The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-08-26
THE TROLLEY LINE TO CAMDEN.
An Enthusiastic Meeting Held In the Au.
ditorium, Northport Campsround.

An Enthusiastic Meeting Held in the Au
ditorium, Northport Campsround.
A meeting was held in the auditorium a
Northport Campground Thursday afternoon
August 10Th, called by the promoters of tn,
electric road to Camden for considering tn,
matter of land damages in that immediat.
i vicinity and for general discussion of tn,
situation. 1t was beautiful day and ther.
was good attendance, including summer res
idents, committee from the Belfast board o,
trade, with others from this city, and people
from Camden, Lincolnville and Northport
Charles O. Dickey, superintendent of the
Northport Campground, presided and first
called upon Hon. w. S. White of Rockland
one of the promoters of the road, who made g
very clear presentation of the questions al
issue. He said that while the location of the
proposed road had been favorably regarded for
some years no one had seen fit to undertake
its construction. survey made few years
ago went SO far back from the shore that it
was not considered practical and in making a
new survey they had followed the shore as
nearly as possible with view to reaching the
greatest number of people. The road if built
would render available for building purposes
much land of comparatively little value, and
must greatly enhance the value of adjacent
property. The company did not ask for sub
scriptions to stock or bonds, asked no finan-
/ cial aid from the towns, but will furnish the
capital and build the road. All they ask is
consideration in the matter of land damages
and if these are excessive the enterprise must
be abandoned.
Mr.. Thomas E. Gushee of Lincolnville, who
had been engaged in looking after the right of
way in that town, was the next speaker. He
said he had seen practically all the resident
owners along the line and found nearly every
one ready to give the right of way and en-
Enthusiastically in favor of the road. In the case
of one man the survey went diagonally through
quarter of acre under cultivation, but he
said, go ahead. That was the spirit generally.
Mr.. Gushee gave a good illustration of the
situation from his experience. Some
years ago he bought tract of land with the
expectation that it would greatly increase in
value, but it had remained on his hands, unpro-
ductive. Recently he offered to give lot to
man if he would build a $2,5OO house on it.
The man looked the ground over and finally
said that if the electric road was built he would
take the matter under consideration. Mr..
Gushee thought that when you could not give
land away it was time something was done.
Mr.. Ira M. Cobe of Chicago was next called
upon. He said that personally the road did
not interest him, as he had his own means of
conveyance and should not use it if it was
built. But as he felt then he would be willing
to give the right of way over his property but
would not be pledged as to the future.
Mayor Hanson of Belfast followed.
Hon. Maynard S. Bird of Rockland one of
the promoters, then addressed the meeting.
He had with him blue prints of the survey and
spoke briefly concerning the proposed road in
line with the remarks of Mr.. White.
Mr.. I. George Dodworth of New York city,
a summer resident and property owner on the
North Shore, was called upon and said that
while he was not opposed to the road he felt
that if it followed the line surveyed his prop
erty would be injured and that he should have
compensation. Other summer residents who
spoke briefly were Messrs. Philo Blaisdell of
Philadelphia S. S. Adams of New Haven, CT,
and John S. Roberts of Reading, Mass. The
latter is property owner on the North Shore
and his position is that of MIR. Dodworth.
The chairman then called for rising vote to
ascertain the sentiment of the meeting re-
garding the building of the road and appar-
emily every one rose. When those opposed
were asked to rise all remained seated. This
test, as we'll as the talk among individuals
both before and after the meeting left no
doubt as to how the people of this section re-
gard this enterprise. Indeed it would be
strange if the sentiments were otherwise
Usually the towns through which an electric
financial aid in some way, but in this case not
dollar is asked for expected.
Before adjournment a motion was adopted
that committees be appointed from the towns
interested to confer with the promoters of the
road, and after the meeting new route was
looked over which if adopted will eliminate
the obstacle of land damages in the immediate
vicinity of the campground Under this plan
the road will enter the old stage road below
the campground pass the house of C. O. Dickey
and cross the land of the Hills Bros on the
west side of the highway. This will avoid
crossing the campground as we'll as the North
shore properties of Messrs. Roberts and Dod-
worth and the Hills Bros. Those who looked
over this new route were very favorably i'm
pressed with it, and Messrs. Bird and White
said that if the engineers found it prac-
teal, of which there can be little doubt, it will
be adopted.
Monday the engineers came up from Rock
land and surveyed the proposed new route and
pronounced it impracticable, as it would call
for fill of at least 40 feet to get suitable
grade This brings the question of land dam