The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-21
Annual Meeting Of the Portland & Og-
densburg Railroad Company.
Reports of the President, Chief Engineer
and Treasurer.

Inc dnllttdl lllccllllS VI blc oA'A''
and Ogdensburg Railroad company was
called for ten O'Clock this morning. Owing
to the illness of General S. j. Anderson,
the president, the meeting was called to
order bv C. II. Foye, the clerk, who read
the printed call.
On motion, d. w. Clark, ESQ.,, was
elected chairman. On motion Of Mayor
.Wescott it was voted to receive the annual
reports, and to adjourn the meeting for
action on the reports. and for election OF
officers, ETC., until Tuesday, the 9th in
slant at 10 a. m.
Filth Annual Report of the President and
lUF .IncI1lA Directors. 80 Ael5
To the Stockholders of the Portland and
Ogdensburg Railroad:
Gentlemen,-Since your last annual
meeting the progress of construction has
been continuous upon the line of your
road, commencing at North Conway and
working toward the Notch. Eleven and
one quarter miles-from North Conway to
Upper Bartlett-were opened for regular
travel on the fifth day of August, although
then in an unfinished condition. The de-
tails of the work of construction are con-
tanned in the report OF the Engineer.
INCOME.
The last annual report of the Treasurer
embraces the receipts of the road for the
term of eleven months, viz: from Dec. 81,
1871 to Nov. 30, 1872. TO make a just
comparison between the business of this
year and the one proceeding, it is neccs-
sary to add to the latter the receipts for the
month of December, 1871. The result of
such comparison shows an increase of re-
ceipts in favor of this year equal to seven
teen and one quarter per cent, and this in
face of the fact that the obstruction caused
by the depth of snow in the woods during
the winter of 1928 was such as almost to
put stop to numbering operations on the
line of the road. And as this branch OF
business supplies the principal part Of the
down freight, its loss was seriously felt in
the receipts. We are confident that the
present winter will show marked i'm
proyement in that class of freight, espec-
tally after the new mills, now in process of
construction in the towns in Maine and
New Hampshire bordering on this road,
shall be completed. One of these mills,
that at Upper Bartlett, being capable of
turning out 10000 feet, equal to five car
loads, per day, will be ready to commence
work in few weeks. Other mills for the
production ofvarious hardwood manufac-
lures, are about being erected there !;
which, with the bark, spars, and ship tim
Der, now finding its way over the road in
considerable quantities, will add largely to
the freight from this station, and is the
pioneer movement in the extensive and
lumber traffic which only awaits
the further opening of the road to be de-
veloped throughout the upper valley of
the Saco and its tributaries. Already, the
first month of the new financial year-De-
cember-shows an increase of fifty-five per
sent in the whole receipts of the road,
while in the freight receipts alone there is
an increase of seventy-five per cent, COM
pared with the receipts of December 1872.
m9at aoqI ~ EQUIPMENT. 3.iammo2 aa-
The equipment of the road has been in
creased during the past year by the addi-
ton of first-class Locomotive, 2 Passen-
ger, Baggage and Express, Observation
) Box, and 20 Platform Cars, making the
equipment at date, 6 Locomotives, IL Pas
senger Cars, Smoking Cars, l Observa-
Baggage and Smoking Car, 2 Brake Vans
for freight trains, 45 Box Cars, 10 Hay
Cars, 60 Platform Cars, Crane Car, and 2
snow-plows. In addition to this the COM
pany are now having built l Locomotive,
Is Hay Cars, and snow-plow. g-I.
10 1Q 9a OPERATION. a I'D aaigi
& Number of miles run during the year:
1Iyx Pas Tsngsa Trains e 5s a.
Freight Trains, 1884
Ballast Trains, ..a-r f za9 Log .l ~ 6,069
Construction Trains for contractors 1850
The exemption from accident to life or
which has characterized your
road, and to which the past year has been
no exception, is due to the forethought and
efficiency of your Superintendent and
Road Master, aided by an intelligent COM
prehension of the requirements of their
places on the part of their subordinates.
,sf WESTERN CONNECTIONS. 43 gss
As this is the first meeting of the stock
Railroad Company, looking to perma-
nent business connection with that road,
were opened, and as some misapprehension
exists as to the intent of such negotiations,
a synopsis of the agreement with an ex-
PLANTATION of the causes leading to it, may
not be inappropriate. One of the ques-
tons which to-day are agitating the public
mind and entering largely into the politics
of one section of the country, is ''How to
secure the cheapest transportation OF
breadstuffs from the West to tide-water.'
Rival interests are moving to obtain Con-
gressional aid for their favorite routes; one
interest working for the Mississippi river,
the great Southern Highway; another for
the lines of railroad and canals composing
the central route. A third, believing that
the Lakes and st. Lawrence river possess
more advantages than can be secured else
where, favor this great Northern route.
Portland and Boston have interests identi-
cal in this direction. Their united strength
will be required for their mutual protection
against invidious legislation in the FUTURE
legislation inaugurated for the benefit OF
the transportation companies occupying the
central route, and for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of the great city at its Eastern terminus.
The development of the Canadian system
of railway and the improvement Of its
canals, make Montreal an ally and most
important point of connection to those two
cities. 4 .s..lL" .a-a glaa. .a.
AN INDEPENDENT LINE TO MONTREAL.
1t has been demonstrated and will not
now be questioned that, other things being
equal, freight can be carried ON the water,
in steam or sailing vessels, at less cost than
by rail. The water-borne freight reaches
Ogdensburg and Montreal from the West
in better order and at less cost per mile
than it can be carried for the same distance
by any other route. This line, when COM
pleted to Swanton, will have direct con-
nection with Ogdensburg by roads now
operating. 1t seemed of great Importance
that it should also connect by an independ-
ent line with Montreal. The Montreal.
Chambly and Sorel railroad, which was in
the process of construction, proposed to
supply that link, provided certain aid could
be extended to it; and provided, also, q
through line to Boston, as well as to Port
land, could be secured. Propositions had
been made to the directors of the Vermont
Division of the Portland and Ogdensbure
railroad, by the managers of other railroad
interests leading toward Boston, to obtain
the control of so much of the business OF
this line as should be destined to Boston
in consideration for which, aid was prom.
ised toward the building and stocking OF
their portion of the line. Had either Of
these propositions been accepted and such
arrangements been consummated, not only
would your road have had no share in the
transport of freight so destined, but. what
seemed more serious to your directors, was
tne uahger III such combinatiOn-a COM
bination in whose councils vour road
would nave no representative-that undue
influence would be used to affect the trade
and to draw the business originating on the
line from its natural terminus in Portland
by the offer of special rates and discrimi.
mating tariffs, in which case the chance OF
Do. Lou 10 4