The Republican journal., 1905-12-28
MORE LIGHT NEEDED.

synopsis is puDllSneQ III announcer COL
umn, are of much local interest. The
fact that the petition for light at the
entrance of Stockton harbor is reported
on adversely is perhaps less surprising
| than the reasons given for such action
by the inspecting officer. He says
chat while the railroad had erected
immense wharves and made every
preparation for a big amount of traffic,
that traffic was not yet assured, and
that there were not even adequate ia
cilities for vessels of any size" Now,
is it reasonable to suppose that the ex
perienced railroad and business men
and the fnanciers behind this enter
prise would expend upwards of three
million dollars in a railroad and termi-
nal with "immense wharves" and
"every preparation for a big amount OF
traffic without full knowledge of the
traffic assured them. Then the state
ment that there are mot even ade-
quate facilities for vessels of any size''
is not only untrue and unwarranted,
but is contradicted by its author in the
same sentence, in which the immense
wharves' are mentioned. The follow
ing sentence is evidently imperfect,
probably through an error in copying,
1t reads: "While the wharves had been
built at low tide and up to the time OF
bis visit Col Stanton found that the
traffic to the port was of little cOnse-
quence." What it was intended to say
in the first part of this sentence must
be left to coniecture; but the statement
that ''the traffic to the port was OF
little consequence calls for comment.
OF course all well Informed persons
know that although trains have been
running over the Northern Maine Sea-
port railroad for a week or two the
road is not yet in condition to handle
the full amount of business assured
it, and the terminal facilities, while
available for present use, are still
incomplete. Yet two lines of ocean
going steamers are running to this
new port, cargoes of phosphate
and lumber are arriving there, and,
the shipment of Aroostook's immense
potato crop has begun. If at the time
this officer visited Stockton he had
gone to Bangor he would have found
that the traffic to that port was of lit
tie consequence Yet statistics will
show that Bangor is port of no small
Importance, although closed few
months in the year; and when so closed
the business must mainly be done
through this new port. As to the
dredging of the docks and channels at
Stockton the government charts, which
we suppose are accessible to the light.
house board, show that there is suf
ficient depth of water for all require
ments. If this report had been made
by an agent of some rival transporta
ton company, unacquainted with Local
conditions, whose motive was simply
to obstruct practical and much need
ed business enterprise, we could better
understand it.
Then as to the lighthouse on Isle au
Haut. We are glad the people of that
island are to have light, but the rea
sons given for its establishment will
provoke smile from those familiar
with the situation. ''The fishing fleet
on these grounds are greatly in need of
a light to guide them back to port,
says the report. In the first place very
little deep sea fishing is done from Isle
au Haut nova days. The principal
business is lobstering, and that is done
almost wholly in power dories. Isle au
lIaut fishermen have never needed a
light to guide them back to port In
fog or in snow storms they have thread
ed the reefs in safety and could at any
time. determine their position by the
''rote' of the breakers. In fact, there
are very few fishermen left on the
island, which has become an exclusive
summer colony, and large part of the
island is now owned by one man. We
should not be surprised to learn that
the summer residents had more to do
with securing lighthouse to adorn
this picturesque island than the men
who derive their living from the sea.
Thpra GRO olxrouc rnoY, in Conrrocc