Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-15
FAIR AROOSTO0K
Planning and Figuring for
Still More Railroads.
Interview With Hon. A. A. BurIeigh
President Bangor & Arcost:ok,
On Possibilities and Prospects OF Railroad "a
In Garden OF Maine.

the Lewiston journal from this place In,
the following: And still Aroostook, witt
306 miles of railroad newly CONSTRUCTED
and with the mileage Of the Canadian
Pacific additional, ISM contented Pres
dent Burlcigh Of the Bangor e. Aroosto ]
Road, informed me, the other day. thai
they had just learned how to build rail
roads in Aroostook.' That indicates. gnt
truly, that still more rails are to go down
next season, in the country of lumber anc
potatoes
in the first place, THE Patton branch
starting from point on the B. g. A. nea,
sherman station, is swamped and nearly
graded. Work will be commenced early
In the spring and the branch will IN,
douptedly be in operation by next July.
The town of Patten has voted $50 600 tc
this road and President Burlei.h of the
3. u A. will furnish the remainder of the
funds to complete the line. As the dis
tlncc is but five miles and no town except
fatten is to be tapped there has been
some speculation as to whether the opera
1850 ~ viz iNNA VIA oc Iicilbhl IT,
Patten has NO water power and cannot
furnish very great amount OF freight.
But 1t is understood that these fret five
miles are TO be but an initial step That
above Patten the road will be extended
rs lumber railway. constructed on the
plan of some already operated in New
Hampshire and other states. Such reads
are not expensive, as they are built witil
out much regard to grades, cnrvos and
ballast, and second quality rails are used
from Patten northwfs st toward Chem
berlain lake for 80 CT 50 miles, there is q
vast and heavily tiu.b ered section, lying
between the Aruostook and Penobscot
waters. Many portions of these tracts
have not been cut over because there
nave been 90 streams convenient for driv-
Ing purposes. The extension OF rail
road INTO this territory will be as signif-
cant a move as has been the construction
ot the Rumford Falls & Raneeley Lake
Road opening up thousands Of acres of
virgin woodland.
In fact, the lumber railroad is to he the
coming great factor in northern Maine,
the pressing and Unsuitable demands of
the hungry pulp mills rendering the old
fashioned driving methods ineffective, not
only on account CT the slowness, but be
cause timber deposits must be sought
away from the rivers and streams.
The spruce supply on accessible Pcnob-
scot waters has already begun to show
signs of thinning. This year TWO millions
will be hauled over the B. 81 A for one
firm Of operators, Palmer & Co. and the
Ashland branch will contribute large
amount not only OF spruce but also of
cedar and hard woods. The fact that
this branch penetrated for its 43 miles,
one of the most heavily timbered tracts IL
Maine, has already been commented upon,
There are excellent water powers ON the
northern end Of the road, and power can
be developed at other points. Therefore,
with power and rail accommodations. ii
will certainly follow that Aroostook will
manufacture the lumber that has during
all the years heretofore been driven down
the Aroostook waters Ia St John, to bs
sawed on New Brunswick sell.
President Burleigh Of the B x A, was
for many years collector of customs for the
oort of HoultoD, and he informs the writer
that during his term OF service 40 600, 600
or so 000, 600 of AroostOOk lumber, Oh the
average, went each year down the Aroos-
took and st. John rivers from this county,
to be sawed at st. !. John. That the new
Ashland branch will divert this drainin Z
eastward and furnish employment to mill
mon on Aroostcok soil is evident, as the
expense of rail transportation compared
with the long drive down the river to st.
John. will balance favorably to ARGOS
took.
In short, the more the prospects OF the
Ashland branch are surveyed. the more
encouraging they are, not alone to the
railroad people. but to the western Aroos
took section As well.
A number Of spurs east and west from
the Ashland road are under consideration
and still more timber land is to be opened
I'm in this manner More than that, an
enrly extension of the road northward to
Portage Lake, Is miles above Ashland, Is
very probable, as a super-excelient hunt
ing country can thus be opened up. Many
hundred sportsmen went I'D there, last
summer. In one party was the son OF tho
norprietor of one OF the largest hotels In
the Adirondack region, and he was very
enthusiastic over the prospects OF such a
hosiery at Portage Lake.
Should the road be put through, parties
will be encouraged to erect large house
in the style of the Kineo hotel There
will be every opportunity for such a
development of the sporting and scenic at
fractions of the place
Among the industries that are going in
on the Ashland branch is one of the
LARGEST box shook factories in Maine. 1t
ia operated by Hathorn & Foss and they
have other locations in Wow.
By the way, the Ashland branch claims
to have beaten the record in construction
limos From the time the first sod was
turned in July until the completion OF
the road to Ashland, line AZ miles long,
Init five months elapsed.
This period included grading, ballast
ING. laying rails and furnishing equip
nent. We see in new light President
Rurleigh's jocular statement, We've just
learned to build railroads here in Aroos-
took.
chat the Canadian Pacific people have sur
reyed route from Aroostook Junction
into the town of Limestone, Me. 1t is
said that the c.. p will build six mile
snur ever this surveyed route under an