Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-05
Aroosto x Raj road
Editors Of the Kenme6ee Journal:
In addition IN tho s,acs IN ants made in

Al 84VhlJu W tuS wax III -Its AA01e Az SAN
memorial OF the committee Of Aroostoek
PJmons Grange, published in the columns
ot the JOURNAL, beg leave to call the
attention of tie Legislature to the follow.
ing facts. The situation in Aroostook in
regard TO facilities 10 practically a. follows:
This grea. county with an area of $500
square miles, and With ubexampled agri'
cultural n 4 Industrial re sources, which. II
de7elopei, vonli xtd immensely u iha
wealth of the STATE, has nov less than ffiy
miles of railroad Aside from the few miles
where the E. & n. A. road skirts along the
extreme southern border OF the county. cur
railroad facilities are condned to short
spurs running up from foreign system to
y few border to~ps. Tbx: even this I'M
perfect means Of communication has been
of vast benefit to the county is readily
admitted, and the enormous incfeaee in the
business and exports Of Aroostook result
log from our present railroad connection
is but an earnest of what might
be realized could we have r
direct route through the heart
of the county. With our present means of
communication it is impossible to attract
capital here to engage in large manufac-
turing industries, rot olly on account OF
high freights caused by the 125 miles Of
circnitous travel, but from the fact that
men accustomed to do business in other
parts of the State become SO thoroughly
Disguised with the long and tedious Jour
cey, that even the acknowledged resources
Of the county are rot sufficient to induce
them TO undertake the pilgrimage second
time. Think of thu situation OF the busy,
busting. beautiful town Of Houlton, the
| metropolis of northeastern Maine. You
leave Houlton for Bangor in the morning
by train and after riding until O'Clock
T. NJ, you reach Dapforth aud find man
who left Houlton with horse and buggy
ut the same time you did waiting there to
take the train. The American Express
Company now takes its Aroostock freight
off at Danforth and hsuls it by team across
the county to Ho1lton, often arriving ahead
of the train. Is it any wonder that ARGOS
took people are anxious to invest their own
upuey in the construction Of direct line !:
In the case of the towns in the Afoostook
valley the situation is still worse and
a large part of the county has no railroad
come ction whatever. All that fertile Sec
ton 10 the western portion OF the county is
practically prohibited from producing a
surplus IF agricultural products on account
Of its distance from raiirosd and the man
ufacture of lumber for shipment is there
| also impossible. Many hopes OF better
railroad connection have 10 the past been
held to Aroo'took but all have thus far
proved delusive. The vast area OF timber
lands, large enough for prncipallty IN
The old world, was given with one stroke OF
the pen to the f. & N. a. Railway Co. pre-
| sumabiy for the purpose OF building rail-
road to Aroostook, but when completed the
line barely touched the county On its
extreme southern border ana continued On
across the New brunswick line. Other
prospects have from time to time been
started but all have been barren OF results
some three years ago tue Northern Name
Railroad Co. was formed and the people OF
Aroostook were assured that II they would
pledge S'0O 700 IN hii OF me enterprise
the Ditect Line should surely De ouiit
by ant OF much hsfo iaoof on 'pe part OF
Few lndividusis the required amount
was secured, rarity by vote OF towns and
the remainder oy Individual cohtriounons.
Inc charter was procured, me survey mace
ana all copndentiy expected tnat at ias We
were to have direct line: without douot
the projectors OF the Northern Maine acted
in good faith ard honestly intended to build
the road. All looked well until tue cum
mer OF 1880 when the New Brunswick
Railway passed into the hands OF the great
Canadian Pscihc Co. Then commenced
me freeze nut. The Maine Central was to
bui'd the Northern Name, but the cpn'fo!-
ing interest IN the Maine Central was0wned
by the Boston & Name. The Z. L. X.
was furnishing the B. NJ large amount
OF freight and this it threatened az once to
cut on and turn over to the Fitchourg road,
if the b. & NJ. allowed the Maine Central
to move finger in this direction All WORK
upon The line OF the Northern Maine was
at once discontinued and since
that lime this great snd power
tul foreign corporation, the Z: +.
R.) has had its fingers closed round the
throat Of Aroosiook enterprise aud develop
mert. In despair OF any aid from outside
corporations or capitalists The county now
comes to the Legislature and simply asks
to be allowed to help itelf- 1t does
not SIX dollar Of aid from the State but
simply seeks permission to invest its own
money in the construction of the long de-
sired direct line. Grant lis petition AID
this county will itself break the chains By
which it is now bound aud achieve its in