The Republican journal., 1906-12-27
Another B. { A. Extension.
"A las Mile Branch to be Built From west
Sebois to Canadian Line.

An enterprise, some features Of
which are without a parallel In Ne"
England railroad building, is set fortf
in the petition just filed by the Bangor
4 Aroostook, asking the usual per
mission of the railroad commissioners
to construct branch 145 miles long,
from junction point near West oeools
station on the main line to st FRANCIS
plantation, to be known as the Allegash
branch OF the Bangor 4 AroostooK
railroad.
The remarkable feature of this enter
prise is that on the proposed route,
from junction point to the terminus IN
the little French Canadian settlement
on the extreme northern border OF the
state, there is not city, not town,not
village and hardly farm. me rleht
OF way petitioned for coutemplates
trail OF steel through some of the Wild,
est, toughest most inaccessible ana
Wlthal picturesque regions on the con-
tinent.
The junction point with the main
line near West Sebois station Is 90
miles north of Bangor and 10 miles
south of Millinocket. From the tide
water terminal at Stockton to the new
junction is IS miles. West SeDols IS
but little more than station, there
being no village there
Leaving the main line the new road
Will bear nearly due north, passing De-
tween the Twin lakes and the 10 Mary
chain, skirting the south shore OF Re
madumcook lake, then on through the
Nahmakanta region by Rainbow lake
to Chesuncook and Rlpogenus. IheSe
are part of the chain OF waters max
ing up the west branch Of the PenOb-
scot. Chesuncook is the supply depot
for a great numbering region ana would
be one of the most important points on
the new road.
Probably crossing between Ripogenus
and the foot of Chesuncook, the survey
will follow the long and lonely tote
road almost due north to TeloS lake.
Chamberlain lake, Churchill lake, Eagle
lake and Umsakis come next in order,
will be followed down to its confluence
with the St. John. A few miles farther
and the village of st Francis is reached.
By this route 30 townships and planta-
tions are entered or crossed.
Across the river is the Canadian vii
lage of Corners, the western terminal
the Canadian Pacific railway. After
going 145 miles, the new road would end
only 1G miles due west of Fort Kent, the
northern terminus of the Ashland
branch, although at one point the lines
would be so miles apart. From st
Francis to tidewater at Stockton is al
p,ocf airline dino Sonfb
Essentially the proposed road will be
to develop a vast lumber region at
present practically inaccessible. This
new line, with comparatively short
spurs, would open thousands of acres
to the market. Mills would be built,
cars loaded on their own sidings and a
day later the lumber be going over the
rails of the Schooners in the Cape Jelli-
son docks at Stockton.
The new road would also be the me-
dunn for utilizing the hundreds of
thousands of horse power which has
been running to waste for centuries in
the falls and rapids of score of forest
streams. There's sites for half a dozen
big pulp mills and an almost inexhaust-
IDLE stock of material for making paper
within easy reach.
Another feature would be the opening
up of thousands of acres of fertile inter
vale lands and some of the finest farm
ing country in America.
The public hearing on the petition is
set for Dec. 9th in Bangor, and is ex-
pected to be mere matter of form
The proposed branch does not parallel
any other road and is miles to the north
of the C. P. r. of Maine. 1t is general
1v underStond that if there is no hitch
in the proceeding, the surveys will be-
gin as soon as practicable and work viii
commence next spring.