Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-14
Facts and Figures Better Than Illusions.

One point made against the removal of the
seat of government to Portland is that this
city is not the geographical centre. To il
lustrate how little real force there is 10 this,
the case of Massschusetts may be taken.
Boston. which like Portland, is the CONNER
cisl ms tropolis of the State, il away At thu
extreme eastern end Portland Adyert,ser.
The case of Boston is entirely excel-
tional "a to Its location among all the
State Capitals Of the Union. But who
ever will place the map and the facts be-
fore him, will STE that even Boston Is
very far from sustaining the theory and
language of the Portland editor. Boston
is not away at one corner Of large State
AS Portland ia. Boston is near the middl.
of the butt end of Massachusetts. which
has but little more than one-third the
territorial area of Maine. In the city OF
Boston and its suburbs Ia large portion
of the population of the State. Within
radius OF sixty miles a majority of the
Massachusetts people reside, and thus
Boston is, rs to population. relatively CEN
tral and convenient. The capital was
established there in colonial days, ante
rior to the Revolution, when IL had about
the population Of Augusta to-day.
Yet any time between 1880 and 1850
had Massachusetts been without Capitol,
new one would bave been built at Wor-
cester. Now the increase and accumu-
lation Of population ia chiefly in Boston
"A 10
and conclusive facts are not repeated by
Portland and its surroundings. Portland
ia literally AS to both territory and popu-
lation at one corner of Maine The
present and the increasing future popu-
lation of the State is east of her Toda,
the Kennebec river divides the population
into two equal halves. Aroostook, the
finest agricultural portion of Maine, large
enough for five counties, is growing aDd
prosperous. Augusta stands midway In
the Gordon of cities on the kennebec
She is thirty-tive miles from Skow-
hogan, soon TO be large mauufac-
turing city, and from Augusta to Bath BY
train /. thirty-nine miles and thirty BY
steamer. From the beautiful university
town of Brunswick Augusta is thirty
miles. To the growing and prosperous
university city of Waterville on the other
side Of Augusta it Is eighteen miles. From
Augusta to Rockland over the railroad that
Ia to be, ia forty miles, and il is twenty i've
miles from the State House to Lewiston
and Auburn, the two beautiful cities or
the Androscoggin, soon to make one a.
large as Portland. Eastward to Bella At
ia forty miles from Augusta, and to the
rising city of Camden, SOON to he united
with the kennebec through Union and
Jefferson, 1t ia forty miles. From Port.
land to Augusta it is sixty miles. aud t.
Bangor on the opposite side, the queer
city of Eastern Maine, il is seventy miles
Soon the counties of Hancock and wash
ington will have complete railroad con-
nection with the Penohscot anu
sixty miles nearer Augusta than to Port
land. Thus the trend of population. of
railroad accommodations, of manufactur-
ing cities, IL not towards Portland, but
away from it. We're the State Capitol
dropped instantaneously to the center OF
the earth and closed up in volcanic fires,
by no philosophy of common sense. by
no mathematics known to mortal men, by
no historic analogy or example in Ameri-
ca, would the State capitol be located AT
Portland, that beautiful, prosperous city
on Cssco Bay.
A bill has been introduced into the
French Assembly prohibiting the importa-
ton into France of a new product of coal
tar known as sacchariue. This substance
possesses sweeteuing power considerably
greater than that of vegetable sugars and il
has already come into use "a substitute
for sugar, especially In the preparation
of Jams, sirups, etc. French scientists.
who investigated the matter. found that
saceharine and the preparations derived
from II are very injurious to health, and
hence recommended the presentation of
the bill forbidding the importation of the
substance IN any of its forius. How
much of this soare about the new sac
chsrine production is owing to the cupid
itv aud selfish fears of the French beet
sugar raisers and refiners it may not be |
easy to decide just yet, but probably not
a little of IL is due to rival interests
The New York World says that Presi- |
dent Cleveland has not been very sociabla |
during his stav In Washington. He has |