The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-31

worm appeared in several eastern towns de-
stroying whole fields in single day. Cheese
factories were built in a number of towns
which, with those previously in operation has
made this industry very important one. Far
mers have realized from 2 10 to cents quart
for their milk devoted to this purpose, Of late
cheese is becoming more generally used as an
article of food so that it is more than probable
that Maine has not produced as much as its
people will consume
large number of starch factories have been
built in Aroostook and an extensive tannery
is being built near Houlton by the Shaws
The granite business has been mostly sus-
tanned by government contracts. The lime
product has been about two-thirds of an aver.
age year. The slate business has been dull
though new quarries have been open ed, nota-
bly, one at Waterville. Silver has been discov-
cred in several localities but gold only in No
tleboIo. No fortunes have been announced in
either
The principal suspensions that have tax en-
place within the state are the following G.. X.
Jewett, involved with the Jewett failure and E.
& N. A. Railway, liabilities heavy; j. Wesley
Jones, Portland, liabilities 100000; VIM. X.
Lancy, Pittsfeld, liabilities $175,OOO Collier &
Hamilton, Augusta, liabilities $4,000; w. N.
Goold, banker, Portland, liabilities $S1, 800; o.
NJ. Shaw, Bangor, liabilities $195,OOO.
RAILROADS.
One might think that the railroad record of
the year could be embraced in a very few lines
There is, however, more under this head than
might be supposed There have been no seri-
oco I;ro -, A
on the Grand Trunk in Yarmouth resulted In
loss Of two or three lives, and the running
down OF a hand car by the wild train on the
Maine Central near Waterville, resulting in the
loss of two lives are the most serious casualties.
Several men have been killed or injured
through their own carelessness.
Early in the year it became apparent
that the Eastern managers were not
satisfied with the new contracts which the
Maine Central had made with their road and
the Boston & Maine, and would make an effort
to get control of the Maine Central. To do
this it was necessary to purchase large blocks
of stock, which was done with the company's
money at a large cost. At the annual meeting
of the Maine Central in March, the Eastern
men were able to elect their board of directors
by vote of q, ,376 to 1850 for the old Maine
management; Gov. Coburn, whose name was
on both tickets, was chosen President and Pay
son Tucker Superintendent. The general man
ager and general freight agent of the Eastern
were extended over the Name Central but the
collapse of the Eastern Railroad led to the
resignation of the latter. Whatever other
policy the victors bad marked out, was frus-
tod hu fha bo toft tI,a
An important event to this city was the open-
ing of the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad
through the notch of the White Mountains in
August and the further extension of that i'm =
portant line a few days since to johnson, Ver-
mont.
The Somerset Railroad has been opened from
West Wate1ville to North Anson. This line
promises to do much for the development o I
the business of northwestern Somerset
The extension of New Brunswick railroad
to Tobique on the st. John river has afforded
the people of the Aroostook valley better
means of communication with the outside
world A branch has been built from Tobique
to Fort Fairfield during the year, which will be
a'great auxiliary In the development of thai
promising county.
The stockholders of the Portland, Saco and
Portsmouth RailEoad have authorized their
Directors to modify their existing contract with
the Eastern Railroad, so that the next four en-
suing dividends to be paid shall be $3 instead
of S. per share, with the conditions that the
Eastern shall pay the taxes levied on the road
and its property, and that the credit agreed to
| be loaned to the Eastern shall be henceforth
| limited to the $250,000 of credit now actually
| IN use.
During the summer all the shore towns in
| Washington county voted ten per cent of their
valuation to the building of the projected Shore
Line Railway, and a preliminary survey was
made. One man is cutting sleepers for the
road on his own account.
| A preliminary survey of a line between Lew
iston aud Bangor has been made but no steps
have been taken to undertake the construction.
June 18th the European and North Ameri-
can Railway Go. suspended payment its net
receipts being insufficient to pay the interest
| on its bonds and take care of large floating
debt as it became due. The President, Hon.
| George X. Jewett, assumed heavy responsible
ties on account of the road and was obliged to
suspend at the same time. The employees Of
the road and current expenses have been paid
and the greater portion of the interest on the
bonds of the company taken care of. October
%, B. E. Smith of Ohio, one of the trustees
named in the mortgage deed of the road. took
possession Of it and appointed Hon. Noah
Woods cashier T. A. Cram was made super
intendent. The road is now doing good bust
ness. The Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad has
been extended to Guilford during the year and
the line has been surveyed to Moosehead lake
The last Legislature enacted law to enforce
the payment of the railroad tax, which was
resisted by the Maine Central and other corpo.
rations on the ground that their charters ex
empt their road beds etc. from taxation. When
the State Treasurer was about to enforce the
law, G. L. Ward, Maine Central stakeholder
residing in Boston, filed petition for an in
junction to restrain the collection in the U. S.
Circuit Court, and Judge Fox granted the prayer
of the petitioner. The state tax collected from
railroads this year amounts to about $50,000.
In this connection it may be proper to state
that Bridgton has been put in close connection
with the larger world by a telegraph line which
has been built by the enterprisng people o.
that village to Brownfeld.
POLITICAL.
The legislature elected Hon. Hannibal Hamlir
Uuited States Senator. In the Republican
caucus his vote was more than two to ont
or all others.
The Republicans nominated Gen. Selder
Connor for Governor aud the Democrats seeing
the beauty in soldier that was hidden to thei
eyes in 1862 nominated Gen. Charles w, Rob
erts. The campaign was rather bitterly con
tducted The Democrats had very effective
organization and brought out full vote. A
the election Gen. Connor received 81, ,0S5 vote:
and Gen. Roberts 53,213.
A resolve was passed by the Legislature au
thorizing Gov. Dingley to appoint consttu
tional commission. Pursuant thereto, Hons. G..
F. Talbot, w. P. Haines, Gen. w. K.Kimball
Washington Gilbert Esq, President Robins,
Judge Libby, Ex-Gov. Kent, Hon. j. q. Madi
gan,W NJ. Rust Esq and Hon. f. A. Pike wer
appointed such commission. AS the result o
their labor, several amendments were recon-
mended to the Legislature. Eight of thes
were adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Legs
lature, were submitted to the people and ont
| in a modified FORM All were ratified by