The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-11-20

ty for reaching every store and warehouse on Com
mercial street, and on every wharf in Ihe harbor,
and they understood that these latter facilities,
which were apparently free to all, and which were
OF vastly greater value than those owned in fee by
the G and Trunk, had been virtually ceded to that
company, and that no rival road could share these
advantages without its consent. To appreciate the
disadvantages of location on the Cape Ehzabsth
side, In comparison with the Portland side OF the
harbor, one has only to imagine the condition which
the Grand Trunk would be in, If cut off from all
the warehouses and stores on Commercial street
and theIwharves of the city and confined to its own
territory vast and convenient that territory 10
for the purpose for which it is used. Take away
the facilities afo. ded by the of Commercial St.
and the wharves, and the Grand Trunk would fnd
it next to impossible to do its present business The
facilities which the Grand Trunk has acquired on
Commercial street and the wharYes and to which in
connection with the Eastern it claims an exclusv We
right by of the aid it furnished in the builo
ing Of Commercial street, it willingly shares with
other companies which are not competitors, but
rather contributors to its business.
But it would never share these advantages
with rival company like the Canadian Pacific.
The ambitious and sagacious men who are pushing
through this great trans-continental line and who
have the Canadian government behind them, have
n It failed to note the disadvantage they will be
placed at in competition with their powerful Cana
dian rival by locating the Cape Elizabeth side of
the harbor and they not likely to accept sec
ond rate position unless compelled to do so by force
of circumstances. Now to the interest of the city
in this matter. 1t would undoubtedly be better to
have the Canadian Pacific locate the Cape Eliza
beth side OF cur harbor shan at como other Allan
tic port; better to build up, prove and benefit
of which would not benent But it would mani
fsstly be best of all provide If possible, all need
ed facilities for the terminus of this great line with
in our own city; to offer to those who have charge
of its direction nearly can, equal facilities
on our harbor front, with those enjoyed by the
Grand Trunk. In no other way can we realize the
object sought by building the PoI tand and Ogdens
burg or receive adequate returns for the citys in
vestment in that enterprise.
How can this be done? By laying out another
street below and parallel to Commercial
street from the ogdensburg depot to
Galts wharf with view to its extension at some
future time, when the growth of the city will war
rant it, to Tuekey's Bridge, thus making available
the whole water front of the city. For the accom-
mediation of this and important line, and to
it the full advantage of access to our wharves
and to all the stores on the lower side of CONNER
cia street the street need only to be extended
TO Franklin wharf, where it would meet the line o,
the Grand Trunks property. By building this
street say one hupdred feet below Commerci
street the stores the East side of that street
would have frontage on The new street, and would
be access BILE by both the Grand Trunk and the new
line. While the stores on the lower or water side
of the street, would correspond to those tn
lower side of Commercial street at the present
....Il 49,. III
the wharves of he city, and both would also have
access to both streets; because the Grand Trunk
would need to use the track of the Canadian Pacific
on the new street to reach the stores the lower
side of that street. as much as the Canadian Pacific
would need the use Of the track of the Grand Trunk
to reach the stores en- the upper side of CONNER
cial street, and the result would naturally be a
reciprocal arrangements between the two roads for
the use of tracks ON those two streets.
In granting privileges to the new company con-
dition could be imposed that would secure the con-
struction of shifting engines and cars SO to make
of short radius. is done in Baltimore and
Philadelphia, which would make it practicable to
run cars to every wharf In the city with q
minimum loss of land in making such curves. The
building of such a street below Commercial street
would be every way advantageous to the city. 1t
wonld double the value of wharf property and
would increase the value of property on MINER
ca1 steeet by putting its stores into connection with
two great lines of railway. 1t would cut off about
200 feet dncluding store lots the lower side OF
the street, from the wharves but it would leave
ample room for all the water borne commerce of
the port for many years to come, and the wharf
facilities could be extended eastward when re-
quired Steam navigation and rapid railroad
transportation have lessened the requirements for
e -
road like the Canadian Pacific while largely
increasing business of the wharves would also
increase their capacity by furnishing additional
means of transportation. They would be loaded
aud unloaded oftener. While this project may at
first blush look like formidable undertaking; it
will be found careful examination to be- not
only entirely feasible, but considering the ad-
vantages to be drived from its execution, COM
paratively inexpensive.
The cost of building Commercial street was about
one hundred thousand dollars which was divided
between the Atlantic s. St. Lawrence ahd the Port
land Saco s. Portsmouth (now Grand Trunk and
Eastern) Railroad, the city paying the land dam
aga. The Canadian Pacific would undoubtedly be
willing to make similar arrangement for in no
way could it obtain equal faci tiles for ten times
the amount which it would cost to build this street.
The Investment of the city-the amount Of land
oana9e-Woulu ylelo lmmeulate return In the
increase of taxable property resulting from the
building Of the street.
The consummation of this enterprise and the loca-
ton of the Atlantic terminus of the Canadian
Pacific at this port, would make the investment in
the Ogdensburg Inc the most profitable one ever
made by the city and give to us advantages greater
than dreamed Of by the most sanguine advocate
of that road.
By this arrangement we should have all the
terminal connections Of this great line in the city
adding TO its taxable property, and should also
have all the adya tages of the Dry Dock which are
of great Importance to us as a commercial city.
There was never time in the history of the city,
when such great and substantial advantages could
be secured at small cost as can now be done by
Offering such inducements to the Canadian Pacific
as viii bring and bind it to for all time to come