Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-19

\ l Several months ago when it became known that the Grand Trunk railroad was to reach tide water through the state of Rhode Island with terminal l in the Providence river New London 1 was aroused to the importance of action to preserve the terminal at this l port and to make a special effort to ! have the big railroad company make 1 the terminal of more importance, Whlcn would mean an increase of business for 1 New London. The mayor was author | 1zed to appoint a committee to take the matter up with the Grand Trunk | officials and advocate the increase of facilities at New London rather than | divide the traffic with Providence, with special stress laid on the advantages l of New London harbor always free
 from ice as against the comparatively narrow route from the Rhode Island city to the ocean, not only as a saver of time and distance, but with far more natural advantages that could be easily made available.
 Mayor AIahan has undoubtedly ap- 1 pointed that committee and with him.
 self as chairman, kept close tabs on | the move of the Grand Trunk railway
 and given the officials to understand that an increase in their business at New London would be appreciated and | that every reasonable announcement | would be given them. The mayor has ! not, for reasons best known to hisl | self, announced the personnel of that
 important committee. presum ably csl- 1 sidering it to be more effective to work with the railroad company on the quiet | than having a show down every time | there was a deal. It has been stated by the mayor that the interests of Nuw London were being guarded so there is no occasion fer loss of sleep in hat particular. Perhaps when the commis- tee makes report it will be divulged that much effective work has been done for New London and that as a final result that looked for line of
 foreign steamships will arrive and de- part from the port of New London on 1 scheduled time as part Of the system of the Grand Trunk railway.
 It is said further that the entry of the Grand Trunk into Rhode Island wlil in no way affect the present terminal
 in New Londnn. as there is at present no intention of steamshipping from Providence, and no. promise of that na- ture is made to the general assembly, of that state to aid in the granting of charter for the Grand Trunk to enter that state Up to the present time there has been no organized oppositi ,n to the granting of the charter and puS- lie sentiment seems to be strongly in favor of a competing line to the New
 York, New Haven 6 Hartford Rail- road company at Providence. Boss Brayton has not yet stated his position, until he does there is no certainty as to the action of the general assembly.
 Presidfent C. M. Hays of the Grand Trunk road has declared that his com pany does not go begging for charters, as that would be something novel for that company. The charter has been presented in the Rhode Island general assembly and the passage of the act is practically demanded, not requested. MT. Hays says the people of that state want the Grand Trunk. and there is willingness to give the service. He says he puts a straight business Lgo-l position before the people. The Grand Trunk railway, he says, is making bona fire effort to respond to what -le believes to be a demand from the pen pie of the state for competing rail- road system. He said that if Ehoda Island wants the service, the Grand Trunk is ready to give it. 1.-the char ter is not granted, President Hays says the company will take it as a notice that the service is not wanted and will make no further effort to ente- <he field.
 The yachtsmen of the Down Town Reading club and all others directly interested in improving Shaws cove as a yacht basin, as well as for commer- cial purposes, are falling over each other, so to speak, to mail letters of appreciation to Congressman Higgins for his successful efforts in securing ditionaI dredging of the cove, which has filled in of late years so that yachts of deep draft could not winter therein, which meant a serious loss to
 
 In the very. very long, long ago, before the birth Of the oldest inha'bitatt, his tory says that the waters of the cove were of even more navigable conven- fence than at the present time and that vessels of considerable draft not only entered the gashouses cove, so- called, or inner cove, but also proceed ed in the opposite direction into Colt street, to the point where the Brainard & Armstrong mill No. is now located
 In more recent years, within the memory of the man of fifty, Shaw's cove, with tine exception of a narrow channel to the footbridge and into the gashouse cove, was practically a mud flat, where clans were dug in large quantities at every low tide and where boys treaded for quahogs in the good old summer time But with the onward march of progress residences and places of business were erected along the shores of the cove. The i'm terest of the general government was interested in the importance of the cove, harbor lines were established and by public and private dredging the cove was gradually converted into a place where laden vessels could enter to discharge .cargoes at the newly con- structed wharves, and where large and small yachts could be Quartered for the winter and add materially to the ma rlne and general business affairs of the city.
 With this new appropriation the cove will be dredged to an even greater Oepth than at present in the main channel and the accumulation of mud since the last. dredging will be re- moved, which will be a general public advantage not only to the property owners on the borders of the cove but to the whole people. Congressman Higgins has made himself solid with his constituency in New London by his praiseworthy efforts in their behalf.
 Here is a point that would indicate that the Grand Trunk railway has not yet changed its original purpose of having 6 foreign line of steamships from the port of New London, which is the main thing that Mayor AIahan, his committee and the people of New Lon don and the state of Connecticut has intense interest. President Hays was asked during the present week if the plan to make Providence a terminal would result in transatlantic shipment of grain from the west out of the port of Providence. He said he had as yet learned little of the tidewater condi- tions at Providence and would not ven- ture ito say more than there were pos sibihties along that line that had not yet been worked out
 It is not so many years ago that the Grand Trunk people put a proposition up to the people of New London which, had 11d ra1 -n,-I1 I-n 70.