road.
They say the widening of Maple street will
be OF no benefit. In their zeal against the Bos-
ton and Maine Railroad, and for the small spot
at the foot of High street, they are led into the
assertion that street one hundred feet in
width has no more capacity for business than
one of thirty feet Widen Maple from Com
mercial to York to one hundred feet as propos-
ed, then on the west side, as may be wanted
from York to Danforth, and you reach one of
our broadcast and best avenues with easy gra-
dents to High, Park, State, Winter and Brack-
EFT streets on the west, and on the east by
Pleasant and Fore streets through Centre by
Spring and Free to the Preble House on Com
gress street, connecting with Federal and Con-
gress streets and by Preble street to Deernc over
the easiest and shortest way from the centres
of business out of the city. sg q RI (, s.
The say again that everybody on Commercial
street in the upper part OF the city who wants
to 60 over behring's bridge would have to go out
at Park then down York to High, or out at
Maple and thence up York to High in order to
reach the bridge. This would be much like
Pats direction to the traveller, go until yes
comes to the bridge and turn the bridge over
and when yes mas turned the bridge turn the
river up stream" e.
To make this statement of as much import
anee as the writer seems to attach to it, we
must first ascertain if everybody in the upper
part of the city is on Commercial street, then,
IT they are found there, if everybody wants to
go from that location to behring's Bridge If
they do, and go out at Park, why do they 90
down to High street. Is it for the sake of
climbing heavier grade to reach Congress
Square; or if everybody goes out at Maple, why
do they want to go up York to High, and then
over the heaviest grade Of any street crossing
Danforth to Congress Square, and then down a
long hill to reach Deerng's Bridge? Has High
street such attractions as to induce people to
travel on it, when by less distance and easier
gradients they can reach the same place? 1t
Is hoped that no one will be compelled to travel
up and down York street for the purpose of 60
ing through High street, unless it is desired.
They again say that if Maple street is wild
ened as proposed, it will not relieve the travel
on Commercial, because the street will be filled
the railroads, and the public will have no
chance as they cannot getthrough these streets
Will these wise writers tell us who the public
are; will they not allow those doing business
with railroads to be part of the public, and a
very large part too.
1t is hoped our city authorities will not be
alarmed at the small number of croal1ers that
we always have with us; but in view of the
vast interest to the city, present and prospec-
tive, IN the erection of splendid and capacious
depots; of the mechanics and laborers that
will find steady employment here when they
remove their construction and repair shops foI
this division of the road, as intended, to this
and to be literally paid for, will grant the
prayer of the petitioners w.
PORTLAND, March 9Th, 1873.