The Portland daily press., 1880-03-18
The Grand Trunk Railway.

is shipping to Europe, by sailing vessels,
grain received from the West over the
Grand Trunk Railway. We note the fact
as additional evidence of the earnest compe-
ttion of the Atlantic seaports for the grain
carrying trade. How long this novel exper-
iment at New London will continue is
problem, but its success so far has embold-
ened the business men of that city to notify
the Grand Trunk and it's southern connec-
tions that they are ready to erect an elevator
of 100000 bushels capacity at tide water ON
the assurance of direct and permanent
line to the West. This experiment is worthy
of notice, again, because it denotes the great
value of the Grand Trunk Railway to New
England business. Its position and inherent
strength renders it quite independent of
Vanderbilt. 1t belongs to another system
of railroads from that controlled by the rail
road kings of New York. Although Van
derbilt was able for time, by means of his
ownership in the Michigan Central and a
number of its connections, to dictate the
terms on which it should reach the great
business centres of the West, his rule was
of brief duration, for the Grand Trunk
managers succeeded in establishing an indie
pendent way to the desired points. By the
establishment of it's new Western connec-
tiOns the road seems to be out of Wander
bilt's reach, so far as he can ever effect it
seriously, and there is no probable cause for
a combination or pooling arrangement with
the Vanderbilt interest in the future.
The Grand Trunk road has proved its
ability to compete with the great lines run
ming through the State of New York by
carrying merchandise from Chicago to New
England ports for from five to ten cents per
hundred pounds below their established
tariff, with a considerable saving of time.
If it were possible to easily obtain the sta
tistics of the Grand Trunk through its vari-
GUS connections south of the Canada line,
the amount would, I'VE believe, surprise the
reader by its magnitude. We have knowl
edge enough, however, of the. statistics to
risk the statement that this road is by far
the g eatest individual feeder of New Eng
land business industry.
The Massachusetts, system of railroads to
the West across the Hudson is not in sat
isfactory condition. West of the river the
roads encounter Vanderbilt. By his recent
arrangement with Jewett for al interchange
of privileges between the Boston & Albany
and the Erie, he makes the former part of
his through line. The revelations made at
arailroad committee hearing in Boston re-
Gently discovered discrimination in the
rate of freights by this line against Boston
which alarms the merchants of that city.
The Hoosac Tunnel, into which the State of
Massachusetts, has poured twenty millions
of the peoples money, is at the mercy of
vanderbilt, for he controls every line lead
ing to it from the West. He might as well
own the Tunnel, for he prevents its owners
from utilizing it successfully. Many schemes
are proposed 10 overcome these evils; legis-
lative Intervention has been invited in order
to secure independent Western connections;
and the proposition which receives most fa-
vor now is the extension of the Tunnel line
direct to the Great Lakes. But will this
give security for the future?
The cheapest and most reliable line from
Boston to the West, then, is the Grand
Trunk via the Central Vermont. We have
shown the advantages as regards time and
freight rates; and we may strengthen this
statement by referring to the Fact that the
Grand Trunk sent into New England over
the Central Vermont alone, last year, 300,-
600 tons of Western merchandise; and the
managers of the latter road are anticipating
new Grand Trunk extension West. Fur
ther, very large percentage of Western
bound freight from Boston reaches its des-
tination over this route.
The diversion of large amount Of. Western
business to point so unlocked for as New
London has startled Boston shippers. In
discussing this new fact recently, Boston
paper said:
Boston should take in the situation. Port
land is of course desirous of the Grand Trunks
business, for it is there that the terminus is,
Meanwhile, where are Boston's interests? They
are at the present time ieopardized by the con-
nections between the Grand Trunk and our
city, being made of different roads, making
small links, 80 to speak, the breaking of any
one which might break up the through line.
*0* The through business with Chicago
demands not only good terminal facilities but
a strong through line which cannot be easily
broken up. Such for instance, is the Grand
Trunk, but when it seeks to reach Boston, and
that it does so desire can be accepted as fact
it encounters several small roads, none of
which are consolidated, so that at any time a
break might occur and through line traffic
be prevented
The spirit CT the article from which we
make the above extract is to urge the imme-
diate consolidation of the Boston & Lowell
and the Lowell & Nashua railroads and the
building of large elevator and grand ex-
tension of terminal facilities at tide water
by the former corporations, agreeable to a
plan heretofore perfected. 1t is signifi-
cant fact that the 'short, strong link as
the Boston & Lowell road is designated, is
the one which connected the late Portland
& Rochester opposition line with Boston,
and that the tracks of the Portland & Roch-
ester and Grand Trunk roads unite under
the Northern brow of Munjoy. 1t is also
future business of the Vermont Central
will be so greatly increased by the enlarge
ment of the Welland Canal that the Grand
Trunk will find it profitable to keep on its
own track through the entire length of its
line. What shall be the position of Portland
in tha. event?
NEW YORK Tribune: If Garcelon thinks
he can pose before the country as twin in
nocent he is overestimating the gullibilitv of
the American people. One political inno-
cent is as much as generation can stand,
and the Ex-Governor of Maine will merely
overstoek the market. 1t is too much, as
Artemus Ward said when the seventeen
widows of Mormon Saint wanted to marry
| him.
SOME have the impression that the first
section of the amended liquor law which
| condemns as common nuisance "places OF
resort" where liquors are "given away
applies to private houses and the guests
| thereof. This is erroneous. Places of gen.
| eral and public resort are meant.