The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-11-01
The Somerset Railway.
New Equipment Purchased and Bonds
Sold.

[Watervil9e Mall
In the Somerset railway, Maine has as
flourishing corporation as can be
found within her boundary. Tuesday
saw the completion of S75, 900 contract
with the American Car and Foundry
90 whereby the road is to be furnished
by the last of November with one hun
bred and ten new cars, 100 of them to
be box and 10 fiat cars, having a carry
ing capacity of 10000 pounds, each
This increase in the carrying facilities
was made necessary by the large and
steadily growing freight business of the
company, due in a large degree 10 the
business of the Great Northern Pulp
and Paper co. mills which are situated
at Madison, and incdently, it might be
mentioned that the Great Northern Pulp
and Paper Co have decided to build a
second pulp and paper plant at Madison
exactly the size of the present one.
The Somerset X. X. was first built
about thirty years ago and extended
only to North Arson The principal
promoters of the road were the fathers
of the present president, r. w. Dunn,
and of the general manager, w. Nj
Aver. Twelve years ago the road was
extended to its present terminus at
Bingham, but under its present manage
ment, the growth has been most mar
velous. The road has more than doub-
led its capacity and has perfected its
roadbed, this year, having newly bal
lasted most of the road from Oakland to
Norridgewock, until today it presents
first class service to the travelling public.
Everywhere along the lire is seen evil
dence of the prosperity of the road and
of the sagacity and energetic policy OF
Pres. Dunn and Supt. Aver Three new
stations are being built at Madison, An
son and North Arson. The one at
Madison, being built of brick and stone
and is extremely pretty and convenient
in design as was testified to by the con-
ductors of the Maine roads who inspect
ed the station while on their annual
outing, last Sunday. The stations at
Arson and North Arson are similar to
the station at Madison except that they
are built of wood and that North Arson
is also having a large freight building
erected at some distance from the pas
senger station. At each of these places
new side tracks have been added, which
| Will kIOdbiJ bnO buuuiinB VI
the freight from these towns. Some
idea of the rapid growth of the Somer
set r. X. can be understood when one
knows that last summer the road found
that its equipment of locomotives was
unable to do all the work required and
large new $4,000 locomotive was pur-
chased to fill this want, but almost i'm
mediately the capacity of the new
locomotive, together with the roads,
other steel horses, was taxed to the up
most limit so that the company will be
compelled to again add to the drafting
power of the railroad by the purchase
of another locomotive in the near future.
To make all these improvements in
roadbed, stations, rolling stock, ETC.,
the company have recently fioated new
issue of $4,000 of per cent bonds
both principal and interest being paya-
Bile at the National Shawmut Bank of
Boston. That is, the road is bonded for
about $40, 900 for each mile of roadbed.
The confidence of far seeing financial
men In the Somerset r. r. is shown by
the fact that the bonds were easily
placed upon the market at par value.
A part of money received from the new
issue of bonds is to be nsed in taking up
the old 5 per cent interest bearing
bonds, thus replacing the old with
smaller interest bearing bonds.
AS you travel over the road wherever
you look there you will see the ear
marks of progress and progressive man.
agement 1t has been the working
maxim of the present management that
in order to do business one must be
ready to handle it, and the soundness of
the maxim none can dispute. The
whole length OF the valley of the Ken
nebec along the side of which the oom-
erset r. r. runs, is leaping into an in
dustrial center, as here where water
power is plentiful the business men
have discovered r. II. willing to meet
them half way In each and every enter
prise which tends to build up and in
crease the business of this section.
Last but not least much may be said
of the steadily increasing passenger
trade of the Somerset r. R., caused by
the ever growing force of sportsmen no
hasten to the hunting and fishing sec
ltion beyond Bingham to spend the
leisure moments in pursuit OF pleasure
and health. The historic and pictur.
esque scenery along the whole line of
the railroad can not be surpassed. The
view of the Kennebec, its falls and
rapids, the wooded hills and lakes,
amply prepare one for the sportsman's
paradise in the woods just beyond the
terminus of the road. This region is
full of lakes and ponds, such as Carry
and Rowe pond series, Austin, Palmer,
Moxie and hundreds of unnamed ponds
and streams throughout the forests
where he who can not land the fnny
beauties to his hearts delight is out
of place with rod and reel. This vicin-
ity has also always been regarded by
hunters as the home of deer, moose,
caribou and black bear, the Somerset
r. r. during the hunting season of each
year carrying hundreds of deer and
other game which have been shot by
sportsmen in this vicinity. Through
the woods on the banks of many pretty
woodland ponds can be found log camps
of the best, with every requirement of
life in the forests. These camps are
kept by pleasant, genial proprietors who
see that the camps are well built, com
Portable, cheerful, clean, and wonder of
wonders cheap in price-the only sec
ton of the country whore sportsmen can
live without paying sportsmen rates.
Such Is the territory through which
the Somerset r. R. runs and such is the
business and progress of the road which
President Dunn and General Manager
Aver are fast placing upon working
basis equal to any short road in the
country.