Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-01
tl,o.e town, furni.hing the means of construc.


no city meeting at Augusta or other action on
the part of the city indicating purpose to
aid in the construction of the road, though
assurances have been given by citizens of Au-
gusta that at the proper time it would give
its aid 1t will be perceived, therefore, that
after deductng the discount on the bonds
which would have to be made, as tEey would
bear but six per cent. interest, there was
wanting to complete and equip even narrow
gusge road from Wiscasset to Augusta about
500, 900. The only locality on the line OF
the road able to furnish that amount was the
city of Augusta.
While making the survey before named,
we received information from China and 9TH
er towns that the people desired the extension
of the road in that direction. After some cor
respondence we visited Windsor and China,
and found many friends of the enterprise in
China and some in Windsor. The result was
that petitions were sent to the Legislature of
1872 tor an extension of the charter norther-
ly. An act was passed authorizing the extern
sion of the road from some point on its pro-
posed line in the town of Whtefield norther-
ly via Pitts6eld, Hartland and St. Adams to
some convenient point on the Bangor and
PiscataQuis Railroad, and cities and towns in
the counties into which the road should be ex-
tended were empowered to loan their credit
amount oftwenty per cent. of their valuation.
Wiscasset, Alma and Whitefield having already
voted, we, and the people of the towns along
the line, looked to China as the proper town
to take the lead in the new movement. Sew
eral town meetings were held In that town
during the year 1872, but the friends OF the
road, though active and influential, falled to
obtain the necessary two-tbirds vote for'the
loan except for about one-half the amount re-
CURED Other towns awaited the action of
China and the season of 1872 passed away.
In the winter of 1873 it was thought best to
have a meeting of the friends of the enterprise
along the whole line, and accordingly such
meeting was held at Canaan on the sth day of
January, 1878. This meeting was largely at
tended, and some sixteen or more towns were
represented. The efforts to secure a vote lor
loan in China, and the discussions growing
Gu. of them had prepared the way for
change in the proposed mode of procuring
means for the construction of the road. Three
principal objections were made to the plan of
building the road by loans, viz:
lst. Because the issue Of bonds by the towns
gave them Nc control of the roads.
I'd. The amount of twenty per cent. of the
valuation was regarded by the towns as a large
sum, though not larger than would be abso-
lutely required if the road was TO be built or
that plan.
Sd. The fact that the towns were to have
first mortgage of the road was an obstacle in
obtaining foreg n capital.
These and other considerations induced the
meeting at Canaan to recommend that the plan
should be changed, and that the cities aud
towns should vote ten per cent of their valu-
alton to the capital stock of the company in
stead of loaning their credit for twenty per
cent The meeting at Canaan also recon-
mended that the name of the corporation
should be changed from the Kennebec and
Wisscasset Railroad Company to the Wiscas-
set and Moosehead Lake Railroad Company,
and that the road should be extended to Moos-
head Lake. Petitions were nnmerously signed
and presented asking for these changes, a
bill was drawn, presented and passed in ac
cordance with the recommendations of the
Canaan meeting.
Under the first named act st. Adams was
the first town to vote its ten per $43 900.
Wiscasset followed, making its subscription
with the individual subscriptions, S75, 900.
Then came Hartland, $4,000, and Canaan,
1000. Whitefs!d:. ritter several meetings,
voted $25 600 and more recently Cambridge
has voted its quota-Sl0 600. These sums
amour. to $2l3,000. Some of the other towns
along the line have held town meetings and
failed to vote the subscription, and some have
visited all the towns on the line except Shir-
ley and Greenville, and some Of the towns a
good many times. We have addressed meet
ings in most of the towns visited.
The sum of S2l3, 900 already voted is too
small to warrant the commencement of the
construction of the road, and not sufficient to
induce foreign capitalists to undertake the
work The best offer have had from for
eign capitalists, is, that if the towns and ind-
viduals along the line will subscribe So 900
per mile, or near that amount, they will furn-
ish the balance required and build and equip
the road.
The prospect of speedy construction of the
road is not hattering as we could wish to
present to you, but we advise a continuance of
efforts to secure the 81 900 to s.. 900 per mile
and cannot but believe that when t.. towns
shall calmly and fully consider the matter
they will vote the necessary amounts.
The cnarter as II now stands authorizes
the construction of a road from Wiscasset to
Gardiner or Augusta, or from Wiscasset to
Moosehead Lake, or both. Cities and towns
are empowered 10 aid in the construction of
the road by loan of their credit or sub.
scription 10 the capital stock.
In the directol of Moosehead Lake we have
been over the country as far as Monson and
find the route very practicable through pro-
ductlve section OF the stare, with numerous
water powers and inexhaustable quantities of
the best slate in the world. The towns along
the proposed line only need the facilities of
railroad transportation to place them among
the most prosperous and wealthy in the State
In the direction of Augusta the prospect is
in some respects more favorable than at any
time heretofore. As before stated, your char
ter extends from Wiscasse, to Augusta The
Messalonskee and Kennebec Railroad Com
pany chartered last winter is from Augusta to
West Waterville, and the Somerset Railroad
Company, whose road is in process of con-
struction from West Watarville, was last win
ter authorized to extend its road TO the Canada
line and there connect with the Lewis and
Kennebec Railroad, chartered under the Do.
minon Government. The last named road is
TO extend from Lewis, opposite Quebec, to the
line of this State, and about forty five miles
oithe road will be completed this seasons
The Somerset Railroad Company is pushing
its road as fast as its means will allow, and
on the 3lst OF August last, the Messaon skee
and kennebec Railroad Company was organ
lied by the choice of a board of directors Of
eminent business capacity, and with an aprar-
ent determination to construct the road