Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-03-29
A RAILROAD CENTER.
S What Hon. n. N. Heath Would
Have Augusta,
Some OF the Grand Possibilities He Sug.
gcstcd at Trade Banquet.

Many favorable comments have been
heard on the speeches of the three dis
tinSuished gentlemen who spoke at the
Board of Trade banquet. Friday eve
ming, General Selden Connor, Hon.
Orville d. Baker and Hon. Herbert NJ
Heath.
marks on the railroad question We're
prolific OF much good, as he opened the
eyes of the business men present more
by his remarks than they have been
opened in a long time before. Mr
Heath is Well posted on railroad mat
tiers. and he was introduced by the
toastmaster as "a man who knows ali
about the railroads. from the forming
of a stock company to the escaping
from Washington in a baggage car. ="
Naturally the people take a great deal
of interest in his views of the matter.
The real object of Mr. Heaths re-
marks was the proposed kennebec X
Franklin Railroad. upon which ques-
tion the citizens of Augusta will h@
asked to mediate for a short time At
least, on April Is, when there has been
vote to contribute the sum of $4,000, in
the ways specified in the warrant. tol
the purpose of defraying the land dam
ages caused by the building of the rail
road through Augusta.
Mr.. Heath said that the ways of in
creasing the business and population Of
Augusta had got To that stage Wher1
the increase could not be had from any
large sources but those that must come
from the smaller industries that could
be influenced to come here. The Au-
Gusta dam could not he counted on T."
ments. and there was nothing that
would Justify anyone i'll believing thai
the cotton industry could ever mean
anything more to the city than it at
ready does. therefore attention must IL
paid to all the minor matters.
One Of these matters, and it should
not be reckoned as a minor mattel
either, as it is one of the most import
ant yet presented. is the matter of rail
roads. and the making Augusta rail
road center. First, the Kennebec x
Franklin Il Railroad should receive the
support Of all. meaning. as it does.
so much to the welfare of the mer
chants and all. bringing as it would to
this city. thousands of dollars hun
drads Of visitors. and an increase "t
population every year.
Then an effort should be made to
induce the Wiscasset n Quebec Raii-
road to follow out the plan that has
been suggested to them. and which
they are deeply interested in the old
WiscaeSet. of building a broad gauge
road leaving their present route at
Cooper's Mills, and running through
Augusta. where they would cross the
river and follow up on the east side To
Oakland. where consolidation would
be made with the Somerset Railroad,
and their charter for an extension to
the Canadian Pacific taken advantage
of. and the road built to connect with
the latter road thereby making the
nearest through connection with thu
sea. coast.
gusta would become 50 important
railroad center that it would be time
to build the read for which a charter
has been kept alive six years, from
Augusta to Lewiston. making con
nection with the Grand Trunk Rall-
road. and making Augusta that point.
that means so many thousands of dol
lars in the pockets of the business men.
ana ALA billing point.
1t was through the carelessness oi
the mistake of the business men tha'
the little Kennebec Central went t"
Gardiner and now those who made Tn
mistake ran easily figure the thousand
of dollars that Augusta loses yearly by
not having the road run into Augusta.
DO not make the mistake again, i
Mr. Heath's advice, by letting this
nronnscd konnrhcc & Franklin ROAD
slim from our grasp and go to som"
other city. for 80 somewhere it certain
Iv will as some of it is already beng
huiIt that part from Pennington -
New Sharon. and if it does not com" :"
Augusta there is a charter whereby
they can. and will build to Watervllle'
if Gardner does not step in ana nave
it come there.
With this warning from 50 eminent
:, man AS the Hon. Mr.. Heath, together
With the warming of Mayor Haynes III
his inaugural address about the h'dtter
of Auorsta's waning progressive spirit