Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-06
ARoOsiOoK POSSIBILITIES.
What The Nm Road viii 0paa Up
VIVA PMsisses 6urlsigh says Of the
Excelisut Oatiook

Daring . recent yisat to Bs1gsf to st@nd
IL difecsafs' meeting. President Burie'gh
of The Bangor & Arsostook Rsiircsd DIS
| eussed the outlook with . news reporter.
He ssid
I'VE are making srrsr smsn,s for .
CANVAS Of Bangor in the Interests OF tie
proposed road An sidress to the people
ceiling or the resources Of Aroostock
| county, her need ard the desire Of her pet :
pie for direc; rAilrosd cemmu .iea:ion vith
Bspaor, ard the advantages 10 be derived
By Bangor from .ueh connection, has been
prepared. and will be printsd today for gen.
eral distribution.
| "In regard to the general outlook" MI
Bufleigh proceeded, lit seems very favor
able. All who are most deeply Interests d
feel confident that the plans Of the iscor-
porstors will be successfully carried out.
Asa pars Of the general plan is to have the
road run into Bangor, it is required that
Bangor people should give the road its
hearty support, and we have no doubI that
they will do 90, for in fact everyone, ~ far
a. can be learned, 10 decidedly in favor OF
the road.
| "Rasgor capitalists may have no doubt
about the feeling OF the people OF Aroos-
took county toward their city The citi-
zeEs OF Aroostook county have ,he most
cordial feeling toward Bangor, ard will not
fail to recognize il BY deed - we'll Is By
word, to be the metropolis Of eastern
Maine, and this means that they will turn
q vast amount Of trade which has been
z ,ing elsewhere, TO Bangor.
During the thorough canvass which l
made Of AFoostook county before the
great vote was taken, found the people
almost universally in favor Of having the
most direct communication possible with
Bangor. In regard to the question as to
neither the road shall come directly to
Bangor or to Msttswamkeag, whatever
Bangor people think, Aroostook people are
| decidedly in favor Of Bangor. La fact,
tbink that IL il had net been generally
| un5erstood that the road is to come 10 Ban
Ror the county would not have cast its vote
fer the appropriation.
| 1.-The influence Of the older people of
the county had q great deal to do with the
n suit of the vote. In old times the
formers and business men of Aroostook
locked to Bangor for market, and they
used to transport their produce to the city
b. means of large teams, and now that
they see an opportunity TO do so they wish
to make the city their market with modern
facilities for shipping.
1.-THE people of Aroostook county think
that the road will be and intend that it
shall be Of mutual benefit to Bangor and
A roostook county. For this reason they
are firm in the conviction that il should be
owned and controlled by Bangor and
AroostoOk people.
"One 'hing very much desired by Aroos-
took people is exsy access TO pert, and
they fully realize That the opportunity now
| offered, If grssped, will place one at thsir
doors. Nature hss made Bangor the
| A Toostook port. and Tow ,nst tie time has
c7me for the best possible connection to be
made, Aroost1ok has not only expressed,
| but proved her willingness to meet Bangor
half way. When Bangor shall act favor
ally in regard to the plsns formed, both
| Interested parties may be said 10 have their
| shoulders to the wheel ard ihs harder Ban
gor pushes, the more strength will Aroos-
tcok contribute"
"As far as you have learned, what 90
Bangor capitalists seem willing to do 10
promote The interests of the proposed
| road2"
mo definite answer can be given to that
question until canvass of the city has been
made, but no dissenting voice has yet been
heard, and as said, every one as far rs is
known, seems 10 be in faver of the road.
Bangor people realize that the road will
velop PeDobscot county, IS is will run
through large portion of it, and what viii
benefit Penobscot CT unity will benefit Ban
sor-
II have already received letters from
manufacturers inquiripg about ater power
on the line Of the proposed road, and was
able 10 inform them that the route would
| pass tonr excellent privileges ,inclu ling the
ore a. North Vim VIII ch is not excelled
| by any in the State. The fall there il so
great ard 80 long that The water can be
used several times, before it is returned to
| its ns' u.si source.
"Speaking Of the development Of man
ufscturing advantages, if the road 10 built
Aroostook will come in for her share OF
the benefit in that line, besides having q
market open up for her agricultural pro-
ducts. There are numerous water privi-
| leges in the county which would soon be
utilized il the road is constructed.
money is that is wanted to make the
read reality and capitalists may have no
| hi STATION about investing in the enterprise,
| for profits are assured. Enormous qusnti-
ties OF freight will be forthcoming when
the road is completed. There were 8, O00,-
000 bushels of potatoes raised in Aroos-
| took county last year and the crop will,
" thout doubt, be doubled If the railroad
is Constructed. Up to May l, 245O car
loads Of the potato crop of 1890 had been
slipped. and had the market been accessi-
bls By more direct route twice that num-
| Der would have been sent Gus by Aroo,-
took farmers.
The cost Of growing potatoes is about
fifty cents per barrel. and to this must be
added the cost of shipping to market.
When the erop commands big price The
farmers can afford to ship by the rounds
bout way Of the present day, but when
prices are running low the cost Of shipping,
which cones out indirectly from the far
mer's pocket makes it impossible for the
farmer TO grow ? tstoes for the market and
& large part OF the crop at ,uch times is
given to the STICK. Fer this reason the
average farmer not knowing what tina con-
djtion Of tie markei will be, plapts only
sbout half the lard with potatoes that he
ould II he knew that he would get fair
prices for his crop. But on the o,her hand
if the cost Of shipping Was a. low - it will
he uhsn the rev rnfd is complete, evtn .
Nv. market would off~r irducement. to
gov large crop, AID for this reason it il
cafe to say thal tie crop will be doubled
~hs n the railroad is in running order.
! "Aroostook people have kept we'll alb east
y it'll the times a. far ~ modern farm sppli-
snces are concerned, and what they want
nov is good market easy of access.
People who have ever visited the county
have little idea Of tie large scale on which
farming is carried on. and less conception
If Whit natu e has done for the country
Throughout the whole Of h. sci led portion
Of the country there 10 q imest,ne forma-
lion, mssirg the fertility Of the ssii Amos:
II exaaustl bic. The scii is 80 rich thst the
land III many cAsss IL used 10 grow hsy fer
t~epty years after it il cleared, before it 10
planted, and then . moderate usage Of
phosphate is ali that 10 n quiIsd to keep il
in COED state for cultivation. No place
in New E. gland and few in the county
can compare with Afoostook County for
fertile soil
"rhe ideas in regard to potato s,osing
are also applicable to all products grosn
by the Msine farmer. When The railroad
is completed market gardening on a scale
never before thought Of in Ms;ne will be
carried on slong the line Of The road
Even now the wild berries gathered in the
county req1ira may cars in which to Be
shipped. This goes to show what W 1uId
be the case were the farmers encouraged
to cultivate berries aud osher smsll fruits.
sin regard to the growth and prosperity
Of Aroossook county one has only to refer
to the Maine fegist Z to see thst OF the
2,0c0 incTsase In the states during the
last ten yeafsf populAtiou 5000 of IL Ia IN