The Portland daily press., 1881-03-12


ture, aided by Canadian and London enter.
prise and capital, offers salvation from our.
selves. 1t is for us to discern and accept this
great salvation. Our great railroad kings saw
the point several years ago, and by every
means known to intrigue, cunning and unlim-
tied capital, have endeavored to gain control
OF natures route to the seaboard, through Can
ada, and especially the control of the Grand
Trunk railroad. 1 assert what know to be
true, and can prove if necessary, that every in
ducement has been offered by the great rail-
road men of this country to secure confedera-
ton with or control of the management of the
Grand Trunk road and that they have been
unable to do either, and will not be able to do
either, at least during the present generation
1t is time the producers of the East and West
and all shippers, who pay their money to the
pooled lines, knew this important fact, and
gave their patronage to the Canada routes that
refuse to pool. thereby helping to build up di-
rect and powerful competition, instead of mo-
nopoly, for the carriage of the vast agricultu
raj products of the Northwest.
The Lakes, the Welland Canal and the St.
Lawrence river, supplemented by the Grand
Trunk and other Canadian roads, and within
three years the Canada Pacific, will, if they
continue Independent competitors and out of
the control of our confederated roads, tend
powerfully to keep freights down to a reasona-
BILE point.
The improvement of the Welland canal will
be completed by the opening of navigation,
WIN d uopeii VI Wdtor lOf IL Ieet Qraught VoS-
sells and locks sufficiently large to do any rea-
sonable amount of business. A channel in the
st. Lawrence, or Lake st. Peter, below Mon
treal, has been dredged, to admit vessels of %
feet draught from Montreal to Quebec. This
route to Liverpool, for steamers loaded at Mon
treal, saves 1854 miles, as against the New
York route.
Elevators and ample wharfage have been
Dullt at Montreal .and Quebec 10 invite and
handle the trans Atlantic grain trade of the
northwest, SIX months in the year. Cattle
yards have also been built, and facilities pro-
vided for doing the live stock trade. This
route IS the coolest for stock and grain in sum-
mer, as well as the shortest, cheapest and
quickest to Liverpool. The freight books of
the Grand Trunk road, which the writer has
examined, show that this route is beginning to
be appreciated by shippers, and that this trade
has largely increased the last year-about 25
per cent. Cheaper passenger and freight rates
are offered by this route, and its agents in Chi
cago give through rates to Liverpool, which no
other route does. Any one can easily ascer-
tain that the Canada route, water ami rail, is
the natural outlet to the seaboard for the
Northwest, and thousand miles the shortest
to Liverpool.
1t offers the only competition to our confed-
Grated lires; the only competition by which
our monopolies can be checked The people
should learn these important facts, and il they
would protect themselves they must give their
business to the Canada competitive lines. They
must let the owners of the Grand Trunk road
feel that United States shippers will stand by
that road as long as it will maintain in
dependent competition with our pooled lines
Let the owners of the Grand Trunk in Lon
don be assured that their refusal to sell to Van
derbilt and Gould is to be rewarded by a gem
eral G and public recognition and patronage in
this country. Let London be encouraged in
competing with New York for the freight of
the Northwest. Let grass grow in New York
streets, if need be, till New York shall see that
monopoly and extortion shall curse those that
practice it.
The Canada Pacific, when built, can carry
wheat from Dakota, Minnesota, and the Red
River, to Liverpool much cheaper and MANY
days quicker than it can be sent by any other
possible route. This road will be completed TO
the west end of Lake Superior within three
years. Its Importance to the wheat growers of
the Northwest cannot be over-estimated, Let
English enterprise feel that we have outgrown
prejudice against England and Englishmen,
and that we hail the competition of that road
as dellVerance from the clutches of the Van
derbilts and Goulds.
There can be no doubt but our peoDle will
quick to see the point, and to act accordingly.
Ihat they will give their business to Canadian
lines, II the managers adopt a liberal policy to-
ward our shippers, and let it be distinctly and
widely understood that independence and COM
petition will he maintained by them in the fu-
ture.
The Grand Trunk has now an independent
through line from Quebec, Portland and Mon
treal to chicago. Its new line from Chicago to
Sarnia will be laid with steel rails in the
spring. Double steel tracks from Montreal to
Toronto are being put down. An immense in
crease OF rolling-stock is being built, and every
effort is being made to do all the business pos
slble, and for less money than the confederated
roads charge.
But it is objected that the Montreal and St.
Lawrence route is ice-locked six months in the
year. So is the water route to Buffalo and via
the Erie canal. But Portland has a summer
and winter ocean harbor, and the best on the
atlantic coast; and the route via Pohlan6 to
Liverpool from Chicago is 700 miles nearer
than via New York The Grand Prunk will
contract to deliver freight in Liverpool via
Portland, cheaper and quicker than it can be
carried via New York at any time, summer or
winter.
Portland is waking up to the advantages she
possesses as a shipping pointifor the West to Eu-
ropean markets. Her citizens will build ele-
vators and stock yards this season, and be pre-
pared to do all the business that may come to
her next winter. The Grand Trunk Railroad
will also build large elevator at Portland this
Portland must secure the foreign trade of the
West. She has the best protected harbor, the
deepest water, and is the nearest ocean harbor
IN the United States, to Liverpool, by 700
miles, This advantage must enable her to ul-
timately secure the trade of the West. The
*
the ice-locked season, and once established for
half the year, it would hardly be diverted for
the summer months, to any other point.
The following figures show the amount of
wheat and corn shipped from Portland during
the years named. In 1873-Corn, 90, ,9O6 BUSH
els. In 1S80-95S, ,7SS bushels. Wheat in 1871
-206,37 in 1880, 1853, ,951 bushels; and this
with scarcely any facilities for handling grain.
The livestock trade shows a good beginning
with no facilities for handling, whatever Am
Pile facilities will be provided, and the West
will be quick to find it out, when Portland can
offer liberal inducements to shippers of grain
and stock to that port.
The Portland & Ogdensbu-g road, when
completed to connect with the Grand Trunk at
Prescott, will be most important and save
about 100 miles inland, between Chicago and
Liverpool, making the distance 800 miles near
er from Chicago to Liverpool via Portland than
viG New York
The following table, taken from the Rail-
way News gives the exact distances uia the
the different Atlantic ports from Chicago to
Liverpool: