The Republican journal., 1905-11-02
RAILROAD MATTERS.
An Old Survey for Shore Line

In establishing the survey for the
Northern Maine Seaport railroad the
engineers found several stakes along
the lower portion of the route which
had been set out by another railroad,
and their presence was unexplained I'M
til recently when Charles Black hap
pened to mention to a group OF North
ern Maine Seaport engineers that he
had set out those stakes in making a
preliminary survey for the projected
Bangor 4 Rockland railroad in the
early days of railroading in Maine.
1t was planned at that time to secure
an outlet from Bangor to the coast
and Portland besides that provided by
the road from Waterville to Bangor.
The old fight between the road from
Portland to Skowhegan, now known as
the "back road" and the line from
Portland to Waterville, through Gard
| liner and Augusta, was the cause which
! led to the project. The ''front" road
seemed to have control of the Bangor
situation, and it was thought by build
| ing from the city on the Penobscot to
Rockland, distance of 60 miles, con-
nection might be made with the Knox
& Lincoln railroad, which had just
been completed and thereby second
| Bangor Portland line be established.
The matter was pretty thoroughly
discussed at the time, and one man
sank fortune in trying to put it
| through, but he found it impossible to
raise sufficient funds, and the project
never got any farther than the setting
out of surveyors stakes. The affair
, had been almost forgotten until the
| finding of the stakes. There are men
today who say that a line from Bangor
to Portland, passing through Rockland
and Bath, would have been an unquali-
fled success.
CONCERNING SEARS ISLAND.
At the entrance to Stockton Springs
harbor, forming one boundary of the
beautiful body of water, is Sears island.
Considerable speculation has been
aroused by the fact of the purchase of
this piece of land by the new railroad.
Various are the suggestions made as to
, the use for which it is intended. Some
have suggested that it was to be used
by the Armours for cattle-shipping
point for cattle which are to be brought
there over the Canadian Pacific rail-
way; another suggestion was that a
fertilizing plant was to be established
at the point in order that supplies of
this character could be supplied cheap
ly to the farmers of Aroostook county.
1t is not likely that either of these re-
ports is true.
The company is reported to have paid
$4,000 for the island, and this has con-
! WINGED many persons that it is to be
used for some purposes of great i'm
portance. The land is certainly Il most
advantageous site for almost any bust
ness purpose in connection with the
new road. Some 80 years ago Rockland
parties bought the timber and wood on
the island and cut it off clean, using
portable saw mill. There is now quite
a good growth on the greater part of
/ the island.
There are also rumors that the old
summer hotel on Fort Point will be re-
built and that the once famous water
ing place will be rehabilitated. In this
connection it may be intended to utilize
Sears Island with Fort Point for visitors
during the heated term. Both sections
are splendidly situated and command
magnificent views of the river and har-
Dor. with scenery as picturesque as can
be found anywhere in the world.