The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-12
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i STATE STREET BRIDGE.


| "A IttaElMS beAOEc
ESaturday afternoon.the, Committee onsStreet'
gave hearing to the signers of petition tt
have State street, which is now cnt off by thu
Boston and Maine track, re-opened. Quite
number of the petitioners were present, fo
whom Hon. Bion Bradbury appeared. Hon
w. L. Putnam appeared for the Boston ani
Maine Railroad.
In opening Mr. Bradbury said that the stat
utes of the state makes it the duty of the city
authorities to keep the streets open. Indeed, il
might be said that it was the fault of the au
thorties that State street was not now open
| He understood that the Boston and Maine r.
r. Co. stood ready to build the bridge when
the city government said that one was re-
quired. The company, he was happy to say
had performed most cheerfully and promptly
| all that it promised to do. The only question
| presented, is, whether or not under the circum
stances of the case, it is the duty of the city to
see that the prayer Of the petitioners be
| granted. State street is in an unsatisfactory
condition 1t is only foot path from York to
| Commercial streets. 1t may be that it has not
been greatly used since other streets have been
| opened near by, nevertheless it has been con.
stantly used when open not only by light
travel but by 10, ded teams. 1t is needed now
for variety of purposes, principally to reach
the depots safely, as short route up town for
those going to the western portion of the city,
and the most beautiful street by which excur-
sions and military companies can reach the
heart of the city. By it, teams travelling streets
| parallel to Commercial can reach the depots
| without driving along Commercial, where the
| engines brighten most horses Then the beauty
of prospect and draft of fresh air are something
| to those people living on the most beautiful
street of the city. They asked it, and if the
city deemed it necessary, it can be no hardship
| to rich corporation to do what it has con-
tracted 20 do.
Mr.. Putnam in reply said that Mr.. Bradbury
had fairly stated the position of the Boston and
Maine with reference to what the city required.
The road must do what the city reasonably
asks, and will do it. 1.-THE point we make
said Mr.. Putnam, sis that the parties for pay
have attacked the Boston and Maine Railroad
and director whose connection with the road
and residence in the city are fortunate to both.
The speaker said be kuew whereof he spoke.
Mr.. Putnam. then referred to other streets that
were not kept open, among which was Bracket
street. Previous city governments had said by
their acts that the bridge was not necessary.
If it is not, we only ask not to be put to this
extra expense. On the part of the street prac-
tically discontinued, on the easterly side, the
company owned all the property from S. x.
Dyer's to Commercial street, while on the wes-
terly side the company own from the corner of
York to the corner Of Commercial where Mr..
Walkers property is located. The company
now maintain, winter aud summer, good
walk for passengers. Before this there was no
walk and the middle of the street was SO rough
and full Of rolling stones that one could travel
only with the greatest difficulty. 1t was a
matter of common notoriety that carriages com
ing down State street turned off at York and
reached Commercial by some other route, so
difficult and even dangerous was this street be-
low York. 1t would be great expense to the
city to maintain this street. 1t was never safe;
can never be without great expense, if at ALL it
is SO steep. He believed the present sidewalk
was used more than the whole street before it
was built. He said by their acts it had been
the judgment of preceding city governments
that the street need not be further opened
that the little use of the street, the DANGER the
expense of keeping it in repair were reasons
enough for their action. The street was not
discontinued because the future growth of the
city might render the street necessary.
Hon. S. E. Spring, as director of the Boston
and Maine Railroad, only wished to confirm
what Mr.. Putnam had said The company had
DO contest with Portland. The company didn't
think the road was necessary and didn't desire
to be put to needless expense. He had never
seen teams going up and down that street. He
did not really think any of the petitioners
wanted to drive teams up and down that steep,
rocky hill The whole thing originated from
one source He believed that the demand
really originated from one source Two or three
days after the petition was presented, an an
nouncement appeared in the PRESS; in day
or two another In the Argus, and then in the
Advertiser, all differently .signed, to give the
idea that large number of people we're inter-
ested in this matter, when in fact it was only
done by one man employed by the Eastern
Railroad to bring the Boston and Maine into
disfayor in Portland. "Sanday trains" were
attacked with pious fervor, and now the Mayor,
city government, and himself, as director, were
paraded before the city as men culpable for the
neglect of duty. 1t was only kind of black
mail The Eastern Railroad managers insti-
gated this, why he knew not. He was sorry
the petitioners who are good citizens, had been
used as TOOLS. DR.. Lunt objected to the term
stools" and denied that such was the case.
Mr.. Spring said they h I'd been made innocent
tools of the Eastern Railroad to put the Boston
and Maine to expense and bring the manage
ment into dsrepute. It was only repetition
of what the same party did with High street
bridge. 1t was persistent purpose to damage
the Boston and Maine.
S. X. Dyer, Esq, said that the petitioners
were not tools, even innocent ones, of any road.
He knew nothing about the railroads in the
matter. He was one of the first signers of the
petition and would have started one himself
had Mr.. Walker lot brought this one to him.
He said that when be was boy he had driven
loaded teams up that hill His father, a ship
builder had always hauled his material over
that street to Commercial street. The pro-
duce of the old canal was all hauled that way.
He believed if the street was opened it would
be extensively used.
Messrs f. o. Sawyer, Keazer and Joseph
Dyer eaid they had driven teams over the part
of the street cut off.
Mr.. Bradbury deprecated that the contest
between the Eastern and Boston and Maine
Railroads had been brought on here. He was
not here to discuss the writer of newspaper
articles He (the writer) had been very use
full man to Maine. 1t had nothing to do with
the question The only questions are: Do the
petitioners make it evident that the street
should be opened? Does the public interest re-
quire it?
Mr.. Goodwin, City Engineer, in reply to a
question of the Mayor, said that he had made a
plan of the part of State street now shut up.
The grade is 1868 feet in 100 That of High
street is from to IL feet in 100. After fur
Their explanations by MI. Goodwin and a few
questions by others, the hearing was closed.
The committee will not report on the petition
until they have fully examined the street and
investigated the subject
PREsUMPsCOT PARK,