The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-10-06
The Aroostook Trade.

h0 C"ioio i'd0o appears W ld' oeell
unduly excited by the brief mention in
the Journal Of the proposed railroad from
Dexter, through Dover to Patten, thence
to Houlton, and from Houlton to Pressure
Isle. After quoting the remarks of the
Journal concerning the advantages likely
to accrue to Belfast from this direct com
munication with the fertile Aroostook re-
| gion, the Times says
We wonder what locality will next claim to be
the outlet of the Aroostook trade To grasp, con
| troll, hand and grow rich, on paper, out of the
vast agricultural productions of the northern
| county seems to be favorte amusement of our
exchanges all along the coast and river line from
st. John to Boston. 1t is perennial subject that
appears to eXhierate editors, and can always be
depended upon to tickle the fancy of local readers.
the Times then proceeds to tickle the
fancy Of its local readers by claiming that
''the natural outlet Of Aroostook county
is through the ST. CroiX valley; )" that
Calais is ''as good winter port as Belfast,
and in point of propinquity, competition
from any other sources would be entirely
out of the question To this statement
we, of course take exceptions. The
| Times continues
Then, again, the time is coming when some
Maine seaport is to be the point of distribution of
| the Aroostook products. AT that point large cap
| ita must be invested for the business and whore
in Maine are greater attractions offered to capital
| lists than here Certainly not in Belfast, 50
| whelmed by debt that some of its citizens talk Of
| Reputation. In Calais We have no debt worth
,.Slt
| ing established ard an era OF great prosperity is
| opening on the community Here is just the place
| to do business on grand scale with Aroostook
| county. The prospect OF growth is now 50 promis
| ing that it is safe to predict that the city will
| double i'll wealth and population iii IA few years
And if all other means fail the time is not far dis
tant when in order to establish with the up country
the relations intended by nature the people Of
| Calais will bud-and hardly feel the burden-a
| railroad by the shortest route possible on Maine
soil direct to Houton We have perfect faith in
the future of Calais, and there is doubt that III
timatey tits city cannot be deprived OF any OF its
| rights
The Times argues from false premises.
Calais has no rights in this matter that
are not equally the rights of other towns
| and cities in the State The Aroostook,
or any other trade, is the reward Of we'll
directed enterprise; and the people Of
| the Aroostook valley will naturally derive
| benefit from a rivalry which must give
them better facilities for the shipment
and sale Of their products. Trade is not
| influenced 10y scntlmentality, nor by the
aspirations, however laudable, of such
"eXhilerateu editors as our contemporary
of the Times. Other things being equal
| trade follows natural channels as certainly
as a river flows downward from its source
When diyerged, it is either through freight
| determinations or the important matter
of terminal facilities. If the control Of
the Aroostook trade depends upon the
latter alone, the advantages Belfast offers
either as Il summer or winter port but eS-
| pecially the latter, are far greater than
those Calais can offer If we are not
mistaken, the winters are exceptional
when the port of Calais is not Distracted
| 10y ice and in all seasons, navigation has
to contend with the currents and fogs
w iiltll lltlht tliC tAtlCIlt ttloit! II w ttt-
| the most dangerous portion of our coast
| The fact that Belfast has already been 4
winter port Of shipment for Aroostook
products may be accepted as an indica
ton that with direct railroad commune
cations more or less trade would be dl-
| verted IN this direction. And we can as
sure the Times that Belfast is not $50
overwhelmed by debt" but that the nee
essary capital will be forthcoming to sup
ply all needed facilities. Steps have al
ready been taken in this direction OF
which mention has been made in our To-
cal columns; and the beginning of work
on the proposed railroad will be the signal
for the erection here of warehouses and
the extension of docks so that any amount
of freight may be cheaply and eXpedi-
tiously handled. With our present tacil
tiles freight is transferred directly from
vessel to car and car to vessel, and large
quantities Of coal, salt, lime and cement,
brought here bywater, are now sent over
the railroad to points in the interior.
With the wider market opened by the
new road these shipments would naturally
increase and would tend to bring return
freights to this port.
We do not claim that Belfast has any
rights in this NATTER other than those she
may acquire by her enterprise and by the
natural and other advantages she can Of
fer. If Calais can offer greater facilities
in such an event we should not sit down
and cry about it, but would welcome her
prosperity. While the Journal will do all
it can to promote the trade and indus
tries of this locality, it is not actuated by
dog in the manger spirit, and would
like to see every other city, town and
section of Maine rich and prosperous.
A man who has eaten grasshoppcrs
out West says that when boiled for two
hours, with pepper and salt, they are not
easily distinguishablc from beef broth
and that when fried in their own oil they
have a nutty flavor. This reminds us Of
an incident in which Gen. Rusk, the Re
publican candidate for Governor of Wis
cousin, figures. The House Committee on
Agriculture, of which Gen. Rusk was Il
member, was considering a bill for the
appointment of commission to go west
and investigate the grasshoppers. One
day they had before them Prof Riley, the
well known entomologist, and after the
professor had made a lengthy statement,
and seated himself Gen. Rusk, by way Of
saying something pleasant, remarked