Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-30

transformed, WHAT IL lew yea" 30
a group Of fishing villages. stretch OIL
rock-ribbed coast, into a series oi
watering places and Fashionable re-
sorts, easy of access, stretching Iroiii
Boston, the metropolis of the common
wealth, to Portland the gateway 10 the
pleasure grounds of the Natloh'
through a section of rare scenic beauty.
This road extends with ribbons OF steer
running back to the mountains ana
lake resorts, now famous LOT their
beauty and grandeur the country oVer'
which but for the invasion OF the iron
horse would have remained practically
unknown to the outside world.
Up over the western slope of the lofty
mountain range that divides the State,
toward Montreal and Quebec and the
Old World, the G. r. r., of Canada mas
woven it's webs of steel, connecting the
great East and the great West, as one
gigantic highway. Like silver threads
it forms another strand in the great
network of Names railroad map. IL IS
another link in the golden chain OF
Names prosperity, that extends from
the Atlantic to the Great Lakes. 1t Is
the open door of Names international
travel, for the G. T. Ry. is inter-
national in this scope, and has become
one of the important factors, not only
in the development of the CanadaS but
also of our own State through which 1t
passes. Its development has been one
steady march onward to success, from
a very humble beginning way back in
the early SOS. Over a half century ago
the G.. T. Ry. then known as the
Atlantic & st. Lawrence, commenced
to built it's lines from Montreal, the
cosmopolitan city, to Island Pond on
the frontier. 1t was then that capital
lists saw the possibilities of Portland,
with her magnificent water front, as
an eastern terminus and broke ground
for q connecting line, which was event
ually merged into one, and the result
was nucleus of the road, that now
forms the international highway from
the East to the West, the promoters
| builded better than they knew, for
Portland from Il struggling village,
| with total valuation Of something like
| 81, O00, 900 when the G. r. Ry., engineer
crew commenced with level and transit
to blaze the way toward the frontier.
| Today it has valuation of some $40
| 900 600 and q population of 52,G5G, and
covering an area of 1898 acres. This
| immense increase is due to some eX-
| tent to her magnificent water front, 4
| harbor open the year round; her dock
| facilities, and largely to the railroads
| that center in the Forest City. The
recent improvements made by the
Grand Trunk, along the water front
showing the indomitable spirit and wise
| forethought of second Vice-Presdent
and General Manager Hayes, and the
powerful and wealthy corporation be-
hind him will add millions to Port
lands valuation.
| This systematic advertising of
Maine as summer resort by the rail-
roads dates back to about the time of
the consolidation or absorption of the
Eastern railroad with the Boston &
Maine. The present official head or
this great system, who has brought to
it it's present high standing, was at
that time general passenger agent OF
the Eastern r. r., and with wise fore
thought laid the foundation, the key
stone to the arch of successful railroad
advertising by using 8. modest pamph :
let setting forth the beauties OF the
line and its connection, with a glimpse
here and there Of Names beauty spots.
From this humble beginning the pres
ent liberal advertising policy is the re-
suit. Today there is hardly q road u,
the State or that enters the State, but
what has its bureau of publicity with
It's gifted writer's and word painters,
artists of note, engraverS and half
| tones, illustrate the ton upon ton Of
| literature that is annually sent out
| from headquarters to all parts of the
country. A corp of able corr respondent
| stenogra pliers, under the head of the
G. p. A. department answers cores
pondeTce and questions and points out
the ways and means of reaching this
natural pleasure park.
The steady rise of Maine and he"
coming to the front as a commercial
center is phenomenal. The story Of
her half-century progress reads like Il
chapter from a fairy story. and if one
had prophesied fifty years ago what
Names future would be in the fifty
years to come. l doubt if they would
have hearkened to the prophecy but
would have looked upon it as a wild,
improbable dream. For a half-ccntury
ago there was but 5000 miles of rail-
| lodl III the y. QUAY lnere IL
approximately 100000 miles of road
interlacing the eaIth's surface IN the
United States alone. The aggregate
will reach in this country something
over 100000 miles, or enough to con-
plete an immense span reaching from
| the earth to the moon. The equip
ments of the roads 80 years ago were III
proportion to their business the small
est engine run on the Maine Central a {
that time only weighed about 20 tons.
and the largest was something like 81
tons. At that time 57-pound rails
were considered sufficiently heavy
for all purposes. Now the road is laid
with from 80 to 100-pound rail in rock
ballast, and from 80 10 Potion lOcOmo-
tives are required to keep pace with the
rapidly increasing business. Wooden
bridges have given place to iron ana
steel, wooden culverts have been re-
placed with solid walls of masonry.
Last year something like 2.SS3675 pas
| sengers We're carried in Maine, and
| the road that so years ago was using
IaDDrOXimately 0O0 miles of frac1- Ill