Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-03-07
From the Wiscasset Oracle.
IMPORTANT RAILROAD MEETING.

The stockholders of the Wscasset g. Moosehead
Lake Railroad met at the Court House, in Wscas-
set, on Saturday evening, Feb. 26, by adjournment
from the 2lst inst.
The meeting having been called to order BY the
President, committee WAS appointed to ascertain
the number of stockholders present and amount
of stock represented, and reported that there was
q legal quorum.
Some remarks were then made concerning the
proposed change in the name of the corporation.
A letter was read from Gen. w. S. TiltOn of To-
gus, one of the directors of the road urging i'm
mediate action and recommending a change of
pane.
On motion of Capt. Joseph Tucker, it was voted
to "change the name of the corporation and adopt
q new one"
1.-The Wscasset and Quebec Railroad Company"
was unanimously adopted as the new name, and
the Clerk was instructed to certify the proceed
ings of the meeting and return the same, forth
with, to the Office of the Secretary of State, as
provided by law.
The President then introduced William Atkin-
son, ESD, OF Embden, one of the Directors OF the
Somerset railroad.
Mr.. Atkinson said he was not professional
speaker, but only plain farmer and that he came
before the meeting with no expectation of charm
ing them with his oratory, but only to lay before
them in rough way few facts and fl ures con-
corning the great international highway of which
the Wiscasset 4 Quebec railroad is to be most
important link. He believed the day was not far
distant when the quaint old city of Quebec-the
ancient as well as modern capital of Canada and
the greatest seaport of the Dominion, the fixed
and certain eastern terminus the Canada Pacific
ralway-would have direct connection with the
open deep sea harbor of Wiscasset.
He believed that first in importance was the i'm
mediate construction of the road from Augusta to
West Watervle. That secured the road to Wis
casset would be assured, and he thought there
would be no difficulty in completing the Somer-
set railroad to the Canada line, 50 miles, in two
years.
Reviewing the progress made thus far in the
construction of the road he said: The Lewis &
kennebec railway starts from the south bank of
the ST. Lawrence, opposite Quebec, and proceeds
up the river Chandler in southerly direction
through fertile and thickly settled country, Is
far as built, to meet the Somerset railway at the
| boundary line 80 miles from Quebec. As miles of
the Lewis 4 kennebec railroad have been built,
and it is intended to build 80 miles more this sea
son, which will bring them within Is miles of the
boundary line. The port of Quebec is closed to
navigation SIX months in year, and the shortest
and cheapest line ofland transit for her commerce
in the winter time, or from October to April, with
the maritime Provinces Of the Dominion, by l59
miles, with Europe, the West Indies, South Amer
lea and the United States is the lines of the
Lewis 4 kennebec and Somerset railroads to West
Waterville in Maine, and thence via. Augusta ia
Wiscasset. This great line of international com,
munication will be q pathway OF commerce and q
highway of nations by reason Of the shortnes.
and cheapness OF its land transit over any 9th
er possible route from the st. Lawrence to the At
lantc, it being only 240 miles between the deer
and capacious sea harbors of Wiscasset and Que,
bee And the coast terminus at Wiscasset is about
$50 miles nearer the British Channel than New
| York.
Mr.. Atkinson alluded to the fact that one mil
in Lewiston was now running exclusively or
goods intended for the English market. He be
lieved the business of shipping cotton goods "a
England was destined to be an important branch
of our commerce. Concerning what is known in
Quebec as the North Shore railway, which is but
a link in the projected line from Quebec to the
Pacific he said, that the eastern division of the
Canada Pacific railway from Quebec to Ottaws
and Aylmer 28S mics from Quebec, had been en-.
sured by the timely and polite assumption of the
completion of that half constructed line by the
Government Of the Province. The eastern divi.
sion OF the Canada Pacific railway is now known
As the Quebec. Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental