The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-10-23
Another scheme !,

To the Editor of the Press:
The poor city of Portland seems continually to
be a tempting subject, against which and its long
suffering tax payers there is some scheme always
on foot to increase taxes, to deplete pockets and
to add to the public burdens. That our people are
a selfdenying community is certain for the great
er part of their municipal Indebtedness has helped
other places more than our own city. There is a
scheme for it every side like pit falls in peat
bog
There are hungry subjects on every side more
anxious than Oliver Twist, when he held out his
dish second time But the most dangerous
schemes are the most cunningly concealed There
is a certain fish with tremendous mouth; when
waiting for its prey it sinks its body in the mud
lying with its mouth wide open, attracting the cur
ious or unwary creatures of the deep by gently
waving its antenna over its NAV. Something VIII
always go to bite, and SO become a victim.
After the Portland s. Rochester and the ogdens-
burg feasts, the good people OF TINS Guy are ROW
invited to another, not of the same magnitude but
one which will continue longer and where they
cannot decline to partake if they do but attend, or
escape by selling or giving away the sore Vland.
IFS principal merit lies in its stability, and pecu
iarity Of ii is that this blessing cannot be laid
aside or forsaken.
time TO raise money to pay his twenty-one dollars
ON a thousand and save the discount, can imagine
down on Commercial street. If he feels little
tired will take him in my buggy, but he must run
the risk Of being upset while the animal at dT hi,'
to see that the locality take him to is not safe
place even for man to drive IN ana ladles or
children if driving there are exposed 10 the great
est danger Now them right down this narrow
lane between these buildings, there on the left is
what might be called sidewalk. Examine it! NO
wonder YOU eXclaim if this was a city street,
there would be one victim day demanding dam
ages from the city for personal injuries caused by
10. hat sid
look out and escape injury. To be sure the mud
is deep here and the smells to one who can't smell
the money in the business, rival i'll number and
pungency the stinks of cologne. Be patient how
eyer-yon will notice that for some OF the distance
this driveway over crib work hlled IN with stone
but outside Of this way the buildings are mostly
built on piles. All of the roadway beyond tns
point (Which is about half IL distance over wmch
shall drive you from Commercial street, is built
on piles This track where we are driving Is
| called pier To maintain 1t even as you see ~,
costs lots of money for this piling will hardly last
ten years without replacing H. ana tilat IS eApeh
Perhaps you think this rather dilapidated spot
anything like so much as once It was but II tne
! city was a customer this pier would be sworn TO
| be worth 100000
| I'VE taken YOU down here, through that narrow
| lane the mud and the smells to the end OF this
| mud lies the Angler-fsh with mouth wide open
| waiting for its prey. The bait you can see over
across the bay at Pooduck hauled up on the rail-
| NStDAN7ShNA S~N'N -
That boat the people Of Pooduek fondly believe
| is to be the humble instrument in the hands OF
the city of Portland, at the expense of the tax
| payers to build Pooduck up into second Brook
yn The idea is to have The County i C d IS on
end OF it, have the city pay the damages and build
| slip, all at a tremendous expense, and then the
city will be bound under the laws OF the state to
keen this pier in repair forever, so that 1t shall be
safe and convenient for travellers passing over IL
on foot and with teams.
N.,if no, mo the accidents
| the lawsuits sure to arise, the enormous annual
expense which will be saddled on to the city for
| the purpose Of maintaining this pier VIII be more
than 4 Il costs TO maintain the free bridge, over
| which convenient way man with any falr team
can drive from this pier to Pooduck In the time
| he would be waiting to see that double endeI
come on her winding way from Pooduck TO Fort
| land .,
| one in the procession, he would have ample time
to drive to Gorlam, while waiting for her to
transport those before him across the bay and re-
turn to the slip for him.
This scheme il carried out VIII cost the CITY o.
Portland many thousand dollars. The annual ex-
| pendture forever will exceed the interest on for
A ferry boat like this one is not needed. We
| don't want to pay to have our people move out OF
town to live. If the city is put to this great ex
| pense, the only security it has that even such 9
as this will be hen @ be IS Dc1a npf ge
ers the legality of which is even questioned by
| some.
The city is liable to be put to an immediate ex
pense of $4,000 in this matter, and II the owners
Of this unique craft get sick Of the business take
her off the route and use her for the purpose Of
pursuing the festive clam in his native haunts
tfor which business her best points adapt her
there is no redress for the city, except on thai
b md, where its percentage would practically be
far less than the percentage of its salvage on the
Rochester or Ogdensburg railroad ana that Is
small enough to satisfy our worst w1shers.
Now then tax payers, every one, remember, thai
on the 10th day of November next. the county
commissioners are TO hear Tie humble petition o
sundry persons to have this scheme put through
If You want it, I've nothing more to say, but i
| YOU think it unwise don't forget to speak rlgh
| out and say so, and do it in season.
| WATCHMAN.