Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-10

almost all druggists. fri top col mr.
give us most wholesome city. If we
could take $4,000 from the sewer appro-
priation, this would make our total equal
$1,000. This amount laid by each year
for the especial purpose of macadam izing
our country roads, would in a very few
years give us a system of country roads
superior to any in this State at least, ard
would make our markets very much more
attractive.
This ought we to do and not neglect the
other. Augusta wants railroad. AS
was said at the meeting the other evening,
one man wants a charter to build in one
direction, and another in another: but it
seems to be the universal opinion that we
want railroad, from Augusta. some
where Now we have charters enough; we
have good men to push the schemes
through, and all we need is to get together
and lift again.
To touch on the broad question of
whether or not railroads pay, is to I'M
cover grave which was made score of
years ago Railroads do pay. The growth
of all countries has been simultaneous
with the building of railroads A few of
those present can remember when In 1850
(less than half century ago. the railway
system of the United States was in it's
very infancy. The construction of the
Union Pacific Railroad across the conti
nent, was the greatest marvel of our age.
The contamination of the enterprise set
tied the high destiny of the new West.
From that moment old things began to
pass away, and all things began to be new.
Progress was wonderful; and now it
sweeps onward more grandly than ever.
Some of the enthusiastic friends of the
road predicted, at the ceremo ny of break
ing ground, Nov. 5, 1865, that the road
would be completed in five years; and
their prediction was recorded as the pro-
phecy of enthusiasts The increduIous
smiled, and opponents declared the pre-
dicticn absurd. Gen. Sherman was re-
ported to have said before the work on the
road commenced ~ should be unwilling
to buy ticket over it for my grand
children" Five years thereafter, he
himself rode over it, That was great
day for our country and the world, driving
the last spike. = j
Our national government has been Sc
vcrely criticised by many of its subjects
for the liberal aid it rendered to the en-
tcrprise. The best bar.
gain the United States government
ever made was when it contributed TWEEN
ty-three million acres of land and fifty
millions OF bonds, to aid in constructing
this road to the Pacific.
Another item should be recorded here
as showing the marvellous growth of the
country through which this railroad ran.
In 1860 the states and territories on the
line of the Union Pacific Railroad and i'm
mediately contiguous, embraced popu-
latiOn of 500, 600 with 80 miles of railway
and 232 miles of telegraph. In 1870 (tbe
expiration of the ten years in which the
Pacific road was built,) the population
had Increased to over l, 000 600 with 4I9I
miles of railway and -, 600 miles of tele.
graph.
There are more inhabitants and wealth
west of the Mississippi river today than
there were east of it fifty years ago. Not
many years from now the center of popu-
iation of the United States will be, doubt
less, not far this side of the Mississippi.
And more than to any enterprise the coun-
try is indebted to the construction of the
Union Pacific Railroad for this growth.
might go on speaking OF this magni-
ncent undertaking indefinitely Volumes
have been written upon it. The brilli-
ancy of its conception. the vast wisdom
of the gigantic achievement is today pat
ent to all. And yet no less remarkable,
though on much smaller scale is the
development made in other localities,
step by step with the advance of the iron
horse.
1t is not inappropriate that the first
state in the Union to build a railroad,
should today possess the most complete
railway system in the country. The rail
road system of Massachusetts, is todey the
most complete of all the states. The rivers
offer no facilities for transportation, but
a perfect network of railways brings
nearly every city and town in the state
into direct communication with the great
centers. Nor Is it inconsistent that the
decade which shows the greatest increase
in population should be coincident with
the one during which the greatest num-
Der of miles of railroad were built. From
1865 to 1875 the state of Mas sachusetts,
built nearly one thousand miles of rail
road, and the census of 1875 shows an in
cent for the previous decade.
Massachusetts, had in operation in 1895
about twenty-five hundred miles of rail
road, or one mile for every four miles of
area. This ratio is the largest of any of
the states
Maine has today one mile of railroad
to every twenty-five square miles of area
And yet there are those among us who
contend that we have already more than
are profitable. While the official state
ments show In many cases the invest
ments in railroads to have yielded good
returns. in many cases it would appear
as of somewhat questionable value, while
it is undoubtedly the fact that many roads
have been constructed which have Yielded
no direct return to the stockholders; bnt
the enormous addition to the worlds
wealth thereby created Is no less certain