Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-04-28

not be very successful in that and as to the Lewis
& Kennebec, they can ascertain before hand that
accommodations which they could afford would
be regarded as too insignificant to merit serious
consideration.
Another project not noticed by the Farmer, but
which has been foreshadowed by some in author
ity in the Maine Central is to extend the Belfast
road on its charter to Mooschead Lake, uniting
with the Lewis 6 Kennebec near the lake, taking
upper Somerset to Belfast, while it confines lower
Somerset to its road leading from West =" ater-
vile, seventy seven miles to Portland; dividing
the current of trade, passing it by on each SIDE Oh
our city, to which it could be brought by the con-
struction Of eighteen miles Of road. The business
men of Somerset and Augusta, it is believed, will
never permit this.
The most remarkable cnunciation Of the Farm
er in its editorial, is that trade brought by ROAD
passing through Augusta, from Quebec to W Is
casset, "car be of but little consequence as "Au-
gusta would be only way station, as 1t now 49,
Many places small in beginnings have grown into
large cities since the advent of railroads simply
by railroads passing through them, and yet ac-
cording to the Farmer they are "only way sta
TONS" A place seldom grows to much size from
q
comes way station on a number of roads it in
trudcs itself into notice and is of importance
This needs no illustration; and the reasons why
number of roacs passing through place pro-
notes its growth is so obvious as to be unneces-
sary to enumerate them, except by way Of remind
err. as they are well known and universally &C
knowledged by observing and rejecting men. a
large volume Of wealth at the present day. passes
along the great avenues of communication, the
great rivers and long railroads of country. AT
various points on these lines business centres and
flows to and from the surrounding country.
These centres are way stations" or distributing
points, which grow in consequence of the bust
ness thrown upon them; they centres of large
small extent of country, and increase IN size In
proportion to the area of country and the popula-
ton which they serve and accommodate. Having
formed centre, the various industries of the me-
chanical arts required to supply the surrounding
popu lation are started, ard the way station
grows, and the adjacent country grows. Perhaps
it has water power, which moves to a limited ex-
tent the wheels of domestic industry; its adyan-
tages for manufacturing operations on larger
scale, owing to facilities for transit to and from
markets are perceived, and capital begins to be
invested there, and invites further invest
ment which in turn succeeds, and the way sta
ton" grows, becoming a city, wealthy and popu
lous, drawing to it all the accessories Of modern,
civilized life; churches and schools. men of the
learned professions, merchants and commerce,
banks, and newspapers religions, literary and po-
litical; and the country around demands agri-
cultural paper, and it is established and becomes
highly prosperous, having an extensive circula-
ton; all this comes from "way station Anon
the city has outgrown the country by which it has
been fed, and to which it has made return in
kind. 1t now becomes necessary that other ave-
nues for the surplu. products of its industry and
to increase them should be opened and they are
constructed, and the city becomes "a way station"
on other roads, and it draws to itself additional
business; the facilities fer doing business begets
business and the city still grows; banking
capital is increased; savings banks are es-
tablished to gather the surplus earnings Of
the people, which flow in little rills to the pond
which stores and holds the power to move ponder
GUS machinery. The city now becomes an i'm
portant centre. The agricultural journal, in the
mean time, from the enterprise and ability of its
management and the wealth Of its scientific and
practical information, overfows with its circula-
ton the bounds of the surrounding country of
which the place was the centre, and spreads over
the State and into adjoining and far distant States
gathering rich returns from the weekly distribu-
ton it makes from the "way station" Many a
place whose circuit of dependence for support is
naturally cilcumscribed, yet through its created
facilities for transit distributes the products of its
industry in far distant sections. Our city, just
now, needs to have restored to its business the
sections Of country which have been taken com
pulsively from her, and also to make additional
acquisitions. All that is now required is the con
struction of eighteen miles of road, which as a
natural sequence will eventually draw after it over
two hundred miles more. Bangor is stretching
out her arms to embrace territory which is natu-
rally connected with us. Portland has already
tapped somewhat the source Of our prosperity and
is extending her arms in every direction, and we
poor mortals are looking in stupefaction and
wondering if some one won't come and build us
eighteen miles of road, or if we can't crook around
on somebody else road, and get an apology for
an access to portion Of the territory and the
city from paying out dollar. CITIZEN.