The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-05-10
BANGOR AND STOCKTON SPRINGS
The Sunday Republican Thinks There is
q. situation to be Faced"

s;t,'s so to he faced in the remarkable
doval"nment of stockton Springs, not
hecense that little village is in any sense
- rival at the present moment, but be-
"on ,s" the foundation has been laid there
for g;gantic commercial transactions
ord hacause it. is likely to be the natu-
raj raI denot for the supplies of an immense
sact;op of the country, as we'll as dis
tributing centre.
or grades of freight already are to be
Skinned from that point is a fact es-
tahlished. It's only reasonable to sup
nose that some of the vessels will find
freioht to bring back. Not all will put
into the harbor of Stockton Springs in
ballast. such condition is hardly con-
sonant with the commercial economics
of the times. Therefore 1t seems reason
able to suppose that gradually the town
can but become a supply centre from
the very order of things,
Ifsuch is to be the condition OF affairs,
it seems certain that some day the COM
mercial pre-eminence OF Bangor will be
affected. Not today or tomorrow.
neither this year nor next, but IN five or
ten or Is years, the present almost i'm
perceptible change Will begln to develop
volume, and the time Will come when
the balance will be in favor OF what is
now a little village, because 1t has dl-
rect communication with northern
Maine and because 1t IS situated on a
harbor where 365 days in the year, from
dawn until dawn, vessels may land ana
load cargoes. With such an advantage
trade is bound to 90 there; nothing can
stop it.
Hanger isn't going to step backward,
nv no means. 1t still has an immense
section tc supply and an enormous ter
ritory to draw from to maintain its posi-
tion as a distributing centre, but by
wise ana concerted action it can gain
inst so much more; it can share and be-
come a factor in the growth of Stock
ton Springs and its business men can
hold the trade they have established in
the northern part of the State and in
crease it manifold.
In other words the trade of Bangor
and Stockton Springs can become one;
the same men can manage and control
in both places. The Bangor merchant
who supplies Bill Jones or Tom Smith
of Caribou, or Presque Isle or Houlton
can continue to sell their ArOoStook
customers goods and still have them
call at his place of business, but in GER
tain instances it may be necessary to
have a branch house at Stockton Springs
or a StorehOuSe or an Ot1ice-SO netting
that will represent the Bangor concern
and enable it to hold the business that
now comes from northern Maine as
well as the immense portion which is
certain to be added to the present vol
ume, That, to many, seems to be the
best way to face the situation.
1t is not by sitting down to resolute.
That will never faSten rope On the
new business. The only satisfactory
way is to reach out for the new and
hang on to the old, and the greatest ad-
vantage of that rule will be that by
reaching out for the new it will help to
hold on to the old to no inconsiderable
degree.
1t takes time for great changes to be
made. New cities do not spring up IN
month or a year. Railroads and wharves
require months for their construction
and it takes long period to turn the
tide of capital in certain direction
Even when these are done, commerce
will serve its own sweet will in moving
from accustomed paths. When, how
ever, the railroad and wharves are built
and the advantages to be gained have
been pointed out to capital, commerce
will slowly but surely swing into line
and follow the line of least resistance.
Then is the time that transformation
seems to occur. 1t isn't tranSforma-
ton; that comes when the first few
steps are taken-it is rather the public
realization of the transformation.
Stockton Springs already has been
transformed. The railroad is there, the
r fol ic r
there. 1t is today much easier to sell
real estate than to buy it, Money is
hungrily awaiting good opportunities.
Numerous buildings are planned and a
number are in course of construction;
more are needed, and they are sure to
come. 1t is, however, the period of
wood. Brick and stone will follow later,
as sure as the tide GIBBS and flows. When
that time comes the city is surely es
tablished and founded.
With things as they are Bangor should
be sitting up and taking notice. Al y
investigator who goes to Stocktt n
Springs will find from real estate men
that this lot is owned by Bar Harbor
parties and they are going to build
block; that foundation is being laid by
some people from Ellsworth; the land
up there is being plotted by Belfast
concern. So it goes. Bangor people,
however, are not heard from. Other
men go in and deal but the people of the
Queen City hold themselves aloof.
They should be down and there at
work and they should make of Stockton
Springs second Bangor, for the bene-
fit of their own business, if nothing
more. 1t will be too late to do this two,
three or four years from now. 1t is
not, now.
The first step toward closer bust
ness connection between the two places
should be more convenient and quicker
traffic facilities. By the shortest route
now used it takes over two hours to 60
from Bangor to Stockton Springs. The
distance is approximately "a miles, and
it should be covered easily in little
over an hour Two routes are available
one the Bangor Terminal railro ad,
| which was planned last fall; the other
! via an extension of the electric road
from it's present terminus in Hampden
to the depot of that name on the North
ern Maine Seaport railroad, which
| would require laying track for a dis
lance of only about IA miles.
| The former would be the more con.
| venient, and doubtless would prove
more profitable in the long run, because
| it would allow for the more satisfactory
! transfer of freight, but the latter would
be much better than the present round
about way via North Bangor.
The citizens of Bangor should not be