Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-02-13
ELECTRIC ROAD.
ELLSWORTH BOARD OF TRADE
ENDORSES PROJECT.
ELECTRIC VS.. STEAM ROAD DISCUSSED
INTERESTING MEETING
OF TIE BOARD.


The Ellsworth board OF trade held two
meetings Monday evening, a special anu
a reg ular. There was good attendance
and the meetings were the most interest
ing held bythe board since reorganization
President Z. l. Morang presided, aud Sec
rotary l. F. Giles recorded.
The special meeting WAS called to vote
Gu proposed amendment to the by-laws
TO make the annual dues aud mem bership
fee 81 instead OF 81 as heretofore. The
amendment wss UNANIMOUSLY adopted.
REGULAR MEETING.
after adjournment of the special meet
ing, the regular Meeting was called to
order. M. s. Smith, X. b. Holmes and J.
A. Cunningham were elected members.
1t was voted that all arrearsges of dues up
to the present year be RENTED.
Tue president then laid before the
meeting the principal business of
the evening-the applications for charters
for railroads across Hancock county
which were now before the Iegis-
lative committee on railroads. Repre-
sentatives OF two OF the companies ask
ing for charters had been heard before
the board of trade committee on rail-
roads, transportation and commerce.
The president called for report OF that
committee.
RAILROAD PROJECTS.
A written report was presented, W hicb
did not seem to be entirely satisfactory.
1t was noncommittal, and in effect asked
for general discussion OF the subject by
the board Of trade, without giving The In
formation necessary for intelligent dis
question.
l. l. Hslmap, the promoter OF an cleo
trio railroad project. WIS called upon to
supply the necessary information regard
ing his plans. He said the Hancock
County railroad company has applied for
a charter for steam or electric railroad
from Ellsworth to Castine, aud was now
awaiting action OF the legislature. He
said 1t was bona tide project to build an
electric railroad, aud not merely an effort
to get charter for speculative purposes.
He had men interested who would build
the road, ana he believed actual con-
struction would begin In the spring IL the
engineer and railroad builder, he said,
would be here next week to go over the
route, aud would appear before the egis
Iative committee at Augusta in the inter-
ests OF the proposed road.
A. l. Saunders gave some information
regarding the application for charter
for a steam railroad from Ellsworth to
Castine in which he is interested, and
spoke OF some OF the advantages which he
believed such road would have over all
electric road.
In this way the meeting finally got at
the gist of he matter, which was, In brief,
that the board was asked to express its
preference for either an electric road or
steam road over practically the same
route, and give its endorsement to either
one or the other OF the projects.
GENERAL DISCUSSION.
j. A. Peters, jt., said that on general
principles he favored an electric road
because it could be built quicker and at
less cost, and could be operated more
economically. III it was a question be-
tween an electric road promoted by local
men, and a steam road promoted by
foreign spectators, he favored the cleo
trio road and the local men.
c. w. Mason, a member Of the railroad
committee, was called upon for an ex-
preston OF opinion, and said that per-
sonaily he favored an electric road.
b. T. Sowie was inclined to favor a
steam railroad because OF the competition
In freight rates which 1t would create,
but said he was open to conviction.
DIR. ]. F. Manning remarked facetiously
that he supposed 1t was hardly probable
we would get both roads this year. An
electric railroad to Castine, and stopping
there, would be OF great benefit to the
merchants OF Ellsworth. Ii, cn the other
hand, any company really wants to build
a trunk railroad through Ellsworth, it
would be mistake to shut out or in any
way discourage such an undertaking. Ii
it is a question between local enterprise
and foreign speculation, 1t seemed to him
natural and right to give support to our
own citizens.
H. e. Davis, of the railroad committee,
said he was not fully satisfied as TO the
merits of the two projects, but personally
he favored a steam road.
Mr.. Ketcham, OF the Boston Reduction
Co, was called upon, but said he did
not feel as though he could speak as
citizen. He favored any road which
would lessen freight rates, as his COM
pany expected soon to have large guam
titles of ore to ship.
FREIGHT RATES.
This brought up Tue matter OF freight