The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-03
WASHINGTON STREET BRIDGE.
Hearing Before Railroad Commissioners
Postponed to June 10.

railroad commissioners Office Wednes-
day when several important hearings
were given.
The fight on the Oxford County Rail-
way from Woodstock to Mexico opened
on granting articles of association. Hon.
D. F. Littlefeld appeared for the road.
George D. Bisbee appeared for the
Portland & Rumford Falls Railway and
ex-Gov. Cleaves for the Rumford Falls
& Rangely Lakes Railroad, in opposition
to granting articles of association.
| The proposed road is described as run
ming from the intersection at grade with
| the Grand Trunk railway in the town of
Woodstock, northerly through the town
OF Woodstock, Milton plantation and the
| town of Rumford, thence northeasterly
through the town of Rumford or Peru to
the Portland & Rumford Falls railway,
| thence crossing the Androscoggin river
into the town of Mexico The articles of
association also provide for branch road
from the main line northerly through
said Rumford into the town of Andover.
The length is about rs miles.
The hearing today was not on the
merits of the case, but simple as to
whether the articles of association were
in due form and in compliance with the
| provisions of the statute.
1t was claimed by Mr.. Littlefield that
the articles of association conformed to
all of the provisions of the statute appli-
cable to articles of association under the
general law. Ex-Gov. Cleaves and Mr..
Bisbee argued to the board that the de-
scrlption of the proposed location was too
indefinite and did not conform to the
statue authorizing the organization of
railroad corporations under the general
law. The ex-governor said that he was
not here to discuss the question of neces-
slty or Of public convenience, that when
the proper time came under the proceed
lngs that were proposed here they should
have some considerations to urge upon
the board, that they should have some
Iacts to present in behalf of the enter
prising and progressive people of the
state who had developed the magnificent
water power at Rumford Falls, who had
extended the line of railroad into this
portion of Oxford county, enabling the
investment of capital in manufacturing
and industrial enterprises; that the pres
ent hearing only involved the question
whether the articles Of association were
in conformity with existing laws. The
governor claimed that the provisions of
the statute requiring that the corpora
lions should state in their articles stthe
places from which and to which the road
is to be constructed and operated con-
templated, that there should be a definite
starting point and that the road should
terminate at or near fixed locality. If
these provisions of the statute are waived,
the governor declared that the board
would have no means of determining
the length Of the road under the statute
requirement., which was the basis on
which the capital stock was fixed. The
governor argued that the law describes
the character of the articles of associa-
ton, that such articles must give specific
information of what its desired by the
associates, that the public and all par
ties interested we've entitled to know, be-
fore these articles were approved and the
charter issued, where it was intended to
construct this proposed road; that under
the articles of association they proposed
to cross and connect with the Portland
& Rumford Falls railway and the Rum
ford Falls 4 Rangeley Lake railroad, and
that they were entitled to know, with
reasonable definiteness, where they pro-
posed to connect or cross the existing rail
roads of these corporations.
At the close of the hearing the commits
sioners took the case under advisement.
City Solicitor Morrill, and Commission
er of Public Works Fernald represented
the city of Portland; Hon. Seth L. Lar
rabee appeared for the Portland & Var
mouth Electric Railway and ex-Gov.
Cleaves for the Portland 6 Rochester
Railroad to attend hearing before the
commissioners to fix ON what sort of a
bridge should run over Washington
street and the Marginal way and the
Portland and Rochester railroad in
Portland, carrying the tracks of the
Portland railroad and the Portland &
Yarmouth electric railroad, and decide |
what proportion of the expense should |
be borne by the railroads and the city of |
Portland. At the request of Mr.. Nor |
rill the hearing was postponed to June
10th, at a. M, at the City Building in
Portland to allow the offering of a prop
osition to the Portland city government,
Monday evening.
Hon. A. A. Strout for the Grand |
Trunk railroad, Mr.. Larrabee for the
Portland & Yarmouth electric road, and
City Solicitor Matthews for Deering !
were heard by the commissioners on the
question of widening and frightening
the Veranda street bridge over the
Grand Trunk in Deering, to carry the
track of the electric road.
The selectmen of the town of Waldo
we're present to advocate the crossing OF
= county road underneath tue Belfast