Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-12-10
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1874.
The Shore Line

| me Onure Line
Our Washington County friends, have
| Dy n" means given up the project of n
railroad through these tw, counties. II
Is diiheult to see what progress has thus
far been made, beyond a preliminary sur
vey. but it is encouraging to know that the
matter Is still in peoples minds.
The original corporation for a line from
the Pen obscot To the st. Croix, have been
in the field now several years. AT one
time they were apparently mahipg some
| progress. They obtained subscriptions
from nearly all the towns On the route,
Including Ellsworth, and the more cilhL-
siastlc could almost hear the rafting OF
the trains. There was some hitch how
ever, and nothing more was done
Another corporation have given notice
that they would like to try to start "A rail
road along the shore. The Castine & Els
worth X. X. CO., ask for leave to build
from Castine through Ellsworth. to the
Eastern frontier. They claim that they
have more inducements to offer the ,,eo-
pie. ard can rely upou more resources.
The chief difficulty heretofore. has been
in getting west from Ellsworth. From
Ellsworth east. the country is alive TO the
work. aud ready to he taxel. From Els
worth 10 Bangor however, are 70 miles OF
expensive road with no one TO help build
!" buck-port are ~ miles of equally hard
road aud equal dearti of resources. BAN
gor will not help, aud Buck>port cannot
No mean- have yet been suggested of
bridging either gap; until n way to do tai,
is discovered, there can be no Shore Line.
1t has become apparent. that Ai.-ruad
OF ordinary gauge cannot be built along
the coast by any means at command.
Such work would nearly. if not. quite
bankrupt the towns undertaking il. rh.
wealthy towns in Knox and Lincoln couu-
ties, are staggering under the enormuu,
Indebtedness incurred in building the knox
{ Lincoln Il X. The less rich towns ON
our coast cannot assume such liabilities
II a road i built, it must be of a narrow
er guase, say three feet OF less The mar
rover gauge is growing in favor. Its
practicabillty aud usefulness. have been
demonstrated IN the increasing mile, OF
construction. 1t viii suffice for all the
travel and freight, onthi> line tor fifty years
20 come. II can be- bui,r ami oprrat-d. At
half the expense OF the usual guAge. Il
can carry passengers Il swiftly aud com-
fortably, and freight a. regularly and
cheapy.
Ii then there must be IL break and tran
shipment at the western terminus, whcr-
ever that terminus may be, the friends
OF the taStlue project say, that the ouly
objection to Ca,tinc as terminus. i, at
once removed. Transmpment can BE- made
there, a readily as AZ Buck-port OF Ban
gor. The cars viii run on til" whaIL close
to the steamer >ile - that passengers
can step on the steamers drr,. auI freight
be lifted rom car u boat BY one motion.
Boats Will run - RuchlAnG or Belfast.
where the same ease Of transfer. Will be
provided for, o her boat, will ran dirrrt /
70 Boston and Portland. or tn prAn5-cot
river, steamers viii then cali at CIStue
Ore could then leave Ellsworth a, nonu.
and be in Boston by boat The mex morn
Ing without fatigue. Cpmin. tron Boston,
the Ellsworth passenger woulI be- at hounc
before hi, FELLOW traveller ot BucA~pprt.
Part railroad anu part steamboat Inc.
have always been i4yortcs with the puD
lie. witness the numerous and crowded
Sound lines between Boston and New
York.
The great argument made by the
friends OF the tI>tiAc aud Ellsworth cor
in Ellsworth and CIstinc and IN" towns
between, to easily build 4 narrow gauge
road from Ca,tiuc to Eli worth, and have
something over 10 help our eastern uci.h-
bo:s with. With little extra cxertion.
tie towns wx8t OF Ellsworth could do it
alone. ana leave Ellsworth to build to-
ward the east. Erook>yille. Scdgwick
Penobscoi EiuchilI aud Surry, are all in
terestcd.
Another argument of some force i, that
when The ,h)re linc termmlting AZ ta,Iiie
is an existing flct, Bu.N-ppr. will build
to make junction at penobscot without
penny expense to Us. This would give IL
a choice OF ternin. Further when the
Shore Line i, in full operation carrying
the trade of two counties, through Castiue
westward Bangor will build to Ellsworth
to intercept it, and Ellsworth and the east
will thus have three outlets with only the
expense Of one. Ellsworth will be railroad
center.
Such are some Of the arguments urged
By the friends of the Ca>tine Road. We
do not venture to pronout Judgment, but
wait for further discussion. Other schemes
may be more feasible, and the friends OF
this may be over sanguiuc. We see no
objection however, to the Legislature
granting them the opportunity asked for.