The Portland daily press., 1886-03-31
THE FERRY LANDING.
commencement of the Hearing Be-
fore the Committee.

Inc supreme Court, was begun yesterday.
n. & H. B. Cleaves and Hon. j. H. Drum
mond appeared for the petitioners. A. A.
Strout and Judge Goddard appeared for the
remonstrants The former represents the
old ferry company and the latter remon-
strants from the towns. Hon. George E.
Bird also appeared for the proprietors OF
Portland Pier and City Solicitor SymonGs for
the city.
Hon. Nathan Cleaves in opening addressed
the committee as follows:
Gentlemen of the Committee:
This is a petition for public highway and ferry
landing in the city of Portland and the petitioners
deem themselves fortunate in coming before q
tribunal far removed from all local influences
portant matter with impartiality and according tC
the evidence presented.
To save you time in examination of the law UNI
der which you are acting, will say that in 1871
Public Laws, Chapter 602, the town of Cape
Elizabeth was authorized by the Legislature Il
lay out highway into tide waters at Ferry Vii
lage in that town, and to construct and maintain
good and substantial ferry landing therein, suit
able for the passage and accommodation of teams
and foot passengers; Under this act highway
has been laid out and ferry landing constructed
land harbor.
In 1873 the citizens of Portland began to realize
the Importance OF better communication Win
Cape Elizabeth, and our representatives in the
Legislature composed of some of the leading bust
ness men OF the city secured the passage an act
Public Laws, 1873, Chapter 1915, authorizing the
County Commissioners of Cumberland county 70
locate a public highway in the city OF Portland
extending into tide waters with ferry ianang
suitable for the passage and accommodation OF
teams and foot passengers. NO movement was
made for some time under the act because no
suitable ferry boat was constructed ana put upon
the route.
In 1872 the Portland and Cape Elizabeth Ferry
Company was incorporated, but the public was so
poorly accommodated that in 1885 the Legisla-
ture granted charter to the Peoples Ferry Com
pany composed of citizens OF Cape Elizabeth
residing at Ferry Village to construct and operate
a double end team ferry boat between Cape
Elizabeth and Portland. AT the hearing before
the Legislature the old ferry company interposed
every possible objection that lawyers and lobby
lists could suggest but 1t was concusively shown
that the rights OF the public had been dsregarded
and the Legislature recognized the claim OF the
people of this locality for better accommodations
and facilities for travel by the use of double end
ferry boat for teams and travellers and by the
establishment of public highway and ferry land
ing on the Portland side of the harbor under the
act of 1873, which was re-affrmed in the charter
of the new company.
. Under this charter double-end ferry boat has
been constructed and put upon the route and its
continuous operation secured to the satisfaction
of the county commissioners, and it is found by
experience that if this is Observation-Disclosures wifi
be employed which will meet every requirement
of the public.
The petitioners now come before you and repre-
sent that public highway and ferry landing in
datiOn OF the public, and ask you to lay the same
on Portland Pier. They have yielded to the ex-
pressed views of the Harbor Commissioners that
the docks are not of sufficient width to allow the
continuous running of a suitable ferry boat with
out interference with the shipping interests, and
1t is proposed to have slip the width of 80 feet
constructed for distance of about 100 feet
into the end of this wharf by removing the pres
ent pilng. A drop of the width of twelve feet and
OF the length of some sixty feet will be construct
ed for the passage OF teams and passengers to
and from the boat 1t is proposed to extend the
way from the end of the drop to Commerc iaI
street a sufficient width to accommodate public
travel The entire cost to the city of constructing
the slip and drop will not exceed from 1000 to
$4,000, and we shall show you that the highway
able expense.
The entire land damages must be small The
assessed value of the whole wharfproperty is only
about 100000, and but small proportion of it Is
taken, and the remainder will be more valuable
for stores and market places brought into demand
and use by close connection with this new
thoroughfare of travel and business.
Not only do the inhabitants of Cape Elizabeth
unanimously ask that this way and landing may
be established, but the citizens of surrounding
towns who are familiar with the objects and adj.
vantages OF this location join in this request, and
over one hundred of the leading merchants and
business firms of the city of Portland demand it,
Those whose names are borne upon this peti
tlon, you will recognize as the men who are most
closely identified with the commercial growth and
prosperity OF this city. They are men of fore
sight and enterprise, who believe in improve
ments and progress, and their Judgment should
have great weight in public affairs. Not only will
you have the deliberate Judgment of the leading
citizens and taxpayers III this vicinity, but the
facts, figures and circumstances as presented by
the witnesses will have convincing force as to the
convenience and necessity of the location of this
highway and landing.
The city of P0rtlandis now the first city of the
State. Its beautiful location and surroundings
will, before many years, make it a most popular
place of summer resort, and the enterprise of its
business men with its advantages for communica-
ton upon land and sea, will, in time trust make
it the great commercial city of the East Com
mercial street extends along the water front of
the city, and below 1t are our docks and wharves.
1t will be matter of surprise to you that there is
not public landing place upon this whole line of
water frontage. No one can reach the harbor or
land within our borders without crossing private
property.
Upon the opposite side of the harbor is the
town of Cape Elizabeth. II has between five
thousand and SIX thousand inhabitants, with
nearly two millions of taxable property and
raises by taxaton annually over thirtyeight thou
sand dollars, being more than the county tax of
the whole county of Cumberland The upper
portions of the town find easy communication
with Portland by means of Vaughan'S and Port
land bridges. Ferry Village lies upon the water
short distance beyond it ON the coast is Wizards
or Point Village, and beyond this, fronting the
ocean, are numerous beautiful summer resi-
denceS, cottages, farm houses and several hotels.
These two villages contain about twenty-five hun
dred inhabitants. Their social and business rela-
tons. are all with the city Of Portland More than
i've hundred persons daily cross the channel.
Her fishermen purchase their outfits here; her
farmers their supplies and her merchants their
goods. and the trade of these villages with Port
land amounts to over two hundred thousand dol
lars annually.
Although Ferry Village lies within half a mile
Of Custom House Wharf by water, it is at least
three miles from the business portion of this city
by land, and there being no landing place upon
this side for ferry boat suitable for the carriage
OF teams, all heavy articles of merchandise must
be transported at great expense this long distance
by land. The business men not only demand this
public landing, but the working men and women
OF these two villages are entitled to your con-
sideration. Between three and four hundred ner-
sons in moderate circumstances living there are
employed in the shops and factories in this city
and the loss of a single day, which often took
place in rough weather with the unsuitable boats
of the old company, without mentioning the pub
ttc loss withdrew their support at least five hun
The only objection that has ever been seriously
urged against this great public Improvement is
that OF expense,-but you will find that the bene-
ntS 10 the pubic Will far exceed the cost, and
that there never will be time when this highway
and landing, which has become public necessity
can be laid out with SO little expenditure as now.
1t is remarkable fact that nearly all of the op-
position to this enterprise comes from localities
where it Is least understood, and it is entitled to
Cape Elizabeth would be against the laying out of
a highway in the town of Otisfeld or any portion
OF northern Cumberland. especially when we shall
show you that the most of this opposition can be
traced to this rival corporation, the old ferry com
pany which has stamped upon it by the Legisla-
ture and the people the seal of public condemna-
hear 1t again and again. that this is in aid of
private corporation. Some people are so consti-
tuted that they oppose any public enterprise that
Indirectly benefits any private individual. Before
the citizens of Cape Elizabeth put on suitable
boats, it was said "you do not need landing un-
ill you have a boat" Now they have secured
boat, it is said you must not have landing be-
cause it will benefit the owners of the boat"
such reflections are unworthy of your considera-
lion. The people of Portland and Cape Elizabeth
have no guarantee for the long future, unless the
public owns and controls these ferry landings.
With such ownership and control. future stability
safety and complete accommodations are assured.
The town OF Cape Elizabeth mas done nobly for
his object. Her citizens, alive to progress and
have already laid out highway
II side of the channel at the cost of some five or
Xix thousand dollars, and have just voted, by an
majority, to appropriate fifteen
hundred dollars the present year for further I'M
lr0yementS upon the landing After this has
,een done in good faith it would be extremely uI-
anding on this side of the water, contemplated
md provided for by the Legislature. We shall
how you, by overwhelming testimony, that pub
&c convenience and necessity require this high
way to the sea, and shall ask you to thereby re-
emOve the burdens and Inconvenience under
village have so long suffered.
Mr.. A. A. Strout said that he did not APP
Dear at the hearing before the County Com
but that he now appeared for the
Cape Elizabeth Ferry Company in opposi-
ion to the proposed way. The old company,
aid Mr.. Strout, have all the facilities for
that are required, or are nee
'ssary for the public, and they pay for their
,xUn vyha rf Recommendations o,,d ;,,oT e..