Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-14
RAILROAD TO QUEBEC.
NORTH ANsoN. July

RAILROAD TO QUEBEC.
NORTH ANsoN, July Sd, 1874.
/ feel extremely anxious that the easy pos
sibiity and great practical utility ofthis short
and cheap line of railroad from the State
Capitol into the upper Kennebec valley, the
very garden of Maine, should be brought
prominently before the public; not only in
the aspect of its local Importance, in connect
ing this beautiful valley and its adjacent
hills and valleys with tide water on the
deep sea harbor of Wiscasset thus aff0rding
means for the development of the unsur-
passed water powers from Carratunk Falls to
Norrdgewock, for stimulating enterprise, and
more fully developing our agricultural re-
sources, By the Introduction of varied indus
tries, but in its larger, and no. less important
aspects TO this valley, to Augusta, and as may
be easily shown, to the whole State, as form
ing an important link in the great Inter
National highway, now in process of con-
struction, at both ends, as you know, and
soon to be built, connecting the St. Lawrence
River at Quebec, the greatest seaport of the
Canadian Dominion, with the open winter
harbor of Wiscasset by the shortest and
cheapest line of land transit that exists be-
tween the ST. Lawrence and the Atlantic sea-
board. This line of railroad when completed as
it will be, being the shortest and cheapest line
of land transit that exists, or that ever can
exist between the Atlantic and st. Lawrence
and its southern terminus 400 miles nearer
the British channel than New York, with a
harbor equally safe and capacious, and with
wharfage and harbor expenses infinitely
cheaper, must from the very nature of COM
merce attract to it, in the winter time, large
fraction of the products of fields and forests
of the upper st Lawrence seeking a winter
outlet through Atlantic ports to European,
West Indian and South American markets,
and also return cargoes from Europe for
Canadian account.
1t is as you have seen by the pamphlet
sent you, only 240 miles from the south bank
of the River St. Lawrence opposite Quebec to
Wiscasset harbor, on the proposed line of
railroad passing through the upper Kennebec
valley in the general direction of the old
Canada road, and nearly on the line of Col.
Lewis old survey made in 1885 and on the
line surveyed by Capt. You'll on the Canadian
side of the line in the same year, a distance
that can be easily run by passenger trains ia
ten hours, and by freight trains in from four
teen to sixteen hours. The good people of
Maine, not the monopolists, have large ma
terial interest in the speedy construction OF
this great Inter National line of railroad, and
in my Judgment the Importance and feasibil-
ity of the enterprise cannot be brought to pub
lie notice too soon. If the road was COM
pleted to-day, flour, corn and other heavy
products seeking our local markets from that
vast and fertile country tributary in its outlet
to st. Lawrence waters could be laid down on
its line at any and all points from the Cana
dian boundary to Wiscasset for less money
than they can now be laid down by rail in
Portland, Boston or New York by reason of
this shore land transit. The annual saving
this would be to the great industrial interests
of Maine l need not name to you; nor need
l name what has been done and is being done
to shorten lines of inland transportation
Look at the Koosac tunnel, the tunnel under
Mount Gents, lately constructed by France
and Sardinia. Yours in haste.
VIM. ATKINSON.