The Portland daily press., 1896-05-22
FRIENDS and ALLIES.
Interesting Talk Of Sir Charles
Rivers Wilson.
AND GRAND TRUNK
SHOULD w DIRK TOGETHER.

The Proposed Elevator Would Bring New
Business Here-The Government Has
Done Its Part-The Grand Trunks
Ready TO Do Its Part-N ow What VIII
Portland Do?
Yesterday morning, Mayor Baxter and
committee of the Board of Trade,
called at the Falmouth hotel on Sir
Charles Rivers Wilson, president of the
Grand Trunk railway. and the other
officials and guaranteed to them the
heartiest cooperation of the city and the
Board of Trade in any improvements,
especially in regard to the proposed ele-
vator.
| Late in the forenoon the entire party,
by invitation of Hon. A. A. Strout,
tour of he.Grand Trunk wharves and
| then of the entire harbor in Mr. Strout's
steam yacht, Viking, after which the
yacht carried them up the harbor to Mr
| Strout's handsome residence on the hal-
mouth Foreside, where they took dinner
l tllo koL0diA0Q ou1AdS U4iO oASOAASOAA' ~'@N'
Strout, himself, drove to his home in
carriage for the purpose of conveying
Lady Rivers Wilson, who did not care to
go byswater.
The party on the yacht consisted of Sir
Charles Rivers lson, General Manager
Charles H. Hays, General Traffic Mana
ger George Reeves, General Superinten-
dent f. H. McGuigan, Chief Engineer
Joseph Hobson, Superintendent Riddle,
II enry Phillips. secretary to General
Mana ger Hays, M. Fl. Deere. secretary
to Sir Charles, Mayor Baxter, President
E. B. Winslow of the Board of Trade and
g. A. Hight, ESQ.,, Mr.. Strout's law
partner. Mayor Baxter did not accom-
pany the party to the Foreside, as he was
| obliged to return to the city.
Mayor Baxter said to a PRESS reporter
that the Grand Trunk officials expressed
themselves very earnestly in praise of
| Portland harbor and the project Of build
ing the 1000, 900 bushel elevator seems to
| be in fair way to be realized. Sir
Charles told the Mayor that it was the
finest harbor he ever saw.
| There was some expression Of desire
that Portland capitalists should invest
i n the elevator enterprise.
Collector Deering placed the revenue
Gutter at tho disposal of the party, but
Sir Charles had already accepted the in
vitation of Mr.. Strout to go out in the
Viking. The courtesy of the Collector
was highly appreciated.
| Last evening the visitors left the Fal-
mouth and returned to their special train,
which was run out on siding at Fish
Point. There the newspaper men found
them later on enjoying dinner and listen
ing to what the wild waves were saying,
in this particular case, welcome to
| Portland"
| General Manager Hays said that he
met and talked with Mayor Baxter and
| President Winslow of the Board of
Trade, and was much pleased with the
reception they gave him. He said that
Mayor Baxter was impressed with the
Importance to Portland of the proposed
elevator. The general manager referred
the newspaper men to the president of
the road
| Sir Charles Rivers Wilson, the present
eff cient head Of the Grand Trunk sys-
TEN, is thorough business man, and a
most courteous gentleman. Lady Will
son, who is of the party, like her hus-
band. is much pleased with the trip and
especially with Portland. She is good
type of the accomplished and charming
| English woman Of today.
| Sir Charles said he had greatly enjoyed
| his visit to Portland.
| ''We have" he said, ga very valuable
property here, in fact l was surprised at
its eAtont and value. To be sure we may
not have exactly an ideal station, but
still it does very well, and I think there
is no talk of making any special change
at present at least. Mr.. Hays, my gen.
when he saw the extent of our property
in Portland.
''In fact could but think that the city
of Portland had been almost too good to
US, that your people are very patient
with us in allowing us as you do to block
| Op oD1COO Will Jul uIthAA5.
| "But I must say that have looked in
| vain for the signs of commercial enter
prise and business at all, corresponding
with your material advantages. You have
a magnificent harbor, one of the finest in
the world. and very beautiful city, but
| you ought with such advantages to be
able to compete with other ports, and to
keep pace with other commercial and
| maritime cities. You have natural ad.
vantages not possessed by your rivals like
Bosto n, New York, Newport News and
Norfolk. The business at Newport News
and Norfolk has, am 1 told, grown to
great proportions within a few years.
| "Now while think that you have not
| fully appreciated your own position, I
do not say that we have full appreciated
our great port. and do noB say, and l
do not think that we have done all we
could or all we should to develop our
| business here. I fully recognize the fact
that Portland and the Grand Trunk are
allies, and that our interests are the