The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-21

After a thorough examination of the line
through to Montreal, the Eastern made
proposition for the business to and from
Boston and other places ON their line
which was that provided they could have
that business, and, provided the whole line
from Montreal to Portland could be made
substantially a unit (thus securing a close
connection for their Eastern Maine and
Provincial business with MontreaD, they
would do the business at their Conway
junction for seventy per cent of the gross
receipts, and appropriate the remaining
thirty per cent-First, to the payment OF
the coupons on certain bonds OF each OF the
several companies composing the. line, so
long as the companies failed to earn this
interest; secondly, to the purchase of these
bonds so long as they can be bought in the
market at or below par.
Acting upon this proposition, the several
companies in Canada and Vermont entered
into a contract with this company. on the
2lst day of November last, whereby it was
agreed by the parties thereto that their sew
eral roads should 'sbe Joined together.
forming one continuous line of railroad
from Portland, Maine, to Burlington, YER
mont, Lake IChamplain in Swanton. Yer
mont, and st. Lambert and Sorel in the
Province of Quebec" the receipts of the
business going over the whole or parts of
| any two roads to be prOrated according to
| the miles hauled; the rates and other ques-
| incident to suchan arrangement, OF arising
| therefrom, to be determined by a commit
| tee selected from the directors of the sew
| eral boards of direction, the companies
west of the Connecticut river to select two,
| aud this company to select two, and in
case of disagreement said committee to Sc
| lect disinterested umpire, whose decision
shall be final; and that rates shall not be
made which shall discriminate against the
business interests Of Portland. An addi-
ton of ten miles constructive mileage is
! granted to your road in the pro rata di-
vision of the receipts on through freights
destined to and from Boston, or points on
the line of the Eastern railroad. By through
freights is meant freight from Montreal and
west, and freight from Swanton and west.
The thirty per cent received under the traf-
fic guarantee from the Eastern railroad to
be divided in the same manner. Where,
however, the thirty per cent is from bust
ness originating upon your road, or pass
ing to or fro on your road and the Eastern,
without passing over any portion of the
other roads forming the through line,
then the whole thirty per cent goes to your
road. 4e hYeg cd ts9fV 7l9idW
An agreement between the parties to the
above contract and the Eastern Railroad
Company was then made and signed, en-
bodying the before-recited proposition of
the Eastern railroad, and its acceptance by
the several companies, agreeing also that
the rates for business passing to and fro,
between the Eastern road and this through
line shall be fixed by mutual agreement of
the parties, and divided pro rata according
to the miles hauled by each; that this COM
pany shall use the passenger grounds of
the Eastern railroad in Portland, upon the
payment of their proportiOnate part of the
current station expenses; embracing also
the agreement for the ten miles construc-
tive mileage, additional to this road on the
pro rata division of receipts for through
business. Also, that for all business COM
ing over your road less than twenty miles
west of North Conway, you should receive
your pro rata for twenty miles haul.
A NEW LINE BETWEEN CANADA AND THE
- n LOWER BRITISH PROVINCES.
Your road, therefore, by these arrange
ments. not only becomes part of great
trunk line, but comes into close business
connection with the system of railways ex-
tending from Portland through Northern
and Eastern Maine, by the Maine Central
and its branches, and through the Maine
Central to the European and North Ameri-
can, and the other railways now built and
those in process of construction in the
Eastern Provinces; thus becoming the
channel through which, in the future, will
flow the trade and passenger traffic that
passes INTERCHANGEABLE between Canada
and the Lower Provinces.
In ah 81 T. - N