The Portland daily press., 1899-01-13
A GREAT PROJECT.
General superintendent Foster OF the
Lynn q BOSTON Knows Nothing OF H.



The gossip of the street declares a great
project is on foot TO consolidate all cleo
trio lines along the North Shore under
one control. the North Shore Traction
company, which now owns the Lynn and
Boston railroad system, the largest aggre-
cation Of street railway lines, with the
exception Of the Boston Elevated, In New
England. The extent one might say was
to be limited only by the conjurist's am
bition. but Is stated to he ut least TO the
boundary of New Brunswick.
The electric railways in their ramifica-
lions present an interesting chain, with
but slight breaks from Portland to Bos-
ton. though not In direct sequence, and
west to Worcester and Marlboro and
Fitchturg. Down the North Shore IL Is
possible to run on nearly q direct trunk
line to wenham depot and Hamilton.
Thence to Ipswich there is break Of
few miles, but old Agawam Is reached by
way Of the back side of Cape Ann through
Essex. East Of that again there Is moth
ing until Newburyport is reached. and
beyond Amesbury and Salisbury there Is
again break. 1t is claimed, however.
that twenty or twenty five miles addition
al construction would fill In all these
breaks.
The holdings of the North Shore Irno-
tion are now confined wholly to the Lynn
and Boston. which in its turn absorbed
the old Naumkeag street railway OF Salem
and tn origins. Lynn aud Boston lines
between the Shoe City and the Hub. 1t
is even intiSlated that contracts have been
arranged to construct projected lines to
every important seaport along the coast,
which can only mean Portsmouth and be
yond. because all important Seaports In
Massachusetts,, clear to the Merrimack
and beyond, are already connected. There
is beyond Salem the Beverly, Gloucester
and Essex street railway, which takes In
Gloucester and Ipswich.
Salem and Lynn are now in direct cleo
trio connection with Boston, and New
buryport has its own lines. The North
Shore Traction owns at present nothing
east of Hamilton, the other companies be-
ing Independent. II it were to absorb
these 1t would simply have to build the
connecting link of six or seven miles over
to Ipswich from Wenbam depot to make
the entir, system, so far as Massaohusetts
is concerned, completely clear to the New
two years are given to complete this gi-
gantic scheme.
Wednesday evening the street railway
managers held their annual dinner at
Young's, Boston. General Superintendent
Foster of the Lynn and Boston road was
the only representative of the North Shore
Traction company present. When the
grand scheme was outlined to him Mr..
Foster simply smiled. He said:
Il know absolutely nothing about this,
and have heard nothing of It, 1t seems
to me to be simply re-starting of the old
story which We have had about every
two months In the last two years that the
Boston Elevated company proposed to alb
sorb the Lynn and Boston"
"But what II the elevated people deny
that they have such intention and assert
that they have all that they wish to carry
on their shoulders at the present time:"
"well, them said Mr.. Foster, 81
should simply say that this Is the time
for initiation, and that somebody with an
eye to business in the stock market had
sprung this statemer1 certainly have
heard nothing OF It.
"Isn't 1t generally understood that the
Lynn and Boston has absorbed about all
that 1t wishes to at present"
~ think that is about correct. but l
know absolutely nothing about 1t"
1.-The Gloucester and Essex and Beverly
road is not in the North Shore Traction?"
mo The North Shore Traction com
pany owns the Lynn and Boston. Beyond
that the companies are independent.
haven't heard word Of this, and II the
Boston elevated is not seeking anything
of the kind / should say that 1t was
simply a story started In the market. l
know of no such movement"