Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-05-10
Early History OF the Grand Trunk
Railway.

:.
ants Pond. who has been ON duty at
that place since February 81. 1851. 1t
recalls names and incidents that were
familiar 30 years ago, and is published
in the HERALD at the request Of several
% our railroad men.
In 1916, when this railroad between
Portland and Montreal was first talked
of, the distance was estimated To he 800
miles. 1t was To be built by two COM
panies, one Of which was to begin at
Portland aud build halt way, the other
to bcgin at Montreal and meet the East
ern division half way. This arrange.
ment brought the Portland division to
Island Pond, Vt, Is miles east of the
Canadian line, or 1894 miles from Port.
land; the distance from Montreal to
Island Pond was 147 SO miles, making a
total of 297 % miles of railroad as sur
veyed. This end OF the road was to be
called the Atlantic & st. Lawrence, and
the Montreal end, the st, Lawrence &
Atlantic.
A contest between Portland and Boston
for the terminus of the road was settled
i'll the following way:--In March, 1S+7,
Il steamer was to start from Liverpool
England, with two mails for Montreal,
one to go via Portland, and one via Bos-
ton. the mail arriving first in Montreal
would decide the question. The steamer
was not to come into Portland, but to
keep on her course for Boston and the
Portland men were ia have a steam tug
out on the line of the steamer for Bos-
ton, to take Off the Portland mail. The
journeys from Portland and Boston to
Montreal were to be made BY horses.
Everything was arranged for the emer-
gency.
Mr.. Grin Hobbs was the man to receive
the mail when it arrived at the wharf in
Portland, All the way from Portland to
Montreal, horses were kept harnessed
ready to be hitched to pungs when the
trumpet sounded. Ten days after every,
thing was ready, oron the Goth of March,
1S47, the steamer passed Portland. The
signal was given. Now boys, for the
contest! The tug brought the mail to
the wharf where Mr.. Hobbs was waiting
and the mail was at once strapped to his
back. Mr., Hobbs left the wharf about
live O'Clock in the afternoon of the Doth
OF March, 1917, going up India street to
Middle, down Preble to Portland, down
Green and out over Deering bridge to
Gray Corner. For this first drive of 16
miles, he had Dr. Stephen Cummings
racking mare. Arriving at the Gray o. K,
Mr.. Hobbs took fresh team for Proctor's
Hotel, foot Of Ricker's Hill. thence to
Welchville. In passing over Shaker Hill,
the pung upset and broke both thills.
but the driver was not to be blocked.
He rode on horseback to Welchville, where
he TOOK a fresh team to South Paris,
thence to Dunham's, Shows Falls, his
route then took him to Mr.. Hannaford's
at Woodstock, to the Whtmans' at North
Woodstock, to Mr.. Virgins at Rumford,
Mr.. Howe's at North Rumford, Mr..
Crockett's at Andover, thence to Ben
Newton's, and lastly to Mr.. Bragg's at
Upton. This ended Mr.. Hobbs journey
OF 100 miles from Portland,
a team started from Upton for Cole.
brook, Sherbrooke, Richmond and thence
to Longueuil on this side of the st. Law
renee River. There Grosvenor G. Water
house, Esq, the veteran stage driver from
Portland to Paris Hill, was waiting with
Tour White horses, ready to take the mail
over the ice across the st. Lawrence
River, to Montreal. Mr.. Waterhouse pre-
scented striking appearance on that oc
casion, in his toxskin cap, so fashioned
as to preserve the contour of the live
animal, and woltskin overcoat and robes.
Ale reached Montreal about 6 p. M, on
the thlrtieth of March, making the
average time from Portland to Montreal
IL miles an hour, and arriving in Mon
treai tour hours ahead of the team which
had started from Boston with the Eng
ish mail, as soon as the mail steamer
had reached that port. This result was
favorable to Portland as the terminus of
the railroad. 1t took three DAYS for the
news to reach Portland by mail from
Montreal.
linen arrangements were made by the
leading men of Portland to break ground
for the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Rail.
road. July 4th, 1S47, was the day set
apart for this great event. A general
celebration was arranged and marshal
OF the day and committees were chosen.
The first officers OF the Atlantic & St. |
Lawrence Railroad were: president To-
slah S. Little. Esq; superintendent, Solo
mon L. Corser; general passenger and
freight agent, w. S. Eaton; treasurer
Charles f. Barrett; directors, St. John
Smith, VIM. P. PEBBLE, John B. Brown
and others of Portland, Ezra F. Beales,
OF Norway. The opening of the road
commenced July 4th, 1S47, with the
ceremony of breaking the ground near
the old log fort, of 1912, on Fish Point
The ceremony was performed by VIM.
+. Prelole, Esq, and Ex-Governor A. K. |
Paris. The tools used were a silver
plated shovel and wheelbarrow. Mr.,
Preble handling the shovel and ex-Gov-
ernor Paris wheeling the first load ofI
gravel OFT on a plank and dumping it
for the roadbed of the Atlantic & St. |
Lawrence Railroad, now the Grand
Trunk Railway of Canada.