The Portland daily press., 1890-02-20
"REMINISCENCES OF A GREAT PROJECT.
How the Atlantic & st. Lawrence
Railroad Was Conceived and Built.
John A. Poor's Wild Ride Across
Maine In Winter.
An Enterprise That Fully Realized the
Expectations Of Its Projectors,

"a Paper read before the Fraternity Clubl
A few days since a paper came into my
hands, which awakened memories OF the
Portland Of my boyhood, and peopled IL
with the forms OF men who have passed 10
another sphere OF existence, and know
ing that the club has an afIilIation, may say
a loving tenderness for "reminiscences, have
thought 1t proper to expose to 1t the contents
OF this paper. hoping that still other remin-
iscences may thereby be awakened. The
paper to which refer Is the journal Of John
A. Poor, describing his journey to Montreal.
begun on February 5,18i5,in connection with
the proposed construction OF the Atlantic &
Sc. Lawrence railroad. was boy at this
time, and was wont, upoa-se+saayss tupass-a a
portion Of my time In the store Of a relative,
which was frequented by the promoters OF
this great enterprise. This store occupied
the site Of the present Casco bank, and here
gathered almost daily remarkable body Of
nlen to discuss the. project pro and con-
Among these were William Pitt Preble, tall,
dlgnifed and self-contained, who spoke
sparingly, but whose sententlous words
deeply impressed those who listened to him;
Josiah 5. Little, portly, rosy. good natured
and ready to argue dd fnem every point pre-
sented to him. in this respect quite unlike
Judge Preble; Randolph Goldman, tall,
spare and ,allow, with keen eye aud aqui-
line nose, man full of wit aud ever ready
at repartee; certainly a most striking char
acter; Luther al d George Jewett, the former
having long and serious face, iron-gray
hair, straight and long. and a>yoiee seeming
ly held back, which impressed tue M.ssner
all the more: the latter stout, jolfy and ffttii
Of quaint humor; Joseph Pope. then an edi-
tor. man Of ample proportions, OF a san
guine temperament. and Enthusiastically a
bonriUdR, man to ''set the table a-roar";
DIR. Stephen Cummings, raconte1r, whose
treasury OF humor was inexhaustible, and
who compelled his hearers to smile at the
first word which he uttered. Upon these
would break In suddenly John A. Poor,
man OF immense proportions, to my eye then
veritable giant, who would talk with
vehement action for q few moments and
then leave as suddenly and impetuously as
he had appeared. as though he could spare ne
more time for talk, but must be at more use
full work.
These were the men who would gather
about the stove In the rear Of the principal
grocery store Of the city. as men are wont to
gather even now ia the country grocery, and
seated upon boxes, barrels, stools, coffee
bags, or whatever else would serve the pur-
pose, would discuss the difficulties of build
ing railroad to Canada through the forests
OF Maine, and the great advantages which
such road would secure for Portland. For
a considerable time the questions connected
with the enterprise were discussed by these
men and others who would Join with them.
Sometimes General Samuel Fessenden, a
man OF remarkably attractive qualities, who
could make witty point and appreciate one
polite and courtly, who always reminded one
OF typical English squire OF the old school;
James @. Churchill, quiet, well balanced
man. of much force Of character, and
Charles Q. Clapp, an impetuous and
fiery man, a Bismarckian spirit, would Join
cussion oil the projected ente mNnnm a dis
cussion always interlarded VIII.
ries aud witty jokes, which impartet.'R 'R<A
these gatherings a fascination impossible y
From these discussions grew public meet
ings, and the more active Of those who had
engaged In them took part in presenting
their views to the people. A general inter
est In the subject was thereby awakened,
and before the meeting OF the legislature at
the close OF the year 1874, 1t was determined
to apply TO that body for charter to con-
struct the proposed road, an undertaking
which seemed to many people wild and al
most impossible OF accomplishment. Preble,
POOR, Little and Others threw. themselves In
to the movement, and In October, 1874, James
Hall. civil engineer, was appointed by the
mayor and aldermen OF Portland to make a
reconnaissance OF route for a railroad from
Portland to Montreal, and on the 23d Of the
month named he began the examination.
The season, he says In his report made on
the 7th Of December following, "had already
too far advanced 10 make a minute examina-
tion Of the whole distance before winter
should set in, and as IL was desirable that as
much information as possible should be OBJ
tanned before the assembling Of the legisla-
ture, that, II the project was feasible, a
charter might be obtained, and other prelim-
mary steps taken, so as to ensure the earli-
est possible success OF the enterprise" he
proceeded to the interior ''to exam
the route. through the forests,
among the highlands. trusting to the general
Information he had already acquired OF the
intermediate distance" and such as he
could !. cursoriiy obtain. for description Of
AS soon as the Legislature convened at
Augusta, steps were taken to procure . char
ter based upon this report, and upon Feb. 4,
lS45 John Neal in an article in the Adyertis-
er joyfully wrote;
Since my last the Legislature OF Maine have
granted In perpetual charter, incapable 0i belOg
repealed, altered, limited or qualified by legisa-
i've power without the consent OF the stOcknold-
ers; and wholly free from taxation, now and for
aver, except upon real estate purchased by the
corporation; shares including the right OF way,
being personal estate. and taxable TO the owners
where they have their nome not TO be tapped on
'he western side, though 1t may be slulced on the
east.
Two days before the date Of this letter
John A. Poor, knowing that the charter
would be granted, started OF his famous ride
10 Montreal in order to lay his plans before
the Canadians, and kindle In them an enthusi-
asm which he hoped upon the arrival Of Judge
Preble, who was to follow him by express
with the charter as soon as 1t was signed,
would increase TO a degree which would en-
sure the construction Of the Canadian por-
tion of the road to the Vermont line. Inc
journal kept by him on this journey, under
taken In the midst Of a furious storm, begins
as follows. on Feb. 5, three days before the
final passage Of the charter:
MONTREAL, February Il, 1S45.
/, AT half-past II o'clock a. m; Of Monday,
.he 9th inst, left the United States Hotel
The wind, which had bsen increasing the
whole day previous, blew a perfect gale from
he northeast, and the snow had been falling
with great rapidlty for about an hour prevl-
Ous. Before setEin2 off alone thought 1t
Green street bridge. The new fallen snow
lay only In drifts, aud the larger portion Of
the way was glare Ice, over which the wind
slowed the sleigh In every direction. The
snow was nearly, IL not quite, coarse hail
and striking the face with such violence as
to prevent not only yourself but tue horse
from seeing his way, as our way led US 70
take the whole fury Of the storm In the
teeth.
Finding 1t unsafe to proceed alone in the
midst Of such tempest, on my return 70 the
United States eDquired II no one could be
found to accompany me, as the driver who
brought me the horse positively refused 10
stir an inch with me. Mr. Cheney came 70
my aid and volunteered his services as soon
as he could procure a fur coat, which he soon
obtained. Thus furnished we starteJ, and
such night and such a storm never before
encountered. The drifts were already sew
eral feet deep, and the residue Of the road
was full Of objects TO fright our horse, who
sheared at every step.
To face the storm with our eyes open was
impossible, and the only protection to them
was the covering OF Ice which hung In
masses from our eyebrows. Our horse re-
garded neither highways or byways, but
climbed stone walls, wOOd-piles or any thing
In the way. To keep the road was impOssi-
Bile, and five times we called up the people
on the way to get our way, which as many
times we lost, and finally az the end Of three
hours we reached Leach's Tavern, u
miles out where we had an opportunity 10
thaw ourselves out Mr.. Cheney, who was
less clad than myself. was actually suffering
from the cold. At the first dawn we started
afresh and ploughed a path through the
drifts to Gray Corner Jack Frost took a
nip at my nose and a twist upon one ear. AL
our arrangements were discouraged and my
M ~ frfand Rarral rannouetrafad aUofuQf