The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-23

Portland, Me.
Now, as you will see. we lack the petition
of the Maine Central railroad. Why that
petition Is not here / cannot tell you. / have
asked for II aud have been unable to get
II. The gentlemen present here who live in
the lower wards can draw theiriown infer
ences.
Now, in regard to the route, of which a
good deal has been said in the newspapers. /
nave been asked why 1t was necessary to go
between the band stand and the drive way,
and II 1t wasn't possible to save one or two
OF the oaks, and such questions as that
presume great many of the people who
have signed the remoDstrances have had
held out to them that this whole line Of the
proposed extension Is through the Oaks !;
that in some way we are to cut up this park
which has been laid out in Portland, and
which reverence as much as any man pres
ent; don't think any man in the city of
Portland would do more to make the Oaks
laying this track have undertaken
to put 1t where it would be
the least Objectionable, and 1 am
fairly confident that In locating this track SO
far as the Oaks are concerned it will not
damage them any more than does the present
location Of the Portland & Rochester road,
or do the tracks of the Boston & Maine,
which run within 700 feet of my house. IL
a gentleman were standing in the park and
should hear train pass on this proposed
called to it, If he would know whether the
train was passing on the new location, on
the Portland IL Rochester coming through
Deering, or over on the Maine Central road
to the Union station. A gentleman stand
Ing on the location now of the Deering farm
can barely see team going through the
edge OF the Oaks, and with the foliage of
summer L venture to say he could not see
a train on this proposed extension. Our
location which we first proposed did en-
nh oh b0ttfI n1k Ia, 81. n n
the Portland side of the Deering line. At
the last hearing it was proposed that
we should try other lines and see
II %e could not do better by
running through the swamp. The old
line of the Portland & Kennebec railroad
went through where the Union Station now
stands. and at that point the line has been
graded some nine or ten feet where 1t crosses
Congress street, so that crossing at that
point would be impossible and impractical
long fill, and carry all the other streets un
der the track; that could not be done be-
cause the swampy land has got to be filed
from four to six feet for foundation. Com
sequently to go under Grove street Is the
only practicable method. Now this first line
would be from three to five hundred feet
from the Oaks and the second seven hun
dred feet. That is long distance. The
Deering Land Company have built up
through Deering and their most available
lOLS are COTntE lOtS, not mOTe Ludl OU IeeL
from the track. Poop have gone on there
and built, and all the lots along the track
have been built upon. The only point at
which this road can connect with the Maine
Central road Is a point on tangent, about
200 feet from the Portland bridge, where the
tracks swing to the right across the bridge
From that point the Portland & Rochester
comes off from the Maine Central to the
right; across the intersection of Portland
and st. John streets, through the City Farm,
over the Tannery Lot, s0-called, and Grove
Now, the only parties interested, so far as
land damages are concerned, are the Port
land & Rochester railroad and the City of
Portland. Now, from the point Of the inter-
section with the town of Deering, the road
can be laid wholly within the town of Deer
ing, If the Board Of Aldermen SO decide, or
it can come into Portland at the other end
for about 160 feet.
The question has been asked in regard 10
the benefits to be derived from the c0nstruc-
ti0n of this track, The fact Is about eyerv
thing has been said in the papers except
what is actually intended to be done 1t has
been called swindle, and everything that
parties could lay their tongues to. StilI. /
think the scheme has merits and think the
citizens OF Portland In time will come TO sea
1t. believe 1t has marits for Wards 1. 2.3.
and ., and am sure II has for 2, 8 and 4.
Now the benefits to be derived by the grant
ing OF this location, briefly stated are these:
tirst-lt VIII give full effect to the location
BY affording the Grand Trunk railway and
the Portland Rochester railroad connection
wltn that station; this would enable the
trains OF the Grand Trunk to pass to the
Union station, and the trains Of the Boston
maine 10 pass 70 the Grand Trunk rail-