The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-04
PORTLAND & ROCHESTER.
Annual Meeting and the Reports of
the Officers.

The annual meeting OF the Portland &
Rochester Railroad Company was held
yesterday morning, President Wescott in
the chair. These reports were made and
accepted:
DIRECTORS REPORT.
To the stockholders Of the Portland Dc Roch-
ester Railroad:
The past year has been one Of prosperity,
and shows substantial gain both In the
amount of freight hauled and la the number
of passengers trans ported. The gross earn
iDgs have increase S29.82623; the operating
expenses have increased S11 .898 36, leaving a
net surplus (after the payment of all opera
ting expenses and two semi-annual dividends
of per cent each,) of S17,927.S7 in excess Of
last year. The increase of freight earnings
of 81, ,448 80 was almost wholly derived from
foreign business transported over your road
The increase of tonnage was 1862 tons, Of
which 80, ,384 tons Was foreign and 1878 tons
was local. The increase OF passenger earn
ings was S15,30766, while the number trans
ported was 81, ,588 local and 3539 foreign In
excess of last year. The large increase OF
81, ,588 in the local travel between stations
shows Enthusiastically the increased prospect
ty Of the towns and the manufacturing in
dustries on the line of your road. This
large increase in freight and passengers has
required additional engines and cars in or
der to move the same promptly. 1t also
brings to the attention OF the directors the
great importance of increased termina al facil-
tiles at Portland for freight and passenger
purposes. In 1887 the corporation purchased
a larse lot of flats in Back Cove between
Preble and Franklin streets, that part of
which lying between the Marginal Way and
Somerset street Q600 feet long by 800 feet
wide), containing over IS acres, Is now re-
quired to be filled in order TO accommodate
the increased traffic of the road.
The following materials were used for re-
pairs and construction: 1l5 tons of steel
rails, II, ,605 cedar crOss-ties. 13,050 pounds
spikes, 20 new sets of switch ties, 20 split
switches and 20 new frogs. These new side
tracks have been laid during the year: Port
land, 5.410 feet of siding; Bartlett's Pond,
.258 feet of siding; Alfred, 2,140 feet of sid
ing; East Rochester, 466 feet Of siding.
Portland new wharf, having a lront4ge of
20 feet on tide water, has been built east of
Fukey's bridge to accommodate the larg ely
increased coal traffic OF the road, while 465
cubic yards Of stone 6ulk-head have been
laid on the Marginal Way. Over $1,000 has
been expended in filling land on Somerset
street TO provide accommodations for our
freight business, to which point the local
freight sheds will be moved in the early
spring.
The overhead bridge at Gorham has re.
ceived extensive repairs, Including new sllls
and plaDking; have also put in proper
drains for the water from the street. At AL
fred the granite quarry has been opened and
10 uOW III EpOu 81 bUdt otOu6 Tue
purposes Of the road can be quarried as
cheaply as at any quarry in the state. Six
miles of new barbed wire fence have been
built and $50 feet OF snow fence. besides
general repairs to fences over the whole
line. At Portland general repairs were
made 10 the car shop and new run built on
the coal wharf. At Gorham (Narragansett
Park have built an extension Of the plat
form 150x13 feet, and widened the present
platform. At Saco River a coal sned has
been built. At Springvale the freight OF
fee has been enlarged, and general repairs
have been made to other buildings. We
have added to our equipment the past year
the freight engine algonquin" which has
been paid for, and have also paid the bal
ance of $1,000 due on the "Sagamore," which
was purchased last year, making total pay.
ment of S15,500 for new locomotives. All
the locomotives have received general re-
pairs, and are in coed order for service.
Fifteen new box cars have b zen purchased
aud added to the equipment OF The road.
One new freight saloon car and one new
platform car have been built at our shops.
Many of our freight cars have been rebuilt,
and the capacity Increased from 10000 to 30-
600 pounds. Fourteen gravel cars have been
rebuilt.
The following report of miles run by trains,
tonnage of freight hauled, number of pass SEN
gers carried and amount of material on hand
at the close of the year, has been made up
by j. w. Peters, superintendent, viz;