The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-20
MAINE RAILROADS.
Annual Beport of the Railroad Commits
sioners-Im all Along the
Line.

The forthcoming annual report of the Rail-
road Commissioners for this State will have a
good word to say regarding the management of
the various railroad lines the past year. All
of them have been found in good repair and
safe, and most of them in high or advanced
state of improvement, especially the principal
lines. In the more noticeable of these, say the
Commissioners, the policy of those having the
management seems TO have been to have the
Improvement in track, rolling stock, station
houses, depot buildings and grounds adjacent
thereto keep pace with the business prosperity
of the roads. Such policy cannot be too high
ly commended, and will not fail to be apprecia-
ted by the more observing and enterprising of
the travelling and business public, and should
be by all. The interests of the roads and
mutual, and the intelligent and
wel-informed railroad officials in Maine
comprehend fully this fact. They have
had the good sense to adopt and practice lib
eral policy in their transactions with the pa
irons of their respective roads, and this has
had the effect to disarm, in a measure, any OF
position and prejudice against the roads and
their management, so that the cry of "monop-
oly'' or oppression" is seldom if ever heard in
this State. With the exception OF the coun-
ty of Aroostook and parts of the counties Of
Hancock and Washington, the people and
business enterprises of our State are now well
provided with railroad facilities by 81 stem of
connecting roads extending into every cocnty
and to nearly all parts of the State, and
which may justly be regarded as among the
= 4 -a.-
operated of any in the country. Indeed
more trustworthy and honorable class of men
cannot be found in business circles and pur-
suits anywhere than the officials in charge of
the railroads in Maine.
The remarkable exemption from any great
and disastrous railroad disaster in this Stats
stlil continues. Considering the large number
OF persons conveyed upon these reads each
year, particularly upon the Maine Central,
that during the summer season runs SO MANY
and such large excursion trains, this exemp-
tlon from serious accident or catastrophe is lit
tie less than marvellous. The vigilance and
fidelity of the subordinates, as well IS the
faithfulness and efficiency of their superiors,
merit special notice and the highest commen-
dation. During the past year the following
new railroad corporations have been organized
under the general law:
Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Railroad
To extend from point near The drawbridge
dividing Kennebnnk and Kennebunkport
village, 10 point IN the line OF the Boston
and Maine Railroad near the depot of said rail-
road in Kennebunk. Length about 1-2 miles;
gauge feet IL inches.
MonSon Railroad Company-Ex Extending from
the depot of the Bangor aud Piscataquis Rail-
road, called Monson Station, in the town of
Abbott, to the village of Monson. through the
towns of Abbott and Monson. Length about
miles; gauge, 2 feet.
Green Mountain Railway-Between some
point in the town of Eden or Mt Desert to the
summit of GreenI Mountain in Eden. Length,
about mile; gauge, 4 feet IL inches.
Bridgton and Saco River Railroad-This cor
poration organized in 1881, but did not locate
its road till last year. 1t is now nearly COM
pleted from Bridgton Centre to hiram, dig
tance of bout 15 IL miles; gauge, feet.
Attention is called TO the fact that the gen.
eral railroad law in its practical workings is in
several respects defective. For instance the
Bangor and Katahdin Iron Works Railway
organized first as nsrrow guage road, but
finally concluded to build TO the standard
gauge, when it was found there was no way
under the general law to make the change ex-
cept by commencing anew. A change is rec
commended by the Commissioners to meet such
case and another one mentioned.
From a tabular statement included in the
report it appears that there are now 1CS539
miles of railroad in this State, with a total
length of 306S.6S of the whole line operated.
Thrty-nine companies are represented, Though
twelve of these have leased their lines to 9th
er roads, Statements as to the general condi-
tion of each railroad are also attached to the
report.