Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-02-22
RAILROAD RCMORS.
Towns of Western Hancock are Hope
full for Material Results.


Railroad rumors are rife in Hancock
county. The rumor that the Washington
County railroad vas to be extended across
Hancock county to the Penooseot river,
and thence scro9s country to junction
with he Grand Trunk st lewiston. was
seized upon with ayidity by versatile
new PER writers y ho showed wonderful
ability inysHtiBg probable routes
with utter disregard OF topogrs pnlcs
/ conditions. The proposed roads hsge
ppearsaa unasr . many names. aud nave
: follow ed 80 many route, that Il al be
came 4 reality, Hancock county would
+ become yerkaoie network OF railroads.
+ / ua- been per-l-tentiy gumo-ed ever
since the actua. construction of he Wash
.hg sou County railroad began. that It was
bat ne beginning OF great railroad sys-
i ten. or rather the connecting Ink OF t%o
existing systems: :. G. the Grand Trunk
/ ana the Grand Southern of New Bruins
WICK. THIS would afford an outlet to be
eastern provinces for the Grand Trunk,
and enable 1t TO better compete with the
Canadian Pacific.
This was the tai K V hen the construction
OF the Washington County road began
| II was not confined TO the uninforned
| pa bic, but 1t seemed to be perfectly un-
| derstood among the contractors that he
| Hancock county, and they expressed
/ themselves with Assurance that two or
/ three years would see work begun on the
extension. The fact that some of the
men tho furnished much of the financial
/ backing for the Washington County road
are financially interested in the Grand
/ Trunk and Grand Southern roads, lent
| interest to the rumor.
Whatever the rumor may be worth in
| itself. it has had the effect OF starting
veritable scramble for a trans Hancock
/ county railroad charter. Such a charter
would cost little or not thing, and might
prove valuable possession should IL
prove true that the Washington County
road Was seeking In outlet in that direc-
/ tion.
| But the project OF building a road
across Hancock county is not new one
! oy any means several such have been on
/ foot before. The revival of interest
stirred up some OF the former projects.
! The CastIne Railway and Navigation Co.
! found that it had charter which, viii
I little brushing up, would be as good as
/ new. Hence, cary IN the present session
i OF the State legislature Dill vas intro
/ daced to extend and amend the charter
+ Of the Csstine Railway and Navigation
+ CO.
/ There was hearing on this bill before
/ the legislative committee on railroads
I Wednesday, Feb. l. Usually such bills for
/ extension OF charter are allowed 20 90 by
t default, and there was a mild surprise
+ " hen {. F. Wood ward, OF Bangor, appeared
/ before tie committee in opposition to
+ the blll, on me ground that il Was practi-
+ cally the organization OF new com pany.
( Il may have been only coincidence
I hat IN the House the same day bill was
/ presented to incorporate the Gsstine &
Eastern Railroad Co. The incorporstors
f Of tbs newest railroad project are Col. J.
f y. Greene. George NJ Warren and Judge
f r ny ~ tn
build road from point al tide water in
Brooksvliie. opposite Castine, through the
F towns Of Brook-yIlie, PenoUscot, Se5g-
( WICK, BIuenH, Surry, Ellsworth and
haaceck, tie road To be standard gauge,
] and operated by electricity. impressed
air or steam. The company i ai.o au-
/ thorized to run a -ies IL boat line between
BroOk-yIile and Csstine. Il must be re-
mem bered that Hancock, the town III
/ v Elch this proposed road would have its
eastern terminus, Is the town IN hlch
+ the Washington County rOad noH con-
meets with the Maine Central.
Entirely apart from these steam rail
road projects, Is the proposed electric
road from Biuehill to Bucksport. which
has taken form in the shape of a bill be-
{ fore the present legislature 10 incorpo
I me Bluehlll Il Bucksport railroad with
authority to build street railroad, to be
/ operated either by horse power or eItc-
+ trIcity, in the toAn- OF Bucks port. Oriand.
Fehob7cot sho biuehul. Inc promoters
/ OF this road are nearly all Biuehiil men,
I Senator Grlndte being one of them.
! still another Hancock county railroad
scheme Is before the present Legislature
I III a bill 10 extend tit- cnarter OF he Els
worm street Railroad Co.. but this is
simply an otd ssOrs. the Charter having
/ been extended from legislature TO iegisls-
! ture for several ears past.
OUT OF All these funors of railroads, he
people OF the thriving towns which dot
( western Hancock county draw inspiration
for the hope that they may yet rail-
road traverslng Hancock county from east
to west.