Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-30
THE RAILROADS.
Their Great Influence in the
Development of Maine
lehn Quill Tells Of so Years OF
transportation Progress.
What the Maine Lines Have Done and
Are Doing.

cate the prosperity of business COM
munity is it's railroads. Unlike the
straws that tell which way the Wlho
blows, the railroads tell which way ana
where the products of the community
go, and the town, village or city, WITH
out railroad connections labors under
a decided disadvantage. The advent or
the iron horse always stirs up the stag
nant pools of trade, sets the business
pulse of the community moving, ana
brings the people more in touch with
the outside world. The railroads are
forerunner of the march of progress.
They open up the country. heretofore
undeveloped; new blood is infused into
the section which the railroads
traverse; new enterprises spring up
along it's lines; little villages are trans
formed into growing towns, ana toWhs
into cities; academies and classical in
stitutes take the place of cross-roao
schools; the towns broaden out; new
families move in and take up land, Tor
improvement and business purposes; a
public library and other improvements
become a necessity, and the farmer,
who years ago before the advent OF the
iron horse, found but local market for
his products i'll some neighboring town
now finds a market even nearer home,
or send his products over the rails to
the Boston market, as the case may be,
and gets the highest market prices. He
knows before he ships his goods what
the return will be. For the papers that
the railroads have brought to his door
have given him the market report.
The railroads have changed practi-
cally the whole map of this State. The
most marked change in the railroad
situation is noticed in northern Maine
where but a few years ago the larger
part of this territory was inaccessible
except by primitive mode of travel;
now it is the minor part that is mac
cessible. The B. & A. road has laid its
tracks through the heart of this great
county, and spur tracked and branched
it SO that today, barring out what is
looked upon as vast Wilderness. a
game preserve, every part of it is fertile
country and is accessible by rail.
A few years ago. where the lumber
ing stage coach with its relay of horses
was the only mode of conveyance, now
the palatial cars of the b. & A, with a
Pullman or two transports the traveller
y
ArOostoOk county today owes her rapid
rise to the promoters of this great rail-
road system. They have practically
brought this section nearer the metro
politan markets. and increased the
value of her products. Looking at the
road, today, the two forks of this great
| railroad system, one at Fort Kent, and
| the other at Van Buren, on the st. John,
are separated by A miles of farming
| land, with several thriving villages be-
| tween. Unless all signs fail this gap
will soon be filled, thus completing the
| loop, and giving to the people of the
| upper AroOstoOk and st. John valleys a
complete railroad system second to
none. AT the present time the march
of progress of this road is towards tide
waters, with the terminal at Searsport
or Belfast. The road is already sur
veyed from Lagrange to the bay, and
soon the work of construction will be
commenced.
What this will mean to the people of
| northern Maine and to the State at
large no man can foresee. Possibly the
waters of the Penobscot may be util-
lied to afford an outlet for Aroostook
staples, possibly a merchant marine
may spring up flying the flag of the B.
& A. Farther up toward the great
Lake Moosehead, Names inland sea,
the c. p. railway sweeps along, the
road whose irons girdle the world, and
whose ribbons of steel extend from
ocean to ocean, with ocean liners that
ply to foreign shores. The guiding
hand of this great transcontinental
system is Mr.. McNichol, at Montreal,
with Traffic Manager Kerr and his
staff Of able lieutenants to carry out
their chiefs wishes.
This year will see a vast improve
ment all along the line. Liberal ap-
preparations have been made for new
rails, culverts and bridges on the Maine
section, and the road will be kept up to
the high standard it has always MAIN
tanned. The G. p. r., with it's connec-
lions form another link in a chain that
is giving to Maine her prosperity
The Maine Central, the trunk line
through Maine. through it's recent lease
has acquired the Washington county
road, and have made it a part and
parcel of the NJ. G. r. r.. system
With its own lines and connections,
this road reaches every city and town
in Maine. as well as those of the mari
tine provinces and upper Canada. 1t
passes through every county. and
through II of the IS cities of the State
1t reaches not only the numerous re-
sorts on the seacoast and in the in
terror. but reaches a greater number of
pleasure resorts than any line in the
world
The summer travel over this pic
turesque road to Names famous re-
sorts is something enormous. Every
year the increase is very perceptible,
and every year travel comes earlier and
continues later. Up through the
famous White Mountains the SwitZer-
land of America, the mountain division
of this road winds it's way until it
forms connection with the Quebec
Central for Quebec and the st. Law
renee river and Gulf resorts, the Yer
mont Central and Green Mountain re-
sorts, and with C. P. r.. and G. T. R.,
and their western connections bring to
tide waters the agricultural products
of the great Middle states, as we'll as
the far West. Every section of the
State, 10 yoh% INT