Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-10
Do it now!
Editors Kennebec Journal:

Editors Kennebec Journal: 80. .,.,. .s,.
In common with many others, I was
much pleased with your editorial,
Thursday morning, urging Immediate
| action in regard to the Rines Hill
grade crossing. What you say is per-
| fectly true and well known to every
body passing UP and down that hill,
whether walking, driving or riding on
| the electrics; and it is to be hoped
| that we may get this daily and hourly
| danger removed before some of us pay
for the procrastination aud neglect of
| others with our very lives
| Then again, to speak of mere md
terial considerations, it must be gen
orally noticed what a block and him
| drance to business that crossing has
become. Traffic across it has largely
| increased within few years, and the
| number of trains has been augmented
| likewise. The consequence is that at
| frequent intervals all day long the
| gates come down and split the traffic
of our principal thoroughfares into two
| cOngeSted masses, causing every driver
and pedestrian to lose time, and put
| ting Il wearing strain upon every horse
which happens to be descending the
hill. Furthermore, since the narrow
| escape from u terrible accident last
spring, the very excellent rules en-
| forced by the railroad to prevent
| repetition have resulted in keeping the
! barriers down much longer than was
| formerly the case, thus increasing the
| jam and delay.
General utility, also, requires the
abolition of that crossing. Were it re-
| moved, the grade of Rines Hill could
| be lowered to such a degree as to make
it practicable to haul much heavier
loads than is now possible, and with
| much less wear ard tear to horseilesh;
while it would facilitate the building
of new blocks where they will soon be
needed as things are going today.
For all these reasonS-perSonal safety.
economy of transportation and business
| acknowledgement must have this
peril and obstacle removed. Time is
passing, and if work is not begun at
| once it will speedily become too late to
enter upon the task this season. ana
everything will go over till next year.
| In the interval it is more than likely
| that n few of us may be slaughtered.
OF course, the Maine Central sees
difficulties which we can appreciate.
Whatever plan it may adopt must In
volve great expense without producing
any compensating enhancement of in
come. Everybody knows that the road
should never have passed through this
city along the line it does; and that the
present corporation is not to blame for
the mistakes and mismanagement
which attended the building of the
Portland and Kennebec fifty years ago.
But it has succeeded to a rich inherit
lance created from the ruins of the old
| road, and it must take the bitter with
the sweet. We citizens know that the
Maine Central has made elaborate
surveys and estimates with q view to
! changing this grade; but what we want
also to know is that some plan is to be
adopted which will permanently cure
the evil; and we want to know, fur
Their, that such plan will be carried out
this season. Your editorial voices this
demand. Stop dawdling and begin
digging, NJ. c. r. r.!
WATER STREET.