The Portland daily press., 1880-02-19
THE GRAND TRUNK.
The Advantages it's New Connec-
ton will be to Portland.
Sydney. Cape Breton, to be Made a Port
OF Entry.

AAS ~~ooooAA P"PSAo udNC udu d HOUu u6dl W
say abou the great advantages which would
result to their city from the new connection
recently constructed by the Grand Trunk
road, giving that corporation an unbroken
line from Portland to Chicago Very little
however has been said about these advantages
10 Portland, arising from this source. We
propose however to give our citizens some idea
OF what Portland may have, provided her peo-
pie do not choose to throw away their chance
The distance from portland to Chicago by
the Grand Trunk is now 80 miles less than
when the road had to connect with the Mich
igan Central. The new link is called the
Great Eastern Line and has for its officers L.
j. Sargent, traffic manager of the Grand
Trunk, for president; John Porteous, freight
manager, for treasurer, and L. E. Snively
secretary. The secretary resides at Chicago.
Mr.. John Porteous, it will be remembered, was
agent of the Grand Trunk in this city for
many years, until recently. The Grand Trunk
intends and desiree to favor Portland first, in
preference to all other terminal ports. It will
work in the interests of Portland. Its.own in
terests are here. But what the Grand Trunk
does expect, everything else being equal, is
VAno L "a hAOAChdutS SuOulu pdUrOulZ6 Inc
only road that has, 30 far, ever given them
regular western connection for business By
this we mean, that with rates as low as by any
other line, and transportation as quick, Port
land merchants should patronize the Grand
Trunk in preference.
Since the completion of the new link every
car OF the Grand Trunk can make room for,
on the Portland branch, is in use and the
amount of stuff in transitu, or that has already
been forwarded this remarkable season, has
been enormous. We have already published
tabulated statements of the amount of grain
shipped from this port this season In excess of
that of any other year. The value of exports
doubled for January as follows:
Jan. 1879. JAN 1880
Domestic exports. -. $3.50, o03 $500, 3sS
Merchandise In transit. 714,666 2O57,477
But with the new facilities now afforded the
Grand Trunk is prepared to double the
amount of freight she has poured into this
city.
But this is not all. The Grand Trunk is
now making arrangements with the great
shippers of London and Liverpool, to make sgd
ney, Cape Breton, port of call. At present
Sandy Hook and Delaware Breakwater are the
two ports of call, and both New York and
Philadelphia gobble the majority of the bust
ness. With Sydney port to call Portland
will be the first choice on account of its dis
lance. In other words ship will touch at
Cape Breton, receive the rates of the Grand
Trunk tor freight from Portland, as the ship
ping port and if satisfactory las there is no
doubD will proceed to this port to load. The
advantages, formerly stated by us, of no port
charges, the road coming down to the
wharves, the possibility of getting coal and
freight, etc., all tell immensely in our
favor, besides the chance also of buying what
coal they may desire IN order to complete
voyage, if going elsewhere, point hat has
never before been agitated, or apparently
thought of by other ports. If the arrange
meet shall be made by these vessels, in
Europe, through these shippers for
Cape Breton then they will be sent to Port
land any way. In order to take care of all |
this shipping two things will be necessitated in
Portland; first the construction of the sheds |
Nos. 1. 2, 8 and 4, out to the harbor commits |
sioners' line as we'll as the wharves on which |
they stand, and new elevator will have to be |
built between sheds Nos. and to accommo-
date 100000 bushels, giving, with the old |
elevator capacity of 10000.
For the accommodation of passengers Pull |
man car, or cars, will run directly through |
from Portland to Chicago. The place for the
new Chicago passenger station is not yet set
tied upon; the one at present used is the Pitts
bury, Fort Wayne & Chicago. The agent of |
the new line at Chicagois w. T. Scott through |
whom all orders for shipments should be sent. |
As far as lines of steamers to take away traffic
there will be enough for all That the Allan line |
will return here there is little doubt. but that
will not necessitate rupture with the present |
steamer lines. Where there are goods to be |
carried there will be no trouble about tho car
riers.
To give some idea of the desire of Boston
for the Grand Trunks business, we understand |
the company have been promised two eleva-
tors, and large amo unit of wharf room, with |
spacious sheds, if they will make that city the
terminus of the road. But with the facilities
the road now possesses she can furnish Boston
with all the stuff that city can take care Of
with the business entailed on her by other
roads. and yet leave Portland what she is and
always will be, the eastern terminus of the
Grand Trunk.