The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-22
What Might Be Done With
Springfield Road.
How Col. Monroe Worked and
Talked for Extension.
Insurance Plan Founded Upon a
Paradoxical Principle.


Within few days the people here
sbouts have been Interested in the report
ed purchase OF the Boston Il Albany rail-
road by the New York, New Haven a.
Hartford. Such a consolidation may not
take place just now but II Is pretty GER
tain to come before the lapse of any great
period OF time. A few years ago how
many people would have believed that
any outside railroad could have bought
the Boston & Providence road, and yet
that came to pass and with 1t the pur-
chase OF the Providence 81 Worcester
with all the branch lines controlled by
those two corporation. In very brief
space OF time after the New York 4 New
Haven company had decided TO secure
connecting and competing lines II had
control OF every steam railroad entering
the city of Proyidence, or It may be said
that is operated in this State. 1t now
owns and controls the Providence Il
Stonington, the Boston & Providence,
the Providence g. Worcester, the New
York & New Enlgand, the Providence
& Springfield, the Fall River & Bris-
toi as we'll - the branch lines running to
Battonwoods and Also operating along the
Pawtuxet Valley.
As said before, a few years ago the peo-
pie OF this city would not have believed
that such a thing were possible, or II
possible, that such consolidation certain
ly could not be accomplished within half
a century. There was one man here, how
ever, who had the clesrness OF vision, the
sagacity and judgment to see what was
coming. Years before the New York.
New Haven d Hartford railroad had
stretched out its all powerful hand to
gather I'm other roads, the late Colonel j.
Albert Monroe was wont TO remark that
the day Of the short railroads had passed.
He pointed out that the whole trend OF
railroad affairs was toward consolidation,
toward Capitalization OF management,
and while he said New England had
not up to that time felt the inhu-
ence of this new policy, 1t would
do so before many years had
passed. Few who have heard the Colonel
talk on these matters believed that bis
predictions would come true, at least not
for two or three generations. Indeed, in
this meter he was ahead OF his fellows,
just as he was in some other important
affairs. 1t was he who tried to impress
upon the business men and capitalists
that II they ever hoped to have Provi-
dence become the great commercial GEN.
ter they thought she ought to be they
woulo have to do something besides sit
tiag down and talking about her natural
advantages. Natural advantages are all
well enough in their way. as Colonel
Monroe admitted, but they amounted TO
nothing unless improved. To improve
them required energy, enterprise and cap
ital, without which natural advantages
would be of no more benefit TO a city
than though she did not possess them at
all
Colonel Monroe was in full accord with
Colonel Rockwell In his efforts to secure
the Improvement OF the harbor and the
widening and deepening OF the channel
from Providence to the ocean. He saw
in this the frat and most important step
in opening the way for the upbuilding
and expansion OF the commerce of this
port. He had another and equally force
full and potent conviction, and that was
that once the waterv ays were improved
something should be done to attract
shipping to make use of them. Nothing
would, In his opinion, have a greater or
more powerful influence In that direction
then the extension Of the Providence &
Springfield railroad from its terminus, i'm
what he called a sand bank at Pascoag,
to connect with the great railroad system
OF New England. His idea was, and II
was sn eminently practical one. to tap the
great through lines and divert the greater
part OF the traffic to Providence, where
western freight could Hnd a better outlet
at tide water than anywhere else on the
North Atlantic coast. Had his idea been
carriedo out, direct communication be-
tween Providence and European and
other foreign ports would not be as 1t is
today, an unrenlizsd and impalpable
dream, but q substantial and accomp-
iished fact.
How much time Colonel Monroe gave
to the preaching OF the propaganda OF
progress the Gossiper does not know, but
he does know, that his enthusiasm in the
cause of the upbuilding Of commercial
Providence met with very little encour-
sgement. The solidi,y OF bis argument
was conceded, the excellence OF bis plan
for enlarging commerce was admitted and
praised, but that was ell Nothing was
done and so with oil her splendid
natural advantages the port OF Provi-
dence, aside frcm the ships Of the Mer-