Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-16
Asoos1ook's VOTERS
Soon 10 Vote Upon the Railroad question,
Should Consider the Facts.
(AroOstook Pioneer.


| on Saturday, April 20, as the date wnen
the legal voters of AroostoOk county Snail
meet in their respective towns and planta-
lions and give their votes 9 Yes or = No
on the following proposition: "Shall the
county OF AroostOok subscribe for and pur-
chase additional preferred stock OF the
Bangor 81 Aroostook Railroad Company
to an amount not exceeding S22S, 000'' or
$4,000 per mile towards building the Ash
land branch, and $4,000 per mile towards
extending the road from Caribou to Van
Buren, after the 500, 600 now available for
the last named object has been exhausted:
The question to be decided is just as
important to the continued prosperity and
well being of the county, as was the
proposition to subscribe $500, 900, in 1891.
The proposition amounts to this: Shall
Aroostook county as a whole be developed,
or only the eastern section of it? Shall the
great lumber region of the county be pene-
trated by a branch of the great B. & A.
Railroad system, or shall only the eastern
agricultural section have the benefit of the
road? Shall this county. which has sur
prised all New England by its courage,
enterprise and wonderful development,
which has increased its population by
more than 10, 900 during the last decade,
whose increase in valuation during the
past year is more than one-fifth of the en-
tire increase in valuation in the State,
shall this county now hesitate in voting
aid, when by so doing it can, in all prob
ability, secure ~ miles more of railroad
all within its borders, and this by taking
preferred stock in the railroad itself, which
stock, competent judges say, will within
two years after the road is completed to
Ashland, pay per cent. dividends?
| We do not understand that the railroad
company asks the county to vote to take
this stock We do not understand that
any syndicate of bankers asks the county
to do it. In fact, it might be a question
whether the railroad company would
favorably consider the project even if the
| county should vote aid The proposition
seems to resolve itself into this shape:
What inducement will the county OF
| Aroostook hold out to the Bangor &
Aroostook Railroad Company, which
has built such magnificent railroad into
| one section of the county, and connected
it by a direct line over American soil with
tho remainder of the State, and with
the county at large, what inducement will
the people of the county offer to have
other sections convened and the whole
county put in the way of wonderful
development and a permanent prosperity?
| Let us summarize a few of the reasons
for favorable action on the above PROPOSE
zion. First. Favorable action is simple
act of justice towards the western part
of the county. That section came up
manfully and supported the 'Burleigh
scheme" The American people love JUS
tice and fairness. The people of Ashland
and vicinity ask the eastern section of
the county to do by them as they did in
| 1891 by tho eastern section, and in all
fairness and justice the people of the east
| ern towns should heed the call of the
central and western sections.
Second. Tho central part of the lum-
Der region would be reached by building
the Ashland branch. The finest lumber
region in Maine today is around the head
waters Of the Aroostook river. Portage
lake, belonging to the great Fish river sys-
| TEN, lies only few miles from Ashland.
| There are fine water powers all through
| this region, on the Masardis river, on the
outlet of Squawpan lake, on the main
| river itself, and on nearly all the tribu-
taries of the Aroostook. Above Ash
| land the basin of the Aroostook river and
more than three times as many acres rs
all the cleared land in the county. For
years lumber has been cut in this region
| to the extent of 80, 900, 600 feet annually,
run down the Aroostook river aud the
| ST. John. manufactured in a foreign coun-
| try, and returned to the United States
| We're the Ashland branch to be built
| this un- American practice would nearly,
| up all through this great section, giving
| employment to hundreds and thousands of
men, and the wilderness would be trans
| formed into the abode of industries and
happy communities. Wherever rail
road penotrates lumber region, lumber
| will be sent by rail to market, as a car
| once loaded can go to any place in the
| United States direct, without the expense
| of rehandling the lumber. When the B.
| a. A. was being built from Brownvillo
| through the wilderness towards Houlton,
| the question was often asked, "What will
support the road through that long stretch
| Of forest?" No answer need be made to
| any one who now passes over the road
| The great piles of railroad ties, telegraph
poles, last blocks, long and short lumter,
found near every station, from Island
Il
answer. From reliable information we
learn that already 5000 carloads of these
different articles have been hauled out
since last fall, and there is fully as much
more to be hauled. If we divide this into
trains of 20 cars each it would give US 200
| freight trains or one train daily for two
thirds of a year. This vast business has
developed in little more than year.
| The country around Ashland is Just as
fine an agricultural section as the eastern
part of the county. Splendid farming
| towns would Ire evolved out of the wilder
i ness should the Ashland branch be built.
| The population of Aroostook county
would increase to at least IS 600 and its
valuation would be increased one fourth
within five years should this branch be
built, is the candid judgment of level
headed men.
Third. Aroostook county's markets
have been extended and enlarged on ac-
count of the building of the Bangor &
Aroostook road. This has been done by
making freight arrangements with other
railroad systems west and south. The
stronger and more extensive the B. & A.
| l,;r -