The Portland daily press., 1889-02-22
Portland's Accessibility.

An interesting computation has just been
made by an expert accountant, with view
TO ascertaining just how many more people of
the State Portland would convenience In the
matter OF travel than Augusta. His conclu-
sion is that 154, 742 Of the inhabitants would
nnd Portland more convenient city to reach
than Augusta. And this has nothing to do
with train facilities, but means that 1t would
be more suitable on account of the saving in
railroad and steamboat fares.
The result is reached in this way: 1t is of
course at once apparent that the whole Of
York with GOTTA inhabitants, Cumberland
with S2,021, Oxford with SO, 4SS, and Sagada-
hoe with 1s,S03, are nearer Portland. This
gives total of 1874, 4s6 people where the saw
Ing in railroad fares can be best calculated
by remembering that the difference in favor
OF Portland is from Saco and Biddeford so.
kittery S1.95, North Berwick So, Bridgton
~, Gray $175. Freeport 80, Fryeburg So,
South Paris $1.45, Bethel $1.45, Brunswick
20, Bath 10. The only points in these four
counties where the fares and distances are
in favor Of Augusta are Bowdoinham and
Richmond. These would deduct. 1881 for the
first and 2,658 for the second, which deduc-
ion is made later on.
Now comes Androscoggin 1896, where
every passenger from Lewiston and Auburn
saves IS, Lisbon Falls .25, Livermore Falls
.3O-in fact every person in that county could
get to Portland easier and save money.
This increases the total to 230,352
Next let us look at Franklin county, 49,
SO7 inhabitants. Here Pennington and Phil
lips people save .25 by going to Portland
This increases the number Of inhabitants
pecuniarily benefited If the Capital be
changed to Portland to249,159.
Lincoln county has % 1897 people in 1t, and
every one of them saves 10 or Is cents. This
makes our total 274,756.
Then take Knox with &c, 1923, and here there
is saving of 10 or 20 cents. Now our fig.
ures have reached the grand total 3O5. $40, or
nearly half the inhabitants Of the State, who
would be money in pocket by having the
Capital in Portland. And to go on:
Aroostook county has 29,453 inhabitants,
but this should be thrown out of the calcula-
ton, because the limited fares are precisely
the same from Houlton, Caribou, Pressure
Isle and Fort Fairfield to Portland as to
Augusta.
Hancock county has 36,495. Here the
principal towns are Bucksport, Bar Harbor
and Ellsworth. The railroad fares at pres
ent for Augusta average 81. while those for
Portland average s., but it will be remem-
bered that the Portland. Mt. Desert & Ma
chias Steamboat Co., and also the Boston 81
Bangor Steamship Co., run from points In
this county to Portland. so that Bucksport
people could save S1.5O at Portland as against
the present railroad fare to Augusta, and
Bar Harbor people 10. Ellsworth is the
only important place in the county that
would be obliged to pay more by going TO
Portland, and this is placed in the Augusta
column with its 5.052 inhabitants,
Finally Washington county, with AZ 343 in
habitants, every one of whom would either
pay less or just the same by coming to Port
land as to Augusta. Millbridge, Jonesport
and Machiasport, together with Eastport.
Calais. Cherryfeld ETC., would utilize the
steamer line previously mentioned, or the
International line from Eastport, while those
towns in the northern part of the county,
viz: Danforth, Forest and Vanceboro,
would pay just the same, limited rates being
precisely the same to both places.
The total population of the State In 1880
was &c., Aroostook is not materially af-
fected either way, and is therefore thrown
out. This reduces the pecuniarily interested
population to 597, 306.
Now In the list Of counties already de-
tailed, viz: Androscoggin, Cumberland,
franklin, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford. Sagada-
hoe, York, Hancock and Washington. the
only towns, as already stated, that would he
adversely affected by the removal OF the
Capital to Portland are Richmond, Bowdoin-
ham and Ellsworth. These three places az
gregate $780, The final footings give the
following results:
Population of State pecuniarily inter-
etaS - 800
removal to Portland. less Richmond,
BOwdoinham and Ellsworth ......... 376, OPS
TOTAL population Denefted by Augusta. .221 ,280
Which means that there are 375,026 people
in Maine who could get to Portland cheaper
and 22l, 2S0 who could get to Augusta cheap
er. In other words 81 per cent. Of the pop
ulation would be better convenienced by Au-
gusta while So per cent would be better con-
yenienced by Portland.
Even If some sparsely settled localities in
certain counties near Augusta are better
accommodated by driving across the country
10 that place, it is more than offset by the
people Of Belfast and Bangor and the many
othei Important places in Penobscot Bay,
VINO are greatly at the advantage on account
OF the various staannnr linae