Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-04-17
The Railroad from North Anscn 20 Au-
eusta.--Change Of Gauge of the Somerset


| town, with liberal delegation from Scion, Bing-
| ham, and the outlying country, to consider the
practicability of changing the gauge of the Som
I erset Railroad from the present standard gauge
to three feet. Tie DAD has been successfully OPP
Grated for some two years from North Arson to
West Wa ervile, q distance Of twenty five miles,
and lis business has steadily increased, the earn
ings of the last eight months being 80 per cent.
greater than the earnings for the same time last
| year. Still, the road has no adequate outlet and
the people Of the upper Kennebec deeply feel the
| necessity Of pushing down the highway that ma
| ture has so plainly indicated, to tide waters at
Augusta. The people there are anxious to be put
| in direct and easy communication with the CAPT
tai. Here in old stage times, they traded, and
this is the market they are naturally disposed to
seek
| The people along the route of the Somerset
| Railroad are deeply interested, as they and the
towns they represent subscribed literally for the
| stock and bonds of the road. 1t is natural that
they should hesitate before taking a step that will
radically change the policy Of their corporation.
| So the object Of the meeting was mainly to i'm
| part information concerning the desirabity and
| practicabilty Of the three-foot gauge. Between
three hundred and four hundred of the intelligent
citizens, the stirring business men and hardy far
| mers of the county, were present, and gave the
closest attention to all that was said.
> The meeting was called TO order by Albert
Moore, Esq, of North Arson, who called to the
chair, j. j. Parlin, Esq, of the same place Benz.
Collins was chosen Sec'y. Mr. Parlin understood
the object of the meeting to be to further the in
terests of the great railroad line that should ut
mately connect the cities of the St. Lawrence
with the open and capacious harbor at Wiscasset.
Hon. Vim. Flint of Arson, said the people had
come together seeking for information Much re-
grct had been expressed that the road did not
reach the capital. 1t is certainly becoming appar
ent that the railroad at present is poor property,
and il relief can be secured by changing the
gauge, that fact the people want to know.
Maj. G. T. Stevens of West Waterye, was
called upon and said that at two meetings held in
that town his views had been expressed quite free
ly, and now he wanted to hear from the people Of
Arson.
VIM. Atkinson, Esq, of Embden, said that
when the extension is made to Augusta and Wis
casset, and also to Lewiston, we have base OF
operations for the great International highway
from Quebec to the sea- These roads can be made
to pay atthe start. We have one Of the best val
leys tor water power in the world--it can't be sur
passed anywhere. This will entce those who
have been manufacturing by coal power TO come
here, where this mighty power absolutely costs
nothing but its control The climate and faci
ties unsurpassed for the production of cotton
| and wooden goods. Cotton may be shipped from
the Son IN IN Wiscssset and thence no hronoht hv
all to our factories manufactured. and lucra.
tive trade opened with the markets of Great Brit
ain. We can only realize the possibilities of our
position by extending the Somerset road to Wis.
casset 1t is Of no use to talk about extending the
road to Augusta on the standard gauge. Capital
lists will not invest S25 600 per mile in a road that
can be built to do more business for ST., 900.
Henry Blanchard, Esq., of Boston, was the next
speaker, and he had not proceeded far before it
was plainly shown that he was thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with the subject Of narrow gauge railroads.
How, he asked, can the bondholders of the Som
erset road derive benefit from their investments by
narrowing up their road BY reducing their run
ming expenses 80 | 3 per cent cent, and enlargng
greatly the r ratio of freights over the old wide
gauge. ThSmotive power required is less. Fifty
narrow gauge cars loaded with 400 tons of freight
stand side by side with fity empty standard gauge
cars. 1t requires greater motive power to move
the fifty empty standard gauge cars than the fifty
loaded cars Of the narrow guage. The narrow
gauge trains can make steep grades and sharp
curves with the greatest ease and safety. BY
rowing the gauge and joining hands with Augusta,
the road can be made to pay Immediately. Som
erset people must not expect 10 turn in their road
At its cost-which he understood was $50, 900 per
mile-but to turn 1t in at the cost of a narrow
gauge road. He demonstrated by statistics given
OF certain narrow gauge roads, that that system
was perfect success, and was becoming popula r.
For instance, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad,
43S miles in length had, in 1885, paid Is l-3 per
cent. net profits. Reference was made to several
other narrow gauge roads. in still more prosper
Gus condition. The stock and bonds of new stan
dard gauge roads find ne purchasers in the
markets OF the world at $4,000 on a mile; but
the bonds OF narrow gauge roads at sl5. 900 on q
mile, are sought for at a premium. Il would pay
to narrow up your road, even II you had no futh-
err outlet at West Wsterville. Cheap trapsporta-
ion will develop your immense water power and
| increase business. The objections urged against
transhpment were fully answered. lie said it was
| so tritiing as to be unworthy much consideration.
Iou would save 81 per cent the present rates
of transportation if the freight should be trans
| shipped every ten rates. Mr.. Blanchard's argu-
ments were clear, able and convincing.
Howard owen OF Augusta, was called upon and
| spoke of the depletion OF the population of the
county and State, because high rates of transpor-
| tation had crippled business; the result that
would flow from competing line of railroad and
cheap transportation; and the deep interest felt
in the proposed project by the people of Augusta,
who desired to enter into closer business relations
with the people of the upper Kennebec.
| Maj. Stevens of West Waterville, continued in
the same line of thought, showing the good that
would be likely to result 10 this entire section of
| country from cheap transportation. Railroad tar
i'll is now so high that manufactures cannot be car
ried on at profit. The iron manufacturers at
West Waterve complain because the tran sporta-
| ton is so high. Town and private ind ividuals
| had crippled themselves by building this expen-
sive road your magnificent water power is effec-
| tuslly put under lock and key by high railroad
tariffs, and the only relief must come by the way
Of the narrow gauge railroad. The present road
was built in a time of general and great public
extravaganza Your debt will frighten people
from coming here 10 settle, and you must do some
thing to relief yourself OF it. He cited the profits
made by the Festinog, the New Brunswick, and
| other narrow gauge railroads, to show that the
| narrow gauge is new idea but is being adopt
| ed all over the country.
Mr.. Blanchard. being again called to TIE floor,
| said that Col. Tho,. Scott, the great railroad man