The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-10-08
F airfeld to Skowhegan by EIeouics.

armed 70 SK0Whegan by Eleculcs.
This mornings Kennebec Journal
contains the following article con
corning a proposed railroad. The
dispatch is dated Fairfield and We
publish without comment:
a number Of Portland and Boston
capitalists have been in this village
today and have Travelled oyer the Inc
OF the Fairfield & Shamut Electric
Road 70 the village Of shawmut. The
gentlemen then drove . Skowhegan
along what now appears . be pro
posed route Of an electric road from
Shawmut TO Skowhegan. When Hon.
Amos T. Gerald Of this village con-
structed the F. & 5. line be could see
plainly that within a short space II
time capitalists interested in electric
railroad building would be anxious 70
buy his three miles Of rails.
The gentlemen here today were
Hon. Preston b. Hayes Of Springfield,
Mars, Joseph II. Locke Of Boston,
William B. Reed of Portsmouth. \.
II and Horace Pettingill 81 Portland.
These gentlemen are in no manner
connected with the Graham syndicate
now constructing a through electric
line from Lewiston 70 Bangor and
they have never interviewed Mr.,
Gerald regarding the purchase OF the
iatters nne.
The gentlemen were not inclined 10
tax much, but Mr.. Hayes toe the
Journal that if no obstacles are raised
by State authorities. charter rign.s
would be secured during the coming
winter and the purchase Of the right
Of way over private property would
be accomplished before spring. for an
electric line to Skowhegan, following
either the River road or the Middle
road to Skowhegan.
The distance from Shawmut 10
Skowhegan is approximately Il miles.
With the opening of the Lewiston,
Augusta & Waterville road for full
traffic in the spring and the connect
ing of that road with the rails of the
Waterville & Fairfield road and by
means Of the Fairfield and Benton
Falls line, the Graham syndicate will
have secured eight miles of ready
made road in the direction of Bangor.
1t is hut natural then that the pro-
posed line from Shawmut TO SkoWhe-
gan be constructed for it will become
one of the principal feeders of the
Graham syndicate service from Ban
gor to New York. On Sept. 16 the
rail connecting Winslow with con-
tinuous electric service 70 New York
was laid. The Graham syndicate
will put over until spring the matter
of crossing the kennebec river at
Waterville TO a connection with the
Waterville & Fairfield line.
The two principal villages above
this town on the kennebec river are
Skowhegan and Madison. Both vii
lagos have large manufacturing inter
ests. For years as far as has been
practicable, the Maine Central Rail
road has given good service to Skow-
hogan, but it is only natural that this
service should be made 10 conform TO
the main line service. The early
morning train from Skowhegan is of
practically no value 10 the people of
Madison. The second train from
Skowhegan is little more of an &C
comodation to Madison but later
afternoon train or service out of
Skowhegan is what is wanted most
by residents of both Skowhegan and
Madison. This, it is believed would
be overcome by an electric road from
Shawmut to Skowhegan, where con-
nection can be made with the line Of
the Somerset Traction Co., which has
been III operation for dozen years
Upon their return from Skowhegan
Wednesday the capitalists appe AIRED
satisfied that the road is an easy prop
osition, that it would pay from the
start and that il is the most feasible
proposition in the State today outside
of the Graham syndicate scheme 10
construct a through trunk line 10
Bangor. Mr.. Hayes in conversation
with the Journal said:
~ am satisfied that if the Graham
syndicate, as you call II down this
way. wanted to take a sidestep it
would ere this have constructed a line
from this village TO Skowhegan. We
have not talked with Mr.. Gerald and
in fact none of US have ever met him,
but We presume he has price for his
road. We were very fayorably i'm
pressed with the location which Of
fers along the river and II the road
goes-and bear in mind | do not say
we will construct it, but in time some
body will-the most reasonable and AZ
the same time, | believe the most
economical way will be TO build along
the river to a point on Ea ST Front
street in Skowhegan nearly opposite
the shoe factory, thence down the ra-
vine to the shoulder of land beyond a
fringe .of houses on what is called
Mount Pleasant avenue and there
crossing the river 10 Water street.
We were told while in the village that
AT one time the town proposed build
ing bridge over the river at the foot
OF a short street near park, the
name of which has passed from nv
mind. We can see where the town
and a railroad can join drives and
erect such bridge as will be neces-
sarv. allowing the railroad to erter
Water street near the lower end of
that street and thence proceed 10
junction with the Somerset Traction
CO..
God educates men by casting them