The Somerset reporter., 1891-06-18
A Railroad Meeting


Link" came off at Grand Army Hal
Thursday evening to confer together anC
take measures looking to the FORWARDING
of the construction Of the proposed rail
road from Skowhegln to Norrldgewock.
The meeting was an informal one bu
after quite a full interchange of idea,
upon the subject Lewis Anderson, Esq
was called to the chair and j. o. Smith
was named as Secretary.
Hon. A. X. Bixby was called upon an,
spoke in favor of building the road will
the least possible delay He ridculed The
idea of benefit occurring to town from
being junction and cited Burnham, New
port and McAdam. lie also spoke OF
North Arson being for Is years the ter
minus Of the Somerset road and OF
Madison being but a way Station. The
former had not grown and the latter had
The Natural advantages improved are
what build up town.
Mr.. Geo. Is. Stafford had IT Gently been
to Bingham and The Forks and was par
ticularly struck with the need of this
road. 1t would help wonderfully The
people along the river towns want to
come down here and we ought to give
them opportunity to do so, and ut once.
Mr. C. A. Marston, thought there had
been about talk enough of this matter.
The people of Somerset towns north and
west of us have had long acquaintance
with US and desire to come here II we
will let them, but with the Somerset road
running by US the tendency Is TOWARD
other towns. Waierville and Oakland
don't want his link built. Skowhegar
has virtually ceased to be terminus
The town should vote aid to the road anC
meeting should be called to vote upon
the question.
Hon. S. J. Walton said that business /.
Booming in the up-river towns and Skow
hogan Is having no hand in it. Railroad.
are being extended all around US and We
ait supinely by and don't lift finger tc
| aid ourselves. He did not believe there
is parallel case in the State of Maine
We ought to give people of Somerset
towns a chance to get into our town II
is an absurd thing to allow business thai
belongs to us to glide by and simply talk
Mr., l.. w. Weston spoke about organ
izatlon The first thing to do is to go to
the town and ask for $l5 900 aid and then
probably individuals would be required
to be responsible for some s. 600 more.
We should 60 ahead without further de.
Law.
l.. L. Walton, Esq, said there had
really been but little talk. He found OPP
position and apathy upon our streets
among business men, He cited the in.
crease of travel caused by the Fairfield
& Waterville horse railroad and the
Augusta 4 Gardiner electric railroad, and
said 1t would be the same In this case
The road will Increase the business be,
tween Skowhcgan and all the towns
above, largely.
Forrest Goodwin, E-q., said he was de
cidedly in favor of the road a. on,
OF the young men of the town who ex
pected to help bear any future burden
of the town aiding the project. We
should make the fight for 1t now. W,
must expect opposition. There are Away,
kickers but If properly presented til,
town will vote aid 1t must be vas
benefit to the town.
o. X. Bachelor said when the town ol
Scion was canvassed for subscription I,
the Somerset road, not man would sub
scribe until assurances were given thai
the road would be built to Skowhegan
They all wanted the road to run here anc
they want to come here now.
Other gentlemen spoke briefly and fay
orably to energetic action no,o.
j. o. Smith oil9red the following re
solve and it received unanimous passage
Resolved That it Is the sense OF thi
meeting, that a town meeting should b.
called at the earliest practicable date Il
vote upon the question OF aid In tn
building of the proposed Skowhegan
Norridgewock railroad, and that the com
mittee raised at the last annual tow
meeting, be requested to take early actor
favorable to the calling of such tow
me citing.
The committee alluded to above is com
posed of Messrs. r. B, Shepherd A
X. Bixby, e. A. Msrston, r. L. Mitchell
j. II. Lord.