The Portland daily press., 1881-02-17
The Natural Seaport"

Portland, at the present time, seems to be
in a most remarkable state of apathy with
regard to enterprises of any kind calculated
to develop her growth, and her business
men do not seem to realize the fact that
she is fast being out-stripped in the race,
and that unless she soon wakes up, she will
irretrievably lose what she has so long
hoped to attain, namely, commanding
position among the commercial cities of the
Union. At the present time, Boston is lay
ing claim with fair prospect of success, to
the title we have so feebly attempted to gain,
that of the ''Winter Port of the Canadas,"
and is, also, reaching out to grasp the i'm
mature fruit of that one enterprise of which
we are justly proud-the Grand Trunk Rail-
way. That she is likely to win the title of
the Winter Port, is evidenced by the new
schemes which she is developing to secure
the business OF the Dominion. Among
these, is the Montreal Air Line,
southeastern Haifway, which is already de-
veloping an extensive traffic. 1t has for
one of its connections The Quebec, Montreal,
Ottawa & Occidental RailN ay. This road
runs through fine farming country for
nearly 400 miles. A contract has been
made, which gives the Southeastern combi-
nation for nine years, all the New England
New York and Lower Canadian business.
1t is said that vast accumulations of freight
for Boston are piled up along the road
awaiting shipment to that city, and that the
equipment of the road is being largely in
creased, in view of its present and large
prospective business; indeed, it is receiving
some eight cars daily on acontract of several
hundred, and IA daily express freight train
running through from Montreal to Boston
without stopping, has just been put on the
rails. During the winter, the freight has
on the ice, but when this natural bridge is
gone, an immense steamer, now in process of
construction, will transport the loaded cars
across. This, however, is but a temporary
arrangement, as tunnel under the St.
Lawrence is soon to be constructed, with
possible future connections with the Cana
dian Pacific and other contemplated roads.
The outlook for this enterprise is good. The
Importance of Montreal to Portland cannot
be over estimated. At the present time, en-
terprising business men of Montreal are
talking of the probability, in the near fu-
ture, of no less than five Western lines, in
stead of the one which they now
have. When the Welland Canal is COM
pleted, Montreal will be a strong compet-
itor for the trade of the West to and from
Europe. Portland has been said to be her
natural seaport, and our citizens have
seemed to be cOntented with this title,
thinking, perhaps, that she could not find
any other outlet for her winter traffic; but
Boston claims to be, also, a natural seaport
and with her great efforts to increase her
shipping facilities by the increase of dock
age and the building of elevators, she stands
fair chance of winning that title fully, and
will win it if our people are not awakened
from their apathy. That Boston is awake
to the Importance of Montreal, may be seen
from the following which recently appeared
in the Boston Journal and was copied into
the PRESS few days since:
Considering her situation, Montreal will un-
doubtedly largely increase her Summer busi-
ness to Europe. New steamship lines will be
added to her present ones. Boston, if our rail-
roads are only fully alive to the situation
and ample dock accommodations are provided,
as now appears likely, should make strenuous
efforts to secure in Winter the steamship traf-
fic which will centre in Montreal during the
period of river navigation, We have made a
beginning in securing the Allan line the pres.
ent Winter. Another line sent us one steam
ship, but the want of proper docs facilities has
not tempted the line to repeat the experiment
Before another Winter however, this difficult
ty will probably be obviated. The fact that
Boston also has competing lines to Canada
West as well as to Montreal, and that we have
large and growing foreign commerce of our
own, are factors that should count in our favor
as q winter port for the Dominion.