Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-22
PROPOSED ROUTE VIA new SWEDEN
Though Longer by Six Miles It Is
Essentially the Most Practical
Route to Construct.

mercial for the following interesting
account Of tie hearing before the rail-
road commissioners in Clark's hail.
| Caribou. Wednesday. upon the ques-
ton of location of the new route of the
| Caribou-Van Buren, extension, which
attracted 500 people, half Of whom came
from NV Sweden, which locality APP
| paared to be the bone of contention in
| the new route. The commissioners ar
rived with General Manager Cram in
| special train which came up from
Houlton in charge of Conductor NJ. f.
Haggerty. With them We're President
| Burleigh of the Is. & A, Chief Engi-
necr BurDee Of the road and Hugh
| Chaplin, Esq, of Bangor, attorney for
| the Il. & A. After the hearing the
train went down the line to Greenville,
where the commissioners inspected
the improvements now going on at
Bunker Brook. Commissioner Chad
bourne was expected to join the party
at Houlton but was detained and the
intended trip to Fort Fairfield ana
other northern points on the g. &. \.
system was postponed by the commits
sioners.
The hearing at Caribou was a most
important one for northern ArOostOok
and created great interest throughout
the section.
Ever since the engineers of the Il. &
A., who have been running the lines of
| the new system from Caribou to Van
| Buren,. reported that they favored the
| New Sweden route. there has been
| we'll defined opposition in Caribou,
based on various grounds and at this
hearing those grounds We're discussed
and the railroad officials stated their
side of the case. while the interested
community OF New Sweden was repre-
scented and told the board why they
wanted the road built in their direc-
| ton.
The railroad side of the matter was
presented by Hugh Chaplin, Esq. Gen.
Mgr Cram. President Burleigh and
Chief Engineer Burpee. while the new
route was opposed by Carl King. Esq.
+. l.. Fletcher. Esq. and Attorney j..
Hanson Of New Sweden, told why the
road should extend to that town. in
cidentally waxed warm and made q
political speech with a few caustic
local applications which created a stir.
The story Of the opposition briefly is
that the b. & A. has decided to build
the Van Buren, extension via New
Sweden. Stockholm Plantation and
| n a
II miles instead of the old route sur
veyed in 1892 which runs through Cyr
Plantation and * Plantation dis
lance Of % miles. by a vote Of Aroos-
: took county taken some years ago a
bonus of $4,000 a mile is given the road
to aid in building its line; Of this sum
about S115. goo now remains.
This would be exhausted by a line
over % miles long. Those who oppose
building the Il mile line argue that the
county voted the money for the - mile
Van Buren, line on representations
made after the survey was made IN
1900 ana that the county cannot legally
nav out the funds for line whose 10
ratfon II - radically changed. An
other argument is that 1t would De
bu,+fuI 10 CaribOus interest because
| New sweden Would pass ny 'iiI ~
| hon market with her direct rail con
: nartions. that no further debt should
he contracted by the county towns.
1,ha railroad claims the right under
tba law to change their route.
I Nv, Sweden. of course. was in favor
of the new route and is much pleased
, ~ ret in touch with the b. q a.
n The commissioners reserve their de-
cision.
: HIGH CHAPLIN'S ARGUMENT.
= Hugh Chaplin, Esq, opened the rail-
= ID sfdo of the case. He said that re-