The Portland daily press., 1886-04-03
THE FERRY LANDING.
The Testimony for the Remon-
strants Continued Yesterday.

The Testimony for the Remon-
strants Continued Yesterday.
The hearing before the committee of ref
erence on the petition for the Ferry Landing
was resumed yesterday forenoon at half past
nine, testimony for the remonstrants being
continued.
A. M. Smith. John A. Emery, L. G. VIII
lard and A. C. Waite testified in regard to
the difficulty of securing good locations for
carrying on such business as Is now done at
Portland Pier. They stated that If the fish
dealers were driven from that wharf by the
laying out of the way it would be very diff
cult, if not impossible for them 10 find equal
ly good facilities on this side of the water
Messrs. Willard and Waite are trustees Of
A. NJ. Smith e. Co., and testified that II
would be great embarrassment to the trus-
tees if the firm was forced to leave its pre-
sent quarters
VIM H. Chase of the firm of Lewis, Chase
& Whtten, testified to measuring the depth
Of water at Portland Pier at two hours s. oe.
fore flood tide. The water was sixteen feet
deep at the outer end and five feet at the
solid fill. Witness thought this sufficient
depth for landing.
John G. Tewksbury one of the directors of
the wharf corporation testified that the gross
yearly income is $500, net income about
$1,000. He thinks the wharf worth $4,000.
Counsel for the petitioners admitted that
the testimony Of u. G. Lewis of the firm Of
Lewis, Chase & Whitten would be like that
of his partners, and Mr.. Whitten's testimony
at the previous hearing was read by Mr..
Bird
John j. Ray, truckman, testified as to the
difficulty now had in teaming on Portland
Pier. His pleasure wagons were hired to
carry opposition voters to the special town
meeting, but he said the transaction was
purely business one.
Sylvester Mari, w. l.. Alden, II. III. Bur
CESS, Charles l.. Jack and Hall l.. Davis tes-
titled that in their opinion public conyen-
fence and necessity do not require the main
tenance of public landing place by the
county on Portland Pier
Milton Higgins, teamster, testified as to
the size of jiggers. The average breadth Of
double jiggers in this city is 8 feet inches.
Reuben Higgins of Cale Elizabeth testified
that he was opposed to the granting of the
petition. He did not believe the public
should be taxed to support private corpora
ton. He described the taking of the vote
at the special town meeting when the
voters for the appropriation, he said, broke
ranks and dispersed their opponents before
the count was completed. he admitted that
a count was afterwards taken and resulted
in vote in favor of che appropriation Of
about to 1. He stated that when the lease
of the town landing was made pledges were
given that the town would not be called
upon IOI repairs, cldlllcu IudL ILlS
promise had been broken. Mr.. Higgins ac-
count of the special meeting and the charge
on the une0unted voters occasloned consider
able merriment.
Doryille Libby teamster, testified that he
did not think the Cornelia Ii. good boat
for carrying heavy teams. He should want
room on a ferry boat to get at his horses
heads. Did not think the landing was re-
quired.
City Civil Engineer Goodwin was called by
Tudna GuOOnhC and road estimates
pared by him as to the cost of the proposed
landing. His estimates include the cost of a
drop 60 feet in length and float 2ox50. The
cost of construction is placed at S4,92045,
and the average annual expense in keeping
the work in order S882.38 To produce this
latter sum at Q per cent. requires capital OF
$14, ,706.33. Upon examination by Mr.. Bird,
Mr.. Goodwin submitted an estimate of dam
ages to the pier requiring a sum Of S24, ,556.66
for actual expenditure in construction and
reimbursement to the corporation for the
decrease in the value of the property. The
morning session closed at this point
Mr.. Goodwin also testified that the entrance
to Portland Peir, between the buildings on
Commercial street, would be narrow If the
wharf is to be used as apublic landing place.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
In the afternoon the committee visited
Ferry Village, going over in the old COM
pany's boat and returning in the double
ender. They also again inspected the pro-
Building at 410 o'clock.
Mr.. Goodwin again took the stand and
was crOss-examlned by Messrs. DrummOnd
and Cleaves. He admitted, as he had done
in the morning, that the float proposed bY
MI MI TsaEg4He EfgH %88Sa %88S arfBe &c sPsd sPPaesd upon it but
stated that it was not large enough to be
sufficiently stable and durable. He stated
that his estimate was read at the last meet
ing of the city government before action had
been taken.
William Curt Curtis testified that ne regarded
the City Civil Engineers estimates as cor
rect. He knew of public landing at the
foot of Thames street.
John T. Waters testified that the piling of
the ferry slip would last only ten or twelve
years, while piling generally lasts fifteen
VIM. R. Wood, John E. Donnell and Geo.
Trefethen testified that they did not regard
the landing at Portland Pier as necessary,
and VIM. o. Fox thought the Custom House
dock better location.
George Sylvester testified that the altera-
tions in the building onPortland Pier would
cost about 500.
Charles A. Tilton testified that AZ horses
are owned in Ferry Village and II in VIII
lard.
David P. Chapman, one of the County
Commissioners, testified that for the past
twenty years there had been, ON all the
bridges, an expenditure of $136, 1885, an
average annual expenditure of S6S39, from
tnree-fourths to tive-siXths of which is spent
on Portland bridge. The witness testified
that the bridge was closed few days in 1884
for repairs, but that this happened very sell
dom.
E. Fl. Sargent did not think the Cornelia
II, suitable for teams, and was opposed to
the laying out of the landing. Leander w:
Fobes was also opposed to the granting OF
the pet tion.
In answer to questions by the counsel for
the petitioners, most of the witnesses oppos-
ed to the granting of the petition said they
thought the landing would be good thing
if the ferry company saw fit to build it.
At this point the hearing was adjourned
until o 70 fhis morning Today and Monday
and possibly longer, will be occupied