The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-02-02
At THE LEGISLATURE
Bills Being Rushed In
Exciting Moments
Railroad Bills That Have Special
Interest TO This County Went Into
Legislature Lust Week.


Two little bills affecting the Wis
casset Waterville & Farmington
narrQw guage railway between Weeks
Mills and Winslow came into the
Legislature last week which prom
ise to be of great importance to the
community the railway formerly
served. This branch of the road has
been abandoned for about a year
because the electric line between Au-
gusta and Wateryille took a part OF
the business. One of the little bills
authorizes the owners of the property
to tear up the tracks. The other
little bill extends the charter of the
Waterville and Winslow Bridge Co.
for tNn years and adds to the incor-
porators the names OF Carson {.
Peck of New York, who owns the
Wiscasset. Wateryille G. Pennington
road, Samuel j. Sew II of Wiscasset.
its superintendent and also director
Norman l.. Bassett of Angus a, a di-
rector of the same roj and Level
lyn j. Libby of Albion.
The two bills are significant be
cause the people of the thriving viii
lagos OF China, East NassalbOro and
North Vassalboro demand that some
thing be done with the property. II
is known that the road cannot be
made paying proposition unless
more advantageous freight rates are
offered by the Maine Central and the
narrow guage road in conjunction,
so that farm products can go out and
supplies may come in at reasonable
cost. 1t is also known that if the
narrow guage road could get across
the river into Waterville, it would
'surmount the greatest obstacle 10 it's
success, the lack of a terminal in q
city of considerable size.
With the power to take up thp
tracks the people behind the narrow
guage road are in a position to en-
list the aid of every resident OF that
section for better rates with con
Meeting roads. With the facilities
for entering Wateryille over theil
own tracks, the same gentlemen are
in a position to make real railroad
out of the little line which has so
many well-wished but few friends
who are sufficiently interested to
back their friendship with money and
business.
The electric line between Lewiston
and Wateryille has had an opporruni-
t. to take over the narrow guage
line, it is said, but declined because at
the time the offer was made there
didn't appear to be business enouel
to warrant taking up with the ven
ture. Times have changed since
then and the farmers are hauling
hundreds of tons of freight from
China to Augusta to put it ON the
Maine Central freight cars at that
point
1t is rich farming territory and
developing more and more freigh
every year. The farmers do not like
the idea OF hauling their freight sey-
eral miles and across one or two
railroad lines before reaching a line
that is ready to do business with
them.
The bridge feature offers unlimited
field for speculation. There has
been need of ii for years With that
bridge in place. nothing would pre-
vent the extension of the line accord
ing to the original plans, so long held
in abeyance, from Wateryille,
through Oakland, Smithffeld, Mer-
Ger and Sharon. to Pennington and
thus open up great highway from
this great garden spot to the sea. 1t
is only a matter of time when the
present road Will become standard
guage line. Whether or not it will
use electric traction is still undecid-
ed. but certainly few roads have a
better opportunity TO operate with
the new power. Then Wiscasset
with its remarkable all-the-year har-
Dor. viii come into its own