The Portland daily press., 1891-04-08
MAINE CENTRAL'S TRAFFIC.
The 6Iue-Noses haye Begun the
Spring Exodus.
One Hundred River Drivers at the
Union Station Today.
The Upper Coos Division Nearly
Ready for Regular Trains.

Yesterday was very busy day down az
the Union Station. The provincial traffic Of
the Maine Central has begqn In earnest this
year. Few realize the tremendous size OK
the exodus that takes place every year from
the Provinces to New England. Men and
women come to New England every spring,
work through the summer and return In the
fall to their provincial homes. Yesterday
noon the train that arrived from Bangor had
IL large passenger cars on. making an extra
ordinarily large train for regular. There
were on that train 135 second-class passen-
gers ticketed through from New Brunswick
to Boston. And 1t must be remembered that
the Ice Is not yet out between Prince Ed
ward Island and the main land, so that the
"P.I's" have not begun to add their throngs
to the exodus.
March, April and May are the mo2ths OF
spring when the greatest numbers go through
to Boston. which is the distributing point
for Blue-Nose labor. The officials Of the
Maine Central say that this year about 49,.
600 persons will go from points beyond
Vanceboro through Maine towards Boston;
and about $1,000 will go back. OF
course there Is no means Of knowing exact
ly what the objects of all these people Is In
coming through Maine; but those best quail
fed to judge think that about all OF them are
men and women In search Of work. Very
few Of them are children.
An accurate account Is kept of all the
provincials who arrive In Boston by boat.
and 1t has been found that 17,24t landed In
1888; 20,745 In 1889 and 19,773 in 1890. A
large proportion Of these we're 'hoaters," or
those who come In the spring to return In
the fall.
Today there will be some excitement at
the Union Station, that is II there Is any ex-
element about 100 lusty. "white-water" riy-
or drivers. with their calked boots and red
shirts. These river drivers the Maine Cen
tral Is taking from Bangor and points east
and north to the headwaters Of the Connect
icut River, where they are to start the spring
drives. The Maine Central will carry them
over Its own rails to Stewartstown, on the
upper Connecticut, where the boundaries Of
Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec
meet. AS some Of these drivers have un-
| doubtedly come from the provinces theMaine
Central has carried them 400 miles, almost
from the st. John to the Upper Connecti-
| cut.
| Part Of this journey will be made over the
| extension of the Maine Central just COM
| pleted. 1t will be remembered that until
| last year the Maine Central, or the old Port
land 30 0gdensburg, stopped at Fabyan's.
Last year 1t was pushed forward 20 miles to
Lunenburg, VT Half way between Fabyan's
and Luneaburg Is a place called Quebec
Junction. Last summer the Maine Central
commenced at Quebec Junction and built d.
rectly northward 80 miles to North STRAIT
ford. There 1t has connected with the Up
| per Coos road, which the Maine Central had
already leased. 1t is over this new exten-
| sion that the river drivers will be taken to-
day. But the road Is not quite yet ready
for general traffic. May A having been fixed
as the date for Its opening to regular trains
By building the extension and acquiring
the Upper Coos. the Maine Central not only
obtained a junction with the Canadian Pa
cifc oyer its own lines. but also direct line
| to Quebec, by means Of a juncture with the
| Quebec Central. After the fourth Of next
| May the Maine Central will be running
trains connecting with Quebec by a direct
line. Indeed, the route from Boston to
| Quebec via North Conway and the Maine
Centraps Upper Coos division will be shor.-
ef than any other route. This will mean a
large amount.of traffic. both passenger and
freight.
| Among .he things hoped for by the Maine
Control within few years is fine passen-
ger station for Brunswick. The road has ae-
quired considerable additional land around
the old station; and the yard has been
changed around so as to accommodate the
new building. 1t Is thought that IL might
be erected this year, and the Brunswick peo-
pie were rather expecting 1t. but probably 1t
will not come quite so soon.