Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-12-25
Shore Line Railroad.

To the People Of Hancock and Washington
Counties
Having been requested by many Of your
citizens to assist in roperly presenting to
the Legislative Committee the matter of a
new charter for a railroad from Sullivan
eastward, ! would respectfully call your
attention 10 the necessity of immediate or
ganlZation.
The time for the location and coustruC-
tion of the Maine Shore Line railroad
eastelly from the town Of Hancock will
expire January IS, 1891. This charter is
now owned and controlled by gentlemen
who have no interest in common with
you. They seek to speculate upon your
necessities They have already induced
You to vote eXorbitant gifts of money and
credit. Without capital or credit of It's
own, this company has trihed with you
FOR fifteen years. Under this charter ths
line from Bangor TO Bar Ilarbor was built
and yielded the owners of The charter a
handsome profit, in fact a fortune. These
gentlemen cannot ssv tnat it would ue un-
just To refuse 10 renew their charter in the
light Of these facts. They have held tile
charter from sullivan to Calais and East
port as the football of paper speculation.
The coming Legislature will never turn
you over 70 gang OF Spectators.
II would be equally unjust to grant q
charter To the Maine Central or to any syn
dlcate in their interests, without binding
contract for immediate construction, The
Maine Central through its stock owned by
the Eastern is to-day controlled by the
Boston aud Maine. The b. and NJ, by
reason of its trafc contracts. cannot an
tsgonlze the Canadian rac ic The link
from Sullivan 10 Calais would give st.
John lire 10 tie west in competition
with the Canadian PacIhc. II is obvious
that to give The Naiur Central control, dl-
rectly or indirectly, Of q paper charter j.
TO commit suicide.
There is but ono prudent course Let
the people from Calais aud Eastport to
Sullivan demand a Peoples Charter, To be
owned snl controlct b, their own citi-
zeus When the Maine Central, Canadian
Pacific, Grand Southern. old Maine Shore
Line, or any other syndicate viii bind il
self to hui!d the road. then by transfer Of
the charter give them the right This, at
least, VIII end the boys play that for ten
years has been So cXa>p.ratIug.
You must confront the trained. wcll-or-
ganized and powerful lobby Of the Maine
Central. II pitches it, camp in Augusta
only strikes it, tent, at final Adjournment.
hoover defeats it mast haye a good
cause, we'll managed aui thoroughly or
gauxrN
would suggest that q mass mectlu. ~
hold Al Once AZ some central point, say
MaChia>. Let this meeting he called by
cItilcns of Macha>, inviting the people lo
meet fur organization. Al this meeting,
- called, q petition should be circulat
cd and We'll signed \ copy of
this petition should be published for
three we,As 10 one new >paprr in Wash
ington county and one in Hancock. 'Ihc
notice recently published in the Machia-
HspaiitCuH Is not sufficient It was not
a copy Of tie petition, as required by sta>
tutc
AZ The same mass meeting steps should
be taken for organized work. \ Finance
Committee, quite large ono, should hc
appointed 10 solicit funds for advertising,
printing postage, expenses Of Executive
Committee at Augusta next winter, Ac.
There should also be appointed an active
and energetic Executive CumElittcc to
have full charge of the campaign Per
init NE 70 Suggest that this committee 10
% good work, should be small one.
Either the mass meeting or the ENecu-
tive Committee should appoint in each
city and town a Town Committee. The
Executive Committee should cause to be
Nuns ~ SH1tp - efttyhlr. Of hank naii-
both counties These petitions should he
circulated BY the Town Committee and a
generally slGned as possible. When sign
Ell they should Ne returned 70 the EXcCu-
tive Committee To be by them laid before
tie Legislature 1t il important that oil
these petitions should be filed with the
Legislature before January 18th next.
The favorite method Of killing railroad
leg station Is delay
A charter reported late in February il
soon stricken with paralysis. An early
hearing and an early report look upon a.
vitality important.
In this way the voice Of the people vii!
be heard. 1t will be organized but not
forced No one doubts what public sentl-
ment is, but it requires organization TO
find expression.
These are simply suggestions. Perhaps
other gentlemen have better ones. If so,
trust they will be adopted. Believing,
however that your success against the lob
by depends upon full demonstration of
public sentimental earnestly hope some
thorough plan may soon be agreed upon
Respectfully, IL NJ HEATH