The Portland daily press., 1877-08-25

affirmative, engages in it heartily, investing
his money and inviting his friends to join him,
and the municipality where he lives to con-
tribute in aid, all the time keeping before him
the fact that the enterprise will give good
returns to himself, his friends and the public,
and when the enterprise is nearly consummated
in time of peculiar difficulty he does not, by
taking advantage of some financial embarrass-
ment gather tine whole into his individual
pocket, leaving his friends and the public in
surprise and wonder at his movements.
The second party who would vote against
farther city aid would be the first mortgage
bondholders, who wish to appropriate this
valuable property at one-third the cost. Let
but one 1.-THE of the unselfishness and sympathy
be manifested toward this great public work
which was shown the Atlantic and st. Law
renee (now merged in the Grand Trunk) in
its inception and construct on, and3 the work
would be accomplished. The officials would
be relieved from the anxiety which now rests
upon them, no receivership would be asked,
while the first mortgage bondholder retains
and has the ample security which he now
acknowledges @The proposition to build the
Atlantic and St Lawrence through an almost
unbroken wilderness to Island Pond, one hum
dred and fifty-five miles, at cost OF g. 100000,
looks like madness now, but then Portland was
united, from the most humble citizen to the
most wealthy capitalist with one exception) IN
the work. and it was accomplished. The popu-
lation of Portland at the beginning of that
great enterprise was about 10000. The city
valuation was about $13 100000, or something
less. The directors of that road were noble
men, and they did not look to see what they
could make out of the enterprise, or how their
private interest could be promoted, or take any
advantage of the many embarrassments that
rested upon it in its progress.
This great public work is for all time, and
the men, who by their 1ntiring energy and in
domitable will, carried it forward against the
opposition manifested and continually present.
ed before them, with the man who conceived
the great Work-John A. POor-deserve mar
Bile statues in our city. The city afforded the
road substantial aid by loan of $4,000, 900,
which has been in large measure repaid, and
in the prosperity and business of the city, has
been returned more than hundred fold. At
that time our banks were all tributary to Bos-
ton, our merchants were largely indebted to
Boston merchants, who with one accord-mer-
chants, bankers and capitalists, --ridiculed
Poftland's folly. But the road was built, ard
where is the man, director or private citizen,
who is not proud of having granted the aid.
What was once almost impossible, and by
some deemed utterly so-the building of any
railroad through the Crawford Notch-has been
realized, opening up and presenting to the
tourist the finest scenery IN this country. Moth
Ing so grand, beautiful ard sublime on this side
of the Atlantic. The pass through the Notch
Will draw travellers from all parts OF our coun-
try. Mount Washington was famous and trav-
ellers from parts of the world visited it. But
how many more inducements present them
selves for visit now, with the railroad runs
ming to its base and to its summit. Ali casse'
can now visit Mount Washington and thous-
ands will be drawn thither, passing through
Portland-and leaving money in abundance
with our people-who, but for these roads, would
have known these grand old mountains only in
Imagination.
The road which in the future will be worth
all the cost of construction, and afford hand
some revenue to the stockholders, which is to
DOur untold Com mnrcial wealth into Portland.
the last great work of Portland enterprise
which has cost millions, asks now only for
temporary relief to place it on a solid, sub.
stantial basis. Shall this be granted, or shall
this great enterprise-wh has cost the city
and our merchants SO much--pass forever into
the hands of strangers?
Let the thinking men of Portland reflect up
on this question: and act wisely in their conclu-
Sions. FL,
Portland, Aug %, 1877.