Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-21
Holds Enthusiastic Meet
ing Tuesday Evening"
Plans for Entertainment Of BOs.
ton Merchants on May 5.
Endorses Measure for AboIlshing
Rines Mil Crossing.

A meeting Of the Board Of Trade was
held at the Augusta House last evening
in the interests of the coming visit of
the Boston Merchants Association to
Augusta Wednesday, May 5, which
called forth the largest attendance that
there has been at meeting of the
board for some time, and all were en-
thusiastic in the feeling that a suita-
BILE greeting should be accorded the WIS.,
itors and that their stay in the city
should be made as pleasant as posi-
BILE.
The program for the entertainment
of the Boston party has not been COM
pleted but will be within a few days,
and those present last evening ex-
pressed desire to aid the committee
of arrangements, which was appointed
at the previous meeting of the board,
in every way possible. It was voted to
raise by subscription the fund neces-
sary to defray the expenses of the en-
tertainment and committee consist
ing of Charles E. Downing, George E.
Wilcox, Blaine Owen, J. Frank Dyer
and H. E. Goodrich was appointed to
look after the matter.
The matter of the abolition of the
Rines hill crossing was also taken up
and it was the unanimous opinion OF
those present that the measure pro-
posed should be accepted. A committee
composed Of r. Il. Purinton, c. w.
Jones and J. V. Lane was appointed to
draft resolution voicing the sentiment
of the meeting and the following was
submitted and accepted:
Resolved, That we heartily favor
the acceptance of the measure now
pending for the abolition of the dan
gerous crossing at the foot of Rines
hill. We believe that this will not only
give us SAFE easy and unobstructed
way of travel to and from Water
street, but that it will also greatly re-
lieve the other grade crossings Of our
city by making it possible for the
Maine Central to locate its freight
sheds and do its shifting south of
Rines hill. We are confident that all
this will be in the line of progress and
for the permanent welfare of our city"
The subject in hand was discussed in
a general way and among other points
which were taken up was the probable
result, should the crossing be abolish
ed, regarding the Maine Central freight
sheds, and whether or not they would
be located west of the crossing, in an
swer to which Mayor Johnson read the
following letter from Morris Mcdonald,
vice president and general manager for
the Maine Central:
portland, Me-, April 20, 1909.
Zion. Treby Johnson,
"Mayor, Augusta, Me.
+ Dear Sir-I have your favor of April
II with reference to the elimination of
grade crossing at Rines hill in Angus
ia, and in answer to your specific ques-
ton what will the Maine Central r. r.
do in regard to changing the location
of freight yard:
Our plans for this work, as you
know, have not been worked out so
that we could definitely say as to what
the arrangement would be, but it Is our
desire in arranging this matter to get
storage and delivery tracks west of
Rines hill so that our freight business
to and from Augusta can be handled
from there by our through trains, and
under this arrangement it would great
ly reduce the switching over the main
crossings there: namely, Winthrop and
Bridge streets, in my opinion, very con-
siderably.
"Yours truly,
MORRIS MCDONALD,
"vice President & General Manager"