Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-11-25
THE w. c. r. r.
GROWING FEELING THAT MAINE
CENTRAL WILL ABSORB IT.
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE UNION TO
THE LARGER ROADWAY THE
WASHINGTON COUNTY LINE
HAS NEVER PAID.

1t is pretty difficult matter to convince
| any Washington county man that the
] Maine Central is not abou. to absorb the
| Washington county railroad. 1t is
equally true that most all the people who
! have followed the fortunes of the new
| road are convinced that the sunrise folks
are right in believing this. Such being
the general feeling it is not strange that
WREN Washington county man recently
Central in control of the road by January
| 1, ali nodded their heads in assent.
To people WHO have followed railroad
| ing in Maine for the past five years, and
who have been in position to gather in
formation concerning the conditions and
outlooks OF roads, both by observation and
conversation, it has been an almost fore
gone conclusion that the Maine Central
must eventually take this road. 1t might
not come in one year or in five, but some
time it would. Even now it may not cul-
inmate at this time, but the indications
are very strong that it will.
| From the day that the first sod was
turned in the construction of the Wash
| ington County line it has been felt by
conservative men that the Maine Central
must, sooner or later, take control OF the
road and operate it.
ONLY PAYING BASIS.
They have said all along that in no other
way could it be made paying proposition.
Back in the early spring Of 1898, when the
/ ;,.ta ~, ots do
bates was the impending war with Spain,
| a rumor became current in Bangor that
certain prominent railroad man was to be
the general manager of the new road.
| The Washington County road was then
| in course of construction, and was not
opened for traffic until the next February,
and there was much speculation as to who
was to have its management. Down in
the county it was regarded, by the major
ity, as being a cinch for the manager, as
il was ex pected to pay dividends at once;
IL not that, to pay expenses and interest
on bonds. Not all OF the people thought
that way, but many Of them.
Washington county is a large country,
1t has lots of fish and game, more or less
lumber, and extensive fishing interests,
but it has hat is the greatest setback to
the railroad, 1853 miles of sea-coast. So
that the great bulk OF the freight has been
transported by water.
BUSINESS GROWING.
This is changing, and the freight bust
ness of the new road is greatly increased
and still gaining. Operated by the Maine
Central this gain would be greatly aug
mented, expenses would not be SO great
and through provincial freight, which
now goes by the way OF Vanceboro, woulo
be seut down through the county, saving
some distance in hauling ard relieving 8
congestion on other parts OF the road.
Controlled and operated by the Maine
Central, the road could the letter compets
with water lines, as better rates would bt
given to shippers where the haul was al
over one road than " here it was over two
Besides, ,one of the competing lines Is
practically, owned by the railroad com
pany.
Perhaps The one great reason why 1t has
been believed that the Maine Central hal
for long time had its eye on the Wash
ington County road is the knowledge O.
the condition hich exists on the eastern
division of the Maine Central-the OLD
European & North American railway
The Canadian Pacific had line running
across the northern portion of the State te
Mattawamkeag.
This lire is to shorten the distance to st
John, N. B., and to accomplish this ano
| ho
leases the right to run its trains over the
tracks OF the Maine Central from Malta
wamkeag to McAdam Junction, where il
again hits its own line, in the shape Of the
New Brunswick division.
THE c. p. TRAFFIC.
The traffic which the c. P. handles il
great, and with the business Of the Maine
Central it frequently makes congestion
which knocks schedules out of ali sem
blance to their natural self. Especially
true is this during the winter months
when the c. P.'s traffic is always the
greatest.
With the Washington County road con-
trolled by it, believe thinking people, the
Maine Central would be able, to greater
or lesser extent, to relieve this congestion
and at the same time make the new divis-
ion more than self-supporting This may
not be right, and may be but the copjec'
lures of unwise people, but the knowledge
that General Manager Evans, of the Maine
Central, has been down and looked the
Washington County over and, as 1t Il
claimed, was satisfied that its acquisition
would be a very good thing would appear
to indicate that there was some ground
for these thoughts.