Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-12
Letter From the Capital.
AUGUSTA. Mar. 4. l.

Letter From the Capital.
AUGUSTA. Mar. 4. 1874.
This week, as | am lesislating at earns
length" "strikc out" with Chapter on
Railroads, which the seat of humanity will
prompt each to read. havingto stage IT,
when he goes. @ Il
The recording angel of this session will
have but one railroad tussle to write down,
a fact not devoid of significance. for 1t in
dictates, that railroad power. and leyisia-
tive power, are nearly In even balance
hung.
The unsuardedly wordcd charters which
have been granted, with no sailing in
tructious"-restraint. have resulted IN
consolidated monopoly. having combin-
eel independence of Legislature and law,
with the single exception of one lina. the
''Forcc Connection Bin" The refu@t; OF
both Houses to give the bill passage
Hancock voting entire for is defeat
leaves an open oIy for rival corporations
10 compete for the travel AMI ira tic of
"shore line" Maine.
4 railroad man, supposed 10 know
whereof he all rmed, recently predicted
that within the next - years, every nile
of railway in Maine. will be reduced 10
narrow guage. This prediction led me
to book up In the premises. for the e'll-
| iicaton of those OF your readers Ia ging n
| longing for the coming of the engine.
| The Introduction of Narrow Guage
! Freight and Passenger Cars. which are
! causin. such revolution in railtoa bn,i-
ness, was first proved up" In Wales. The
next test was Norway, and was, soon af-
/ ter. introduced into Russia Austria.
South America. and other mountainous
countries.
Narrow guage roads are al ready in op-
Grafton. or In construc ton, In Colorado.
I Texas, Utah. Ohio, Iowa. and New York.
/ One Car Factory Firm. in Wilmington. are
filling contracts for such cars. for eleven
different roads Subjoined in tabular form.
are some Of the differences betwc en- a
broad and narrow guagc.
S,REow GCAGE. BROAD ortGE.
weeht ofcar 500 ib. pti1 :. oot n.
Passenger capacity Sci 5,
Weight OF ca TO each pas
1 Height 81 car ssil-. aim Sin
| Angle Of stability, 3It- a.
One ton OF narrow suagc freight car,
will carry one ton Of freight; on a broad
gua=e, IL tons OF ear are required to
carry oae ton OF freight. thus greatly adj
ding to the 'tor-inn strain the cause Of
numerous railway accidents
Their cost is one-third les per mile. than
the broad guase, a. there i great saw
ing in the heavy work of gradi <, en-
banking. tunnelins. land damage amt
rails They can be- afforded in districts
where broad suagc could not.
~ calculations show that railroads. on
AN average, add $40 an acre TO the value
OF land within 10 miic, OF them, any one,
however st0to at ciphcring, can figure ont
the increased value of our farms. when
the ''iron-horse" comes snoring across the
Verona Bridge"
STATE sTATIsTiCIAN's REPORT.
The First Report the State Industrial
>tatisticlan, has just been delivered. 1t
D
unfortunately have been regarded as dry,
nude, uninteresting, and Of doubtful uilll-
", are coming 10 be appreciated a.
Science. cmbodying wide range Of facts
a record Of loss or gain, with the causes.
direct or remote. which produc,l either
result. Such is this Report
The only regret its perusal induces, is its
Incompetence especially in the Statistics
of Agriculture, of which but three towns
In Hancock County made returns, Brooks
VILE, fremont, and Surry. Had the As-
SCISSORS OF the several towns in the State
made full aud reliable statistical returns
OF their respective mechanical mauulac-
turing and agricultural interests. the az
grcgate would ~ ~ Il , 'l',ly economic
condition. and that Maine A. State to
live in" fayorably compares with her
sister States.
With all it, outs, this report is OF rare
worth.
HANGING vs.. STATE PRISON FOR LIFE.
\ disasreeng vote of the two branches
on an act TO abolish the death penalty,
'S"'N7 WIG ''''iO ~ "uih' hiuiuti pHii>na-
BILE with death. The House, by adheriDg
to its former vote, does not tone dozen the
punishment due to the perpetrators OF the
most heinous of crimes.
\ motion to so amend the statutes. that
executions take place in the county jill
where the condemned is convicted. aud to
hang those in State Prison convicted of
murder, was rejected. so terror of the
gallows" is removed for another year, In
which murderers can breath as Tree as
Cesar"