The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-31

ing was continued at the West End at 2 80
p. m.
The petitioners continued, called first
REV. GEORGE W. REYNOLDS.
Mr.. Reynolds said he desired to say a
few words in regard to the attitude of the
Portland Railroad company in this mat
ter. The responsiveness has all been on
the side of the citizens of Gorham, who
have earnestly urged the company to put
in the line. All men know that electricity
is great developer. Property has al
ready advanced in value in our vicinity
where it has been introduced.
In regard to our present railroad accom-
mediation, we are told we have sufficient
to our needs. I do not believe that either
Mr.. Wescott or Judge Symonds would
live in Gorham under the present state of
affairs. Business men will not locate
their families in Gorham where they have
no adequate accommodations. We have
special favors there for getting in and out
of Portland from the Portland and
Rochester railroad when we pay for it,
and at no other time.
To allude to the matter of tickets. To
get the low rate on the Rochester railroad
one must ride every day and each day for
a month to secure this reduced rate.
The extent of this opposition simply
means to me, no competition. We all
have competition in our lives For the
Boston and Maine to say that Gorham
shall not have four miles of electric road
is abOminable.
LEWIS M'LELLAN
sele otman of Gorham, said he had been
municipal officer of Gorham for some
years and knows nothing of the condition
of affairs there / believe nothing could
be conceived that would help me and
every real estate owner in Gorham as this
road 1t is not a great thing to ask.
Shrewd men are willing to put their
money in this enterprise and / believe 1T
will be substantial success. The COM
missioners have had an object lesson in
the populating and developing power of
electric roads in their rides through West
brook and Deering. I believe Gorham
will equal and excel their records if we
have this road. I should say the road
would enhance the value Of my own
property $4,000.
WARREN /. BICKF ORD,
who keeps the Crystal Spring farm, said
that the present train arrangement is
entirely inadequate to accommodate his
summer boarders. The electric road
would bring him large increase of sum
ner business and enhance the value of
his property.
President W. J. Corthell of the Normal
school made a spirited argument for the
electric road in the course of which he
alluded to the fact that the presentowners
of the Rochester road were not the people
who by self sacrifice built the road and
lost their money, and did not believe the
commissioners would establish such a
precedent as to allow this rich corpora
tion to interfere with the needs and
wishes of the public as represented by the
citizens of Gorham. He did not believe
they would allow any corporation to hold
community by the throat
Mr.. CorUhell was the last speaker called
by the petitioners, and Judge Symonds
began the case for the remonstrants by
asking
HON. GEO. P. WESCOTT
some questions which brought out the
facts that the Rochester road maintained
six trains to and from Gorham each day !;
that the single fare fare was 25 cents each
way, and the monthly ticket at the rate
of cents per trip. Mr.. Wescott did not
think the building growth of Westbrook
and Deering very substantial since the
establishment of the electrics He based
his views in the number of water takers
in those places, but admitted in the
answer to Mr.. Libby's questions that
there had probably been some new houses
built which were not water takers, but
he thought not many. He thought there
was great deal of unoccupied land on
the line and adjacent to the electric road
at present. He attributed the arge in
crease in Deering to the work of building
loan associations and overflow from Port
land, and not to the influence of the
electric line. He thought there was no
real demand for any more train service
at Gorham than that furnished by the
Rochester road. In this judgment there
was no more business there to be had. A
competition electric road meant for the
Portland and Rochester to take off trains
and means case of financial loss for
both, as neither could be operated at a
profit in his Judgement
He had counted the houses in the direct
line of the proposed road from Gorham to
Westbrook, and there were only twenty
three dwellings, two shops and one school
house. Gorham must be either resi-
Dental Or manufacturing town he did
not think it would ever be the latter, and
did not have any very brilliant hopes of
orham' S future growth.
Mr.. Libby asked Mr.. Wescott why if he
regarded Gorham as possessing such dole
full prospects why the Portland Water
company had just put water into the
town, and Mr.. Wescott replied, ITO keep
some other fellow out of our territory"
Much laughter)