The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-04-18
AN APPRECIATIvE REFERENCE.


1t is pleasant to note that Relfast
whose proximity to the Northern Maine
seaport terminal makes it's neople in
telllgently observant of the conditions
ana bearings OF that great enterprise. is
duly appreclative of the value of the b.
u A. road as factor in the growth and
prosperity of Northern and Eastern
! Maine. 'o'"
i Representative Dunton of Belfast
last week stoutly opposed the two cent
, mileage bill as an injustice to the road
and as piece of legislation which. if #
becomes operative, would certainly
hamper the road in its plans of futnre
expansion, and indirectly interfere with
the development of the resources of it's
| field. He cited the fact of the vast in.
crease in wealth and population in the
territory the road penetrated, and said
| that its earnings during the period of
its operation had been applied almost
exclusively toward the increase and
| further extension of its facilities, and
that while profit accruing from its con-
struction and operation had been reap
ed in large measure by the people it
| served, the stockholders of the road
had received comparatively few and
meaere dividends.
incidentally, Mr.. Dunton paid de-
| served tribute to President F. w. Cram,
| to whom, he said, not only Northern
whole was vastly indebted. The speak
er said, and no one can gainsay the
truth or justice of the commentator,
that Mr.. Cram has done as great a ser
vice in up-building Maine industrially
as any man who has ever been identifi-
ed with its material interests. This
would be true if his work should stop
now. 1t bids fair to be still more en-
phatically true if with his twelve years
of work done, he shall have even half
that time more to devote to the labor
of finishing and rounding to full COM
pletion what he has gotten SO success
fully under way.
1t is perfectly safe to say that when
Mr.. Cram took hold of the project to
build road into Aroostook, a project
which had batfied all who preceded him
during period of over thirty years of
more or less constant effort and agita-
ton, he took hold of it possessing an
equipment of ability and experience for
the task before him, which no other
man possibly available for the work
possessed. He succeeded when all
Others before him had failed largely be-
cause of years of experience in railroad
management which had brought him
into close and intimate touch with the
conditions and needs of the region of
country that was seeking relief through
his efforts But to this experience he
added large ability, and the sort of dog
ged pluck and perseverance which every
big and difficult undertaking must have
behind it to succeed. The inception of
the project to get road into Aroostook
when he took hold of it was in deeper
mire of difficulty and harder to pull out
than any like project ever before start
ed in Maine, for the undertaking was
held down in the slough not alone by
its own weight and inertia, but by GER
tain added hostile influences OF pow
erful character which were and long
had been in active combination to dis
courage and defeat the enterprise.
Aroostook has railroad today with
its manifold advantages and an almost
unparalleled record of returns on the In
vestment of struggle and capital lnvoly-
ed in getting it, chiefly through the la
Dor of two men, Albert A. Burleigh
and T. w. Cram-and but for what
they did the door of railroad access to
the OUTSIDE WOfld would De lockeu w.
day.
Mr.. Dunton was strictly within the
limits of justice and the proprieties OF
the occasion when he paid the tribute
he did to what the B. & A. road and its
President have done in the past and are
likely to do in future, with proper en-
enlargement and cooperation, for the
State at large and the great county
which the road more particularly ser
yes. His remarks ought to convince
the public that it is both more profit
able as we'll as more Just to bear in
mind appreciatively and intelligently
the real facts of the railroad situation
as it exists today in Eastern and
Northern Maine than to ignore these
facts in spirit of prejudice or forget
fulness.-Presque Isle Star-Herald.