The Portland daily press., 1875-09-29
ArOOstOOk and the E. & N. A. Railway.

10 Ne EuttOF OF We fTeSS.
1t is to be hoped whoever may hereafter have
the control and management OF the consolidat-
ed E. 81 N. A. Railway, that the Importance to
the railway itself, and to the state as well, of
extending its connections by opening new lines
of railway to become feeders to the trunk line,
will not be lost sight Of This railway, as every
one knows, stretches from Mattawamkeag to
Vanceboro, a distance of about Sc miles along
the base as it were, and at points just touching
the great Aroostook county, but without pene-
trating or approaching within even striking dis.
tance the most populous and richest portions
OF that teeming country.
BY means of the New Brunswick and Cana
da Railroad, which it intersects at McAdam
Junction, about six miles eastward from Vance
boro, it has an imperfec and an exceeding pre-
carious junction with the Atoostook country
at Houlton Precarous because it has it only
by the grace and favor of the N. B. & c. road,
whose policy it is to discourage in every way
the diversion of the traffic from its own line.
Of course it is for the interest of the N. B. s.
c. road, as it is also for the interest of Saint
Stephens AMI Saint Andrews, the two points
where ii touches tide water, that the rich traf-
fic afforded at Houlton should not be drawn of
at McAdam for Bangor and the West over the
line of the consolidated road, hence it is not to
be wondered at that the management of the N.
B. & G. road should be disposed to discriminate
as they do and have always done in favor of
their own road, to the serious injury and pre-
judice of the consolidated road.
For these very reasons the consection is i'm
perfect as well as precarious, but if the cOnsoli-
dated road owned aud controlled the whole line
to Houlton, the connection would still be i'm
perfect because it only touches Houltou, q de-
sirab.e point to be sure, as it is ricb prosper
GUS, business like and influential town, but sit
uated as it is on the extreme eastern border of
the county, the vast resources and business Of
the interior of the county are not reached by 1t.
There are, to speak within bounds, full forty
townships of the choicest agricultural lands
lying northwardly and westwardly from Houl-
ton, some of them settled in part, others wholly
unsettled; thus situated, too remote from
Houlton to be materially benefited by its rail-
way connection.
Enterprising parties in st. John, appreciate
ing the Importance and value of the Aroostook
country as feeder to railroads, and aided and
encouraged by sagacious government, have
extended line Of railroad from Frederickton
up the valley of the st. John river to the mouth
of the Tobique river, thence across the Saint
John to the boundary of Maine, and are now
rapidly pushing their way into the town Of
Fort Fairfield and onwards towards Caribou in
the full hope and expectation of carrying away
over their road TO Fredericton and to St. John,
the trade ana the. productions of that very
richest section of our state.
Thus it is seen that at two points the shrewd,
energetic business men of New Brunswick have
penetrated by their railroads the Aroostook
country, for the purpose, of course, of securing
its trade, diverting its business, and thereby
epriching themselves. All this is perfectly
legitimate, to be sure, but detrimental never
theless to the best interests of our state, and
likely to be especially damaging to the business
and prospects Of the consolidated road unless
these plans can In some way be met and coun-
teracted. This can be effectualy done, it is
conceived, in one way, and In one way only
and that is by an independent line of railroad
from some point on the line of the consolidate
ed road northwardly through the heart of
Aroostook county TO PresqEe Isle. and perhaps
in time still further onward to some point on
the st. John river, at the northern boundary Of
the county. The distance from Presque Ilse to
Mattawamkeag is said TO be not more than IS
to so miles, and the route an easy and feasible
one. Once open this line of road with a branch
at the right point to Houlton, and the danger
of divergence of trade and business into New
BruD. wick would be at an end, as the Aroos-
took country naturally and traditonally looks to
Bangor and the West for its market. and Is
not likely to seek it in foreign conntry nnless
TEN pied to do SO by some such thing as cheaper
transportation or better terms of trade. AS all
the elements essential to the building up of
rich and prosperous community are to be found
in the Aroostook country, the urgent want is
cheap transportation to market, and this,
railroad as proposed, would supply. Under its
quickening Influences population would be in-
creased, production would be enlarged the re-
sources of every kind would be developed and
an increasing tide OF traffic would flow over il
and from it to the consolidated K. & N. A. R.,
enhancing the business and the earnings OF the
latter road, rendering almost certain its ulti-
mate success, by making it the channel through
which large and valuable trade between the
Aroostook Countrywide upper St. John and Ban
gor and other commercial towns along the line
Of the yet to be built Bay Shore and River rail-
road would most assuredly find its way.
The consolidated road is prUstrate now-h-
nancially it is under cloud, ard reconstruct
tioh 10 that regard has become necessary, and
possibly its management may pass into other
hands. However this may be. the importance
of this line into Aroostook should be kept stead
lily in view by those who succeed to its control,
and agitation aud discussion should not cease
until what is only scheme now shall become
reality. Other feeders to the consolidated road
will be considered in another article. X.