The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-23
That Only Question In Iunford
Falls Case.
OTHER ISSUES BARRED BY COM
MISSIONERS.
interesting Line of Inquiry on Petitioners
Excluded-CItizens of Rumford Falls
Testify that Proposed Line Would In
jure Them.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Rumford Falls, October 22.-The hear
ing In the case of the petition OF the Ok
ford Central Railroad company for the
approval of its location from Bryant's
Pond to this place was continued today
and brought out great deal of interest
ing testimony.
The testimony of Mr.. George W.
Fletcher and Mr.. Waldo Pettingill took
up large part of the day. Mr.. Fletcher
gave it as his opinion that while in his
Judgment the time had not arrived for
building the proposed road, he believed
that eventually such a line would be con-
structed. Rumford Falls merchants were
called, by the remonstrants and testified
that they thought the new road would be
detriment to them.
AT the opening of the session Mr.. Bis
bee called County Commissioner Redlon
to the stand and. asked him If he knew
,, that the Rangeley Lakes road had fled a
location for branch to Andover. Mr..
Redlon said that he understood such to be
| the case.
Charles Fl. Mckenzie, dealer in gen.
eral merchandise at Rumford Falls viii
| lage, testified to the service of the Port
land and Rumford Falls road. He
thought that it had given good service
and was capable of taking care of large
increase of it's business.
Mr.. Bisbee's next question was q
| hypothetical one as to the effect Of the
operation of the proposed road on the
business Of Rumford Falls village, based
on the assumption that the line would
terminate in Mexico across the village.
This lead to an explanation by Mr..
Littlefeld that it had been from the first
the intention Of the new road to claim its
rights under the statute as an interseot-
ing and connecting road, thus acquiring
| the use of the existing terminal facilities
| in Rumford Falls village, paying the
| Portland and Rumford Falls road con-
tinuing tariff to be agreed upon or settled
by the proper tribunal. Mr.. Littlefield
was emphatic in his declaration that it
was tie main purpose-not the only pur-
pose, but the chief one-of this new road
to build up Rumford Falls. Owing to
the lack OF room in the village it was
necessary to secure terminal facilities
there in the manner described. Mr..
Littlefeld had supposed that this had
been understood. If not it was time to
have it explained for it was proposition
on which the new road was to rely. 1t
might be fatal to them but they were 60
ing to meet the issue fairly and squarely.
Mr. Risbee said that he had suspected
it and so was not surprised, but one of
the promoters of the road when questioned
in town meeting declined to tell where it
was proposed to erect stations at this end
of the line.
| Mr.. Mckenzie in answer to further
questions expressed himself as of the
| opinion that the new road would injure
| Rumford Falls if it did not enter it and
he was not prepared to say it would help
| it if 1t did enter.
Mr.. Frank Putnam, farmer and an
abuttor on the proposed line, objected to
it or two reasons; that it made driving
on the highways unsafe Eby frightening
horses and that it went for a mile through
his farm and within few feet of his
house. He did not drive down the line of
the existing road oftener than he could
help because of the engines which crossed
| the highway. He had 10 opinion as to
the effect of an increase of business at
Rumford Falls on the market for his
products
Mr.. James H. McKeenan, postmaster
! at Rumford Falls and coal dealer here
thought that the proposed road would
have tendency to injure his business.
He could not send coal into the Andover
region, paying the expenses of trans-ship-
ment. and compete with Andover parties
who might establish themselves in the
business In answer to questions by Mr..
Littlefleld, thesswitness said that while
he was not prepared to admit that such
would be the case, if a competing road
did lower rates for the products Of the
great Industries here, it would tend to
develop the town.
Mr.. w. e. Lander of the firm of Lander
and Bisbee, hardware dealers, testified
that in his opinion the new road would
|
road gives ample and efficient service and
its freight rates are more favorable than
those Mr.. Lander obtained when he was
in business at Pennington, Bethel and
other places. He thought the new road
would have tendeny to divert the An
dover truck in his line to Paris, Lewiston
and Portland. AS to the general effect of
competition, Mr.. ,Lander's position, on
cross-examina ton, was substantially the
same as that of the previous witness.
James S. Morse, grain mill owner in
Rumford, took the same general ground
in relation to the question of the new
road.
Fl. G. Dunton Of Rumford, manager Of
the Blanchard and Twitchell Lumber
company said that they operated large
mill mile from this village ON the
hangeley Lakes road, which brings out
Cne company's frei hit. There Is nc
market excaDt the local market for hare