The Portland daily press., 1896-01-23

commissioners. This patriotic allusloI
aroused q great deal Of enthusiasm, ant
there was An outbrlrst of applause wher
Mr.. Mcclellan concluded.
MR.. THOMAS FARDEN,
| in a carefully prepared address, said he
supposed this was to be righteous indig-
nation meeting against the action of
| few men dressed in little brief authori-
ty. The blue sky of the hope Of the cleo
trio road had been darkened by the de-
cision of the railroad commission. The
people had received a knock out blow,
but they would come up again smiling.
Mr.. Farden regarded the building of
the road as certainty,a statement which
evidently pleased his auditors.
JOHN A. WATERMAN, ESQ,
spoke to the point, notwithstanding his
predatory remark that he really had moth
ing new to say on the question. He said
that they had met as citizens to express
their opinions on subject of interest to
them. AS to the advantage of the road
to the community and it's convenience to
individuals there might be some disagree
ment. but al admitted that in some de-
gree it would be an advantage and con-
venience. If the village of Gorham is in
cluded in the system of electric roads
running out of Portland, it will be
part Of good system. II have been
told,'' said Mr. Waterman, "that there
is no electric road in New England bet
ter built than the Portland road, not
even the great West End system in Bos-
ton, although that is larger and has some
heavier cars. The Portland road was
honestly built and it must be a good one
to be able to sell it's bonds at their low
rate of interest. The AZ per cent bonds
of the Portland railroad are selling in
the open market at 1861.
MR.. GEORGE W. LOWELL
poke of the road from the standpoint of
the poor man, "a class to which ! have
the honor to belong" daughter. Mr..
Lowell referred to the opportunity offer
ed by electric roads for the recreation Of
many who would otherwise be deprived
of many pleasant and health giving ex-
cursions.
MR.. JOHN A. HINKLEY
doomed the now road from the standpoint
oil the educators. To secure better school
facilities, there should be larger school
population. Mr.. Hinkley had no dispo-
sition to say hard things of the Portland
and Rochester. 1t serves Gorham we'll
for certain purposes, but it tends to keep
| people in Portland rather than to induce
them to settle in Gorham, as an electric
road would do. The electric road would
also be great aid to the Normal school.
and Rochester at reasonable rates. but
an electric road would take them from
the doors of their houses to the school.
An additional means If education would
be the facility afforded by the road to
take Gorham people to educational meet
ings and conferences.
PRINCIPAL CORTHEL,
of the Normal school was the next on
the list of speakers. He said in the
course of his remarks that it was urged
against this line that it should not be
built because the Rochester
owners of the Portland and
have put their money into that road. If
this was urged in behalf of the city of
Portland, which put a million and a
quarter into the Portland and Rochester,
and TOOK quarter OF a million out, it
might be entitled to some sympathy, but
when m ade in behalf of the stockholders
of the Boston and Maine railroad system,
| it was not a good argument. 1t had
nothing to do with the case.
The legislature had taken the control of
from the local authorities and placed it
in the hands of the railroad commission.
Why? Did you ever go behind the scenes
in theatre? Did you eynr see the ropes
and wheels which move the seem
cry? Did you ever see the tinsel which
shines SO Brightly Go behind the scenes
in this case. I don't say there is any
hing dishonest but served four years
with the legislature and I know some
hing about 1t.
Mr.. Corthell argued earnestly for the
|
troad as means of putting Gorham in
touch with the best life, social, relig-
ious, educational and political, Of the
city Of Portland. Mr.. Corthell told how
he had triad twice recently to secure ev-
ening trains from Portland-once after
the meeting of the Pedagogical society at
Deering, and once after Stoddard leo
tule. Mr.. Corthell could not get his trains
because he could not guarantee $25 in
fares.
Now in the language of Boss Tweed.
"What are you going to do about it?''
"Well, 1 believe when you get chance
and want anything you should squeeze
somebody. | think we should all have
signed an iron clad agreement, and stuck
to it, not to have laid an inch of water
pipe towards our houses until this road
was built.
Mr.. Corthell thought that even the
railroad commissioners might be made to
take different Wow of this matter. h ut
if they wouldn't, the thing to do was to