The Portland daily press., 1878-01-09
Dover & Dexter Railroad,

The agitation of plan for building brancl
of the Maine Central railroad from Dexter Il
| Foxeroft or Dover to tap the great Piscataquii
valley is matter specially interesting to Port
land merchants and manufacturers. Ondel
| the present arrangement the business of thu
large and rich region is diverted from its nat
ural channel to Bangor or, by water communi
cation to Boston, The Piscataquis people are
eager for direct Communication westward
which shall lead easily to Portland, and only
twelve miles, or little more, of road need be
built to effect the result. An extension of the
charter of the Dover & Dexter road will be
sought from the Legislature this winter and
should receive the cordial sanction and assist
ance of everybody from this section of the
state. The following letter, written by prom
inent citized Of Piscataquis and an eminent
agriculturaist gives some of the points involv-
ed in the matter:
To W. ". Clark, Esq. of Forcrott:
My Dear Sr,-In the present agitation of
the subject of a railroad from Dexter to the
Piscatsquis river, gather from you aud others
the leading points of consideration that are
now presented by the people of this county to
determine its speedy real cation. L may not
have clear perception of the general or spe-
citic presentation of the developed aud latent
resources of this ceatral portion of the State at
the meeting recently held in this place to con-
slider this measure, but from subsequent re-
marks by yourself and others who were prime
actors in the movement, conclude that much
mora should be said than was then and there
practicable.
When the plan for the B. & P. R. r. was
submitted to the people of this county, it ap.
peared to me as absurd and ridiculous to start
Off north SforlV to make a 0nsirad n1oSa
nection with the state capitol, with our COM
mereia! metropolis aud with the business mart
of New England; all lying in right line 10
the opposite direction. During that exciting
time, when sm0oth-tOngued men succeeded lie
covering our town with the thick blanket of
mortgsg e, it was my fortune to stand in a mi
nority that could be counted ON ones fingers
When the road was built, aud we were oblig-
ed to pay one quarter more for a ride to Ban
gor than the former price by STAGE and more
on small lots Of freight than previously sby
teams over the hills, the ideas of our little mi
nority were soon approved by large majority
of our people. Oar towns sold themselves Gus
to gross wrong, and we are waiting favor-i
able time to be set right, in part, by more
reasonable line of engineering. u
The amount of business that awaits the coz
struction of the Is miles Of contemplated road,
is not to be measured by what is now seen upon
the b. & 2 road, which might be turned in the
other direction, nor by the promises of freight
by few men now established here ia business.
Facility and celebrity Of transit begets activity
and enterprise.
The great extent of this county, and the
character and magnitude of its natural pro.
ducts, now give IL a prominent position in the
collective value and resources of the state
those things that give character to common
Wealth-sbl0gs that contribute 10 growth in
population, wealth and general improvement.
Slate is not likely to be superseded or go out
OF fashion. There is an increasing use and de-
mand for hard Lumber in the construction of
buildings; and for factory or farm machinery
its consumption is immense where there can bs
no substitute. At Worcester and other manu-
featuring places, are seen carloads of hard
lumber drawn from Canada and the nor thWest
states-lumber of no better quality than we
have in large quantity in Piscataquis, where but
a small portion of it is wanted for home use.
AS an extensive valuable product it only re-
mains to us because it could not be drifted
down the water courses with the pine and
spruce. 1t is forced reserve, waiting the rail.
Our Tamarack ship-timber mostly remains in
the woods for the same reason that has saved
the hard wood.
We have here 10 plenty, poplar wood that is
worked Into paper pulp and excelsior. These
articles, that must be kept dry, naturally reach
their market BY call rail- One pulp mill is
now at work. and the, Bailey Brothers, at Fox
croft Bridge. are now building for the resump-
ton of their excelsior manufacture. Their one
machine, on new plan, that has made two
carloads in week, is to be set at work in the
spring of the present year.
AS an Agricultural district, the valley of the
Piscataquis is not to be sighted in the general
view of New Eogland agriculture In its 70
years it has largely contributed to the wealth
of Bangor and Boston. Ten of our Oldest towns
produce an annual average crop of about two
hundred aud thirty thousand $3.50 000)
busnls of potatoes. In season of small crops 10
other states, and even in ordinary years, and
with usual prices, more than half of this cropis
for the Boston market. AT moderate esti7
mate. these ten towns can spare four hundred
carloads of potatoes.
In the present constrained condition of agri-
culture improved methods are in order, and
sometimes radical changes are demanded. In
none of these when made. is the farmer seen to
be less dependant upon, or to contribute less to
the support of the common carrier. Improved
agriculture calls for increased quantities of
commercial fertilizers, and larger consumption
of the oi-cakes land mill feed from the South
and West; and the free use of these stimulates
the production and liberates the consumption
of large quantities of hay when it is wanted
elsewhere.
New England husbandry still inciues to an
increased dairy production. In good neigh
borhood for butter and cheese, the farmers
need oply to be asked to stock Gcanning fac
tory with sweet corn, and there is no part of
Maine where that crop is easier grown than
here. A direct outlet by rail would hasten the
ouOptiuH VI AoW luuuStI1cS Ud6oQ upUu bHo CD
liabilities of our superior soil, and the extent
and richness of our mines and forests. Our
people here are mostly from the stock of the
older portions Of New England. Our relatives
and friends live west of u.s. Our emigration
has been westward. Our kindred are found all
the way to the western ocean. When we
journey for pleasure or business nine in every
ten of US want to go west 1t is a sore re-
straint upon our movements at an inc ement
season, to be obliged for the first day of our
journey to ride directly away from our objec-
tive point.
Our city cousins seek the pure country air in
summer; and to reach it IN full measure, often
are seen to subject themselves to many dis
comforts in crowded hotels. or the annoyance
of flies in secluded hooks of mountain or for
ests, remote from rail or telegraph The coun-
ty of Piscataquis at many points, offers attrac-
tons to tourists, scarcely second to any upon
the continent. 1nvalids and city families are
learning to find health and pleasure by sum-
mer homes in and around the pleasant villages
OF Pscataouis; aud this habit and this friendly
intercourse is destined to increase with i'm
proved INSTRUMENTATION.
Ths importance of this short connecting road
could be shown, if it were necessary, by many
considerations scarcely yet limited at by any adj
vocata of the measure. That such q road
would be an important and valuable one for
traffic and travel, there cannot be a doubt
These brief hints and suggestions, my dear
sir, puG in your hand, to be placed where
they may do the most good.
Very truly yours,
G, CHAMBERLAIN