The Portland daily press., 1886-12-21
What Have Railroads Done for PORT
land?

10 ute futJOf OF We f'TeSS;
1t is very common complaint on the part of
some of our worthy citizens that Portland is over
bnrdened by railroads, or that railroads have en-
tailed upon our city burdens "grieyous to bear
and that in consequence our taxes are too high,
much Of which may be said in truth; but the ques-
ton arises, have we not received advantages and
benefits which have more than counterbalanced
and compensated for the sacrifices made. the dis
position being to look at the cloud forgetting
there is sun under 1t. If they viii but consider
little what railroads have done for our city, they
viii be less inclined to complain Of the cost Let
us lock little at our position. Forty-fve years
ago this city was nearly bankrupted by the land
speculation In which many of our business men
had become involved. The United States branch
bank, then in this city. to which most of them
were largely indebted had been closed up and
its loans called in. Our local bank capital
was small and their losses had been large,
consequently their stocks were below par. Our
country trade was carried on chiefly by barter
We had no exclusively wholesale stores in the
grocery or dry goods trade. A few such Dane
& Smith Alpheus shaw, smith a. BROW n, and
few others on Fore and Middle streets were doing
about all the country trade. The dry goods trade
was confined to a few small stores with small
stocks. Our wharves were piled with lumber and
sour molasses. Shocks heading and hoop poles
were staple commodities. New Englandrum was
about the only thing manufactured here, and we
were in a fair way to become mere fishing VIII
lage when the p. s. & P. Railroad was projected.
Prior to this all our merchandise from and to Bos
ton and New York was transported by sailing
packets and steamers of small class and the lat
ter with stage coaches were the chief conveyances
for passengers. Flour was nearly all brought
here by small vessels from PHILADELPHIA Balti-
more and New York The Vermont ana New
Hampshire trade was nearly all finding its way to
Boston and New York by the Vermont Central
aud other railroads which had been opened and
Portland was losing all this good business, and be-
ing lett far behind with this trade. In 1S43 John
A. Poor and James Hail. Ia civil engineer then re-
siiing here) conceived the idea of railroad to
Canada, and a meeting Of few citizens was called
presenD to hear what they had to say upon the
subject. After listening to their story and their
plans relative TO 1t, they separated, and the whole
entirely impracticable, and very little was at
tempted TO be done for some time, until a survey
was proposed, which was made by Mr.. Hall. So
sanguine was Mr. Poor that an expedition by
team was started with relay of horses, over the
route TO Montreal. This finally resulted In OBJ
tanning charter for the Atlantic q St Lawrence
railroad In 1s45. 1t required subscription for
million dollars of the stock in order to organize
and put it in operation. A great effort was made
Tor TINS purpose. All our citizens, male and fe-
mole, were called on TO subscribe and every man
woman and child, ministers and people, and every
corporation that had dollar was solicited to take
share in the enterprise, per cent interest being
guaranteed) The requisite amount was at last OBJ,
tained and contract made. On the 4th Of July,
1916, ground was broken on the breastwork at
Fish Point, and the work was pushed ON to South
Paris, when it found that nearly all the means
were exhausted, and public meeting was called
by the directors la the Old City Hall to determine
whether II was best to discontinue the work or
go on further. 1t was decided inexpedient and
unwse to stop, and the city was called upon for
further aid by.a loan of its credit, which was
of axrr f,afa
issued many of which were taken by the farmers
and others in the surrounding towns, and the
work progressed, and additional loans were
sold to the contractors and others at discount
until the entire road to the Canada line was COM
pleted and opened to Montreal by the compile
zion of the St Lawrence & Atlantic portion of il to
Island Pond, In 1853 the road was leased to the
Grand Trunk Railway OF Canada. The stock and
bonds heid by our people were sold In Europe at
q large discount, and many were severe losers by
the operation.
But the question arises, were ourpeople and the
city OF Portland any the poorer for all the sacri-
ices made. Let us see where Portland would have
been today had this enterprise failed and this
road not been completed We should surely
have become not much more than fishing town.
We are now in direct connection with Canada and
me great West and in communication with the
interior towns to the Canada line, from which an
immense amount of business is brought TO this
city, which could not have been reached without
his road. Again, one of the outcomes of it was
projected by John A. Poor, Ito whom this city is
more largely indebted than TO any other man, for
.hese great enterprises, and who deserves monu-
ment TO his memory for what he did for its inter-
ssts) without this road the -four. pork, beef and
grain brought here from the West would have
gone elsewhere for market, and the splendid
ines 81 steamers now coming to our wharves
would nave gone to other ports. The grain elsva-
5or would not have been wanted; Commercial
street, with It's large warehouses would never
nave been laid out and constructed. All these and
much beside, are the results. In S48 Fore street
vas the principal business street, narrow and con-
racted and often blocked up with Teams
In order to make connection with the Grand
Trunk and the 7. 5. & 7. Roads IL became neces-
,ary to project and lay out Commercial street.
This was done after much opposition from proper
y holders, proprietors of the wharves and those
IN the back bay enterprise. A public
meeting was called and great "hue and cry'
made to defeat It, 1t was said that IL would ruin
I'll the docks and wharYes; the expense would be
the business of the hackmen aud
ruckmen would be ruined, Sc. But before it was
completed, a new impetus was given to business.
And what has been the result of all this and what
Gould be done today without Commercial street?
Look al the large business warehouses, with the
arge stocks of -four and other merchandise, COM
ng and going, and consider the great increase Of
axable property added to our valuation by this
treet alone, and all this from the construction Of
his road.
n the meantime the York Cumberland-alias
tocnester-road was completed, and although
financially failure, has ltbeen no disadvantage 10
he city In business point OF view, notwithstand-
hg the large losses Incurred to individuals and