The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-31
Cape Elizabeth Ferry.

10 the Edet0T OF the PreSS:
1t is only fair to assume that "Citizen" in
his communication to the PRESS of this
morning labored under an entire misconcep-
ton of all the facts connected with the Cape
Elizabeth Ferry and the proposed landing.
Technically he is right in saying that if laid
out, the landing will be public one Prac-
tically it will be adapted to the use of the
double end boat now plying between Cape
Elizabeth and Portland-and it is safe to say
that no one will ever construct another like
it, and until that is donelthe way and land
ing win be used only by the Peoples Ferry
Company, a private corporation.
He does not give the name of any city
where ferry landing for the use of all
ferries is established, and it would be diff
cult to do so. Such certainly was not the
one ''in the earliest history of this town."
as may be seen by consulting Willis's His
tory, page 342, where it appears that the
ferry owner was required to keep his landing
at his own expense.
The "owner of Custom House wharf" is
not an individual, but "a corporation. estab-
lished by chap. 60 of special laws of 1857.
and by its purchase under sec. 3of that chap
ter, it does have right in the dock, and the
only paramount public right to land over pri-
vate property is by condemning it to public
use and paying for it.
The proposed landing is not to be upon
Commercial street, but at the end of way
to be located and constructed, extending 100
feet from that street into the dock, beyond
which is to be a ferry way SO feet in length,
all of which is to be over private property
Nba orinipol cfotutp aIfhnriyinU fhic hiob
way and ferryway was passed in 1873 chap
375 of special laws. Under this an applica-
ton was made to the County Commissioners
and denied because it was not found to be re-
quired by common convenience and necessi-
ty The proceedings may be found in volume
10, page 344 of their records. That petition
did not limit them to any specified place, as
this one does.
1t is alleged that attempts have been made
to frighten the signers of the petition by
representing that they have made them
selves responsible for the continuous oper
alton" of the new boat. 1t certainly is good
ground for apprehension on their part if
they have done 50, BY the petition they say
not a security then the provisions of section
of chap. 495 of the special laws of this
year, incorporating the Peoples Ferry Com
pany, have not been complied with, and the
Commissioners have no authority to locate
the way. That act provides that they Shall
not be called upon" to locate until the con-
tinuous operation is secured" This is not
the security proposed, which is something in
the future.
The city has not been asked to take anv
part in the matter, except by the Cape Eliza
beth Sentinel in its article copied in Mon
days Advertiser. But in view of the fact
that the city must pay for the construction of
the way and landing, and pays over one-half
of the taxes of the county, upon which the
damages fall, it is eminently proper that its
government should look after its interests I'M
the matter-which it is doing of its own
motion. ~
1t is true many citizens of Portland have
signed the petition, but it has. been done
largely without understanding its contents.
No opposition has been made to any land
ing, but it has been to the specific one asked
for. If the Ferry Company or the people of
Cape Elizabeth will not have any other than
that because it is most convenient for them,
it is time that other interests are looked
after.
1t appears that this ''citizen" is DESTROYS of
having an opportunity to test the rights of
wharf and dtock owners in the courts. For
the first time an estimate of the expense of
building the slip and ferry-way is presented.
but it says nothing about the highway of
which the writer is evidently ignorant. Still
no estimate of damages is given. 1t is true
the dock proposed to be used is wide one,
and is therefore valuable, but it is no wider
than the one into which the boat is now run
ming, where it is said to collide with every
vessel there, and when the dock is empty it
runs into Central Wharf. No instance of
such boat running into dock with other
vessels can be found, nor will it be, for its
presence would inevitably drive out all other
shipping and render the dock worthless for
all other purposes.
There is no desire on the part of the oppo
nents to this location to withhold any reason
able encouragement to the new ferry, but the
effort to frighten the city into mourning the
heavy expense the location asked for would
entail, by threats of isolation" is not cal
culated to increase the favor with which the
enterprise is regarded.
Portland, August 20, 1885,