The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-24

TIE idea of a marginal way around the
ctr had Its inception In 1868, when q
commission was appointed uDder n
order OF the City Council "to recommend
q pIau of permanent grades for the east
ern slope of Munj'y Hill. and for other
purposfs The commission was made az Of
Colonel Thomas l.. Casey, U. 5, A,
Col. ID. q. Houston, q. S. A., y. T.
Patterson, Inspector Coast Survey.
Phinshss Barnes and George u. Sherl'y.
who was the President, and Nathan
Webb, In their report the
commission rr5ssnsed their oonolu slons
under three heads, the seccnd OF which
was "the location Of a marginal way 100
feet wide, from Tuksy's bridge to the
Portland Company's works At that
lime / : vas not apparently contemplated
to extend the way further than Fish Point.
and a part of the plan was to build
large docks and piers extending cut TO the
Harbor Commissioner line. These I'm
pEovements. 1t is needless to say. have
never rean carried ont, the decline In ship
ping and the abrogati1n Of the reciprocity
treaty with Canada Iostponing the de-
mand that was locked for at that time In
the nsar future. The section OF
the Marginal Nay in Back Cove, which
is now under discussion, bscaIs, OF
proposilion of the Boston 81 Maine rail-
road company to lease In perpetuity a
strip Of IL, 90 feet In width, originated
In a retition of the Portland g. Rochester
Railrcad, May 80, 1871. requesting the
city to construct way from the Port
land & Rochester depot to the Atlantic 81
st. Lawrence TRACKS. near Tukey's
bricge. On August is, 1871, an order
was approved by Mayor Kingsbury, d.
recting the way to be built from Gould's
wharf to the Grand Trunk railway
fridge. a report had previously been
submitted in favor OF the project by a
special committee OF the city council. 10
which they said:
Since 1t (the Portland q Rochester
RAilroad) has effected Its connection
With Rochester IL has turned the trade to
u very considerable extent towards Port
land. rs our principal Wholesale mer-
chants gladly confess, and when the
through connections shalt have been fully
completed 10 Is confidently believed, this
volume of trade will be largely Increased.
IL 10 NJ 0AbRHh w ObNUA
important railroads leading into Port
land to say that we deem this among
the most valuable to the future prosperity
Of our city, and we believe 1t would be
for the Interest Of PottlInd to meet the
request of this company In troad and
liberal spirit.
1t was then one OF the fond anticipa-
lions OF Portland that the Portland s.
Rochester road would AFFORD the oity
an independent connection to the West,
TO remain undsr the complete control Of
PortiaLd's eisizsns. 1t Was looked upon
Is rival of the Eoston s. Maine, and
Portland undoubtedly expected great
things from 1t. Il Il unnecessary to point
out that those fond anticiIa inns were
not realized, and that the road has since
pAsssd completely into the control Of
the corporation of which 1t was expected
to be a rival and oompatitor.
gh1 construction Of the Mara taal Way
proceeded with various viciss tudss, the
undertaking by reason CT tas unsuhttNn-
tiAl bottom p;oVing much mora difficult
end expensive than Was anticipated.