The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-25
MATTERS IN MAINE.
OUR RAILROADS.
Report Of the Railroad Commisioners.
Special to the Press

AhO ohuooi 1Opolu VI VIC hdllIOdu SOmmio-
sioners, Messrs. S. 81. Blake, A. W. Wildes
and j. f. Anderson, to the Governor is in
type and will be distributed to the Legislature
in few days. No report published is of more
general interest than that of our railroads
The repost begins with the statement that
the principal duty conferred upon the commits
sioners by law is to Carefully examine the
tracks, rolling stock, bridges, viaducts and cul-
verts of all railroads" In compliance with this
law, two careful examinations have been m ade
of all the roads in the state. As the result of
their examinations they report the roads and
rolling stock in good condition. Serious acct
dents have not been of so frequent occurrence
as in the past and there has been no startling
catastrophe within the year.
The commissioners proceed to say that the
reader will find their report free from statsti-
cal tables, partly because the law makes no
provision for the collection of statistics beyond
few simple questions put to railroad manag-
ers, and partly because they have no clerk or
office, but mainly because the collection and
publication of statistics which only the Stats
tician will ever look at, is an expensive luxury.
In foot note on this topic the commissioners
state that in the report of one state before them
there are 257 pages of abstracts of reports of
railroad and telegraph companies, in that of
another 31S pages. This sort of thing they say
may be necessary when our state system of
railroads shall be more extended and the man.
agement of them more complicated but the
commissioners see no good of ''dreary tables of
figures" which they notice in other reports.
They also suggest that some of the ''husky
repetitions" might be profitably eliminated
from other reports-in which the people at
large and the "Abstractor' would most heartily
agree.
RAILROADS IN MAINE.
There are in the state $685. miles of rail-
way, or about one mile of railway to each 80
square miles of territory, to each 1921, 900 of
property and to every GA of population.
CONDITION OF RAILROADS.
The report then proceeds to give the condi.
ton of each road in detail, of which the follow
ing is an abstract.
Hoatlton Branch: There are three miles of this
branch in Maine. 1t connects with New
Brunswick & Canada Railroad and is leased to
the same. Hon. f. A. Pike is president of the
line, which is reported to be in good condition
and carefully managed.
st. Croa1 and Penobscot Railroad. This road
extends from Calais to Princeton and is %
miles in length. The road is good deal worn
but is kept in such repair as to be safe for the
business it does, which is largely the transporta
ton of lumber. The managers contemplate the
extension of their line to that of the European
and North American but will, the Commissioners
think, have to await the dawn of better times be-
fore beginning. The earnings of the road the past
year were $50, SO and its expenses 1856 369 16
Its funded debt is $217, ZOO.
Whitneyvi1e and Machiasport Railroad.
This line was built in 1S42 by the owners of
lumber mills at Whitneysville and cost 800.
0OO 1t has no passenger cars, but persons
wishing to ride can do so at their own risk on
the lumber. The road is "a miles long and
earned Sc, 600 last year, which is expended on
the track.
Consolidated European & North american
Rdatocay: This line extends from Bangor ia
miles to the state line and beyond SS miles to
St. John N. b. This consolidated line operates
the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroads.&c. $40
mles-and the Bucksport Railroads. $40
nAiAOo-1CiuS go IullcS III oil. Lie II. q N, a.
Railway is in a very fair and safe condition.
Steel rail, are recommended between Bangor
and Milford on account of the heavy trains.
The Bangor & Piscataquis Branch has been
well kept up and is good state of repair.
The commissioners are glad to know that the
time tables have been heightened. The landed
debt of the E. & N. A. Railroad in Maine is
about $3,000,0OO. The consolidated road has
quite large floating debt. On the B. & P.
branch (55 miles) there is an indebtedness of
$4,000. An issuelof 100000 of the bonds of
the road is held by savings bank for loan of
100000. The earnings of the E. & N. A.
Railway and B. & P. roads for the year end
ing Sept. 80, was $685. 51.S1; operating ex-
penses $3.50, 9S9.5S. The Consolidated Company
failed to pay its coupons last July and in con-
sequence of the failure and to'protect the earn
ings of the road from being gobbled up by the
holders of the floating debt, the concern is now
run by the trustees of the bondholders.
The commissioners say that the B. g. P.
Railroad must be extended to Moosehead Lake,
the Megantic road built and road extended
into Aroostook to make the e. & N. A. all that
was intended. In this connection the commits
sioners say that the State cannot afford to
let an Aroostook road remain unbult now
that that country has been tapped by Canadian
roads built by government subsidy. They
express the hope that the Provincial policy
will be met firmly and soon' by the coAstruc
ton of a<better road on a shorter route, from
some point on the E. & N. A. Railway to the
Aroostook valley.
Bucksport & Bangor Railroad: The track of
this road is in good condition but it needs.di
ing and ballast. The cost of the road was
$590,880. The road is under a lease of the E.
& N. A. at a rent of 40 per cent. of its earn.
ings, which amounted to $4,000 the past year.
The road is now doing large freight business
from Bangor to Bucksport when the liver is
open to ships. The funde debt of the road is
$4,000 and the floating debt $4,000. The
coupons of 1854 600 of the bonds have been
funded for two and half years from October
1, 1874, at which time it is expected that the
road VIII pay interest. S. T. Kinks is Pres:-
dent.
Portland Oxford Central There is no rea-
son why this streak of rusty iron should be
called railroad. The people along the line
have been deceived if not cheated, and have
thus far failed without avail to get relief by
legislative enactment. 1t is not used at all,
Grand Trunk: There are so miles of the At
lantic & st. Lawrence division of the Grand
Trunk in Maine. The line has been greatly
improved since 1868 when the railroad COM
missioners declared that it was unsafe for pas
senger business. Now it takes rank among the
first railroads of the state. Forty-two miles
have steel rails, the balance is laid in good
iron, and bridges are of the same material.
All requirements and repairs are made in the
most thorough manner. The commissioners
speak in high terms of the Grand Trunk and
its terminal facilities in this city, and the new
elevator
Lewiston &c auburn: This road extends from
Lewiston 81 miles to the Grand Trunk to which
road it is leased. 1t is in thorough condition
Boston & Maine: There are A miles of this
road in Maine. The commissioners say: "This
admirably constructed and equipped railroad
has. during the past year, fully maintained its
well earned reputation for constant, undevi-
ating regularity and safety of operation. The
financial affairs of the road are in most excel
lent condition. The gross receipts for twelve