Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-21

Saco, but not to so great an extent, her
gain having been about 1900.
To carry this illustration still further;
out of the Is towns in the county, whose
representatives have signed the report
against this bill, there has been gain in
but two, during the same period Thir-
teen of these towns since 1850 have lost
in population 1861 souls, while the net
loss in all Is of them has been $3.50. In
those towns whose representatives have
signed report "A" in favor of the bill,
there has been a gain in population in all
but four.
In spite of the fact that Alfred is on
the line of the Portland & Rochester
Railroad, it is accessible by direct rail
communication to but 165 people out
of the 63, 900 population in the county.
There are three lines of railroad running
across the county from northeast to south
west almost parallel with each other.
The Portland g. Rochester road crosses
the county at the north, passing through
six towns having combined population
as / have already stated of but 11,165.
The two divisions of the Boston d Maine
Railroad cross the southern part of the
county, touching 10 towns. and the cities
of Biddeford and Saco, having a popula-
ton of over 43, 000 more than two-thirds
of the entire population of the county.
These 10 towns have made in the last de-
cade over 80 per cent. of the entire gain in
valuation in the county.
In order to reach Alfred by rail from
any of these towns, it is necessary to go to
Dover, N. II. and change cars for Roches-
ter N H., and there change again onto
the Portland & Rochester Railroad for AL
fred, or to go east to Portland, changing
there to the Portland & Rochester. OF
course it would be just as inconvenient
for the people in those six towns ON the
Portland & Rochester Railroad to reach
Biddeford or Saco, should either of them
be selected as the shire town, but as the
matter now stands, it is simply question
whether it is better to accommodate the
II, 900 people on the one hand or the 43,-
600 people on the other.
Law business of all kinds, and the bust
ness of all the county officers, always come
from the larger places in every county,
and every senator here knows that the
court houses are almost invariably in the
larger cities and towns without regard to
their geographical location. Not only is
this true of this State, but of the whole
country. Tho court business always fol-
lows the commercial business, rs may be
seen by looking at the location of the
court houses throughout the State. In
not single other county has the slightest
attention been paid to the geographical
location of the shire towns. In 12 out
of the Is other counties the court houses
are located in towns or cities on the very
border line of the counties, and in the
other three counties they are but few
miles from the border line. All the court
houses in the State are located, with two
other exceptions, in the largest cities or
towns in their respective counties. The
Is other shire towns in the State have
and average population of 1894, while
York, the third county in population, and
fourth in wealth, has the poorest county
buildings in the State, very inconvenently
located, in town of only 1890 population.
The main building of the present court
house. which is the largest part of it, was
built of wood in 1906. Forty-tbree years
ago two wings were built for offices, and
a cupola added to the old frame building
No engagements or special improvements
have been made since then, except the
putting in of a small furnace to heat a
portion of the building. / am entirely
familiar with the old court house, and
know that the only way to heat two of the
county offices is by small freestone fire
places. These offices are just as they
were built, 43 years ago. There is much
more that might be said against the old
court house, but these are matters for the
Deople of the county to pass upon rather
than this Senate.
Last Wednesday the Senate by a unani
nous vote condemned the normal school
building at Pennington as worthless. for
the purposes of enlargement and repair.
We We're told by the senators from Frank
lin and Knox and Washington that it
would be simply throwing money away to
undertake to enlarge and repair it. 1t
was repeatedly referred to IS too old and
too faulty in design and construction to
be Of any value. This building is of brick
and was built 30 years ago. l believe it
will take more than the eloquence of my
colleagues to make this Senate believe
that wooden building constructed 80
years ago, while Maine was province of
Massachusetts, IA years before she became
a State. is mo fern fire-proof structure
and one which can now be profitably en-
Iarged and repaired
Already at this session this Senate has
voted, without a dissenting voice, to have
Aroostook county appropriate SIC, 900 for
court buildings, without submitting the
matter to the people, ard this too when
the court buildings at Houlton arc far
better in every respect than at Alfred