Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-07-17

The Railroad World.
The Maine Central is running through
second class Canadian Pacific car through
from st. John to Boston, on the Flying
Yankee.
The Boston & Maine is to lay heavy
steel rails on sections of the Eastern
division between Newburyport and
Portsmouth.
The Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes
railroad expects a new Seton Baldwin To-
connective within a few days. 1t will be a
fac-simile of their engine No. !.
The Portland & Rumford Falls railway
from the Dxfield and West Peru station
in the past six days, to Scotland.
Mr.. George Phillips. superintendent
of the Phillips & Rangeley railroad has
been elected a director Of that COM
pany, vice D. W. Davis, resigned.
Dennis II. Buckley, who resigned the
position station agent on the b. and
A. 4. r. at Greenviile Junction few
weeks since, has resumed duty and IS at
Sprague's Mills for the present.
Special orders have been issued to Bos-
ton g. Maine freight conductors relative
to taking in brick. cars on their trans;
Hereafter no cars loaded with brick Will
be handled unless they have proper SIDE
boards.
New ornamental towers and lanterns
have been placed at the entrance OF
the Union station on st. John street,
Portland, which the Argus under
stands may be the first step toward
covered iron walk.
Only seventy years have elapsed
since the first railway in the world was
finished. During that comparatively
brief period 100000 miles have been
constructed, the British empire ac
counting for about one-sixth.
Mr. r. S. Page, the only man now
living who drove horses over the old
Veazie railroad, when the engines
were not allowed to pass through the
city of Bangor but We're hauled that
part of the way by horses, tells the
Rockland Opinion that the fare from
Bangor to Oldtown in those days wss
3S cents and round trip was made in
two hours.
Complaint having reached the Boston
& Name general office that the Bar Har-
Dor express train passes through Bidde-
ford and Saco at an unsafe rate of speed
an official has spent the last three days
in the two cities looking the situation
over. He finds that the Main street
crossing in Saco, where the worst COM
plant arose, is well guarded by gates,
train time and that the train is not run
at reckless speed. Therefore the situa-
ton will remain as it is.
One of the favorte paths for bicyclists
between Bddeford and Old Orchard has
been the space between the two tracks
of the Boston G. Maine road bed. This
has been used so much by pedestrians
and tramped down SO solidly that it is
as good riding as macadamized road.
There have been several narrow escapes
by bicyclists from being caught by trains
and the railroad company in order to re-
hl :
posted notices prohibiting all wheelmen
from using the road bed.
Road Master Osgood of the Portland
& Rumford Falls r. r. is putting in sew
wooden ones, that have been in use over
forty years. Three new steel bridges are
under the process of construction. A few
rods over one mile of track. on the He
bon meadow is being raised, at Ryersons
bridge it will be lifted two feet and four
teen inches at Bog brook. The road is
under plans. which will put it on grade
the entire length. Mr.. Osgood also has
ten miles of 20 pound steel rails to lay this
summer.
According to the Railway Age of
Chicago. roads with a mileage of 1896
miles and capitalized at $780, 361 600
went into the hands of receivers in the
past six months. This exceeds the
record of the same time last year AL
together since the panic of 1898 roads
with a mileage of A $50 miles and
capital of nearly three billion dollars
have confessed bankruptcy. The record
is an appalling one.
The railroad companies are no longer to
be allowed to carry their business let
ters over their own road without paying
postage to the government. They will
not be obliged to mail their letters. as in
dividuals and other corporations have to
do. but will be supplied by the govern
ment with specially stamped envelopes.
which they must cancel when delivered
to the train men. The express companies
have been using similar envelopes for
several years The railroads in conduct
ing their business send vast numbers of
letters and the collection of postage on
the same will make a perceptible addi-
ton to the receipts of the postoffice de-
partment
a largely attended town meeting
was held in. Harmony, Monday, to vote
on the appropriation for the extension
of the S. & NJ. Railroad to that village
The result was far different from what
was expected by even the most SAN
2uine believers in a favorable vote.
The meeting was called to order at 8
O'Clock, and in the election of a mod
orator an linking of the strength of
those favoring the appropriation was
shown. When it came to voting on
the main question the check list was
used and the result of the ballot was
149 to Al. in favor of the appropriation
$50 voters out of the 200 in town, vot-
ing. This point being so satisfactorily
settled, there remains $500 more to
raise by subscription before July 20
$500 of which will go to the railroad
company and $4,000 to pay for land
damages.