Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-02

Sitting there i'll the railroad COM
niissioncrs department. on saturday
IN writer looked upon the pictures ~
the mar who have figured in the work
OF ucriacting. the railroad orsanizat ions
Of Maine. There are the portraits Of
railroad commissioners, railroad man
ae-ls ana railroad men generally.
y description or Il reference to each
.annot fail to be Of interest.
The laW creating 4 board OF railroad
commissioners was passed by the
Legislature of 1873. solomon Taft
corser was one OF the earlier mem
bels Of the board. He was born in
Vermont in 1906 and moved tn Port
lani in 1927 where he lived until his
death iii 1896 at the age OF 81 years.
When he came to Portland the stage
coach. SLOW going and dreary, was 4
necessity, a benefactor. He Went into
the transportation business and he
mastered it. While on a visit to Wash
ington after mail contracts for his
stage lines he saw the steam railway
for the first time. In 1916 the Atlantic
and st. Lawrence Railroad Company
was chartered by the State OF Maine
HIr. CorScr became connected with the
.n.trpri>c. fie aided in its conStruc-
tior and for many years was its
Superintendent. even after il was
leased to the Grand Trunk Railway,
in 1853 fol Il term Of "99 years. IL IS
said OF him that during mis- manage
m,nt. covering a period of nearly :"
wears. only one life was lost on the
lin"
in 1855 ~ letirrd from the Supcrln-
tendency Of the road and the next
wear became a member Of the state
board o1 railroad commissioners where
h.. r.mained until 1872. After his re-
tir,mert from office he engaged IN 4
nt.y enterprise. although he was then
nearly 70 wears of age: but ne went
into the work with the energy ever
characteristic and succeeded. In com
rany with Israel Washburn. Jr.. and
sullivan &. Andrews he began the
l,,i,djny Of the Eumlord Falls ana
H;lckt-ld Railroad. 1t was during tn
construction Of this road that he suS-
,aired his first accident. While ne"
hridn,. was being swung into POSITION
H., ,,.a4 struck by Il large beam ana ms
,..s was severely fractured. IhouAh
:. ntired To his bed for weeks h. na''
e,.r, nrorreSS reported To him, anu
n, thr dor appointed the road vas
., ,,,l.1cd and opened to public
,r,I,I At - years OF age h. REIN
,u;shed all business cares and for ten
wears lived in rctiremen. on 'uinbcr-
land street. in Portland.
Mr.. rnrscr was one of Maine $
oi,nenr railroad men. He began his
c.,roar in the days when material OF
aI, SORTS was far scarcer than now,
TIL. building of railroads and their
r,,int.nance had not then reached that
degree, of success now so marked: ana
| il is not to hc wondered that flaws
| should br picked with the roadbed
| ,nd track OF the Grand Trunk Rail-
way over which Mr.. Corser had
chorec. such criticism was made bv
! The I1t,. Col. \. W. Wildes. who WAS a
railroad commissioner for 33 years. az
the following letter will show:
- s r. corser, superintendent Grand
Trunk Railway. Portland. Maine.
Sir-You are hereby notified that al
4 the annual examination Of said rail
road made by mo. the undersigned. on.
uf the railroad commissioners for ti''
! state Of Maine. on the first, second
third and fourth days OF June. current
INA ,;efvcts therein which in my
opirion render th- passage of train
tbarao, hazardous 10 Wit. Dafectiv.