The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-10-17
COULD TRAIN SERVICE
Be IMPROVED
Some Changes Are Suggested

facilities for large country round
about All of the freight for Skow-
hegan, CornYille and Athens, and a
large part of the freight for Canaan
and Madison comes through this sta
ton.
Skowhegan postoflice is the central
Maine office for Somerset county. and
53 postmasters send their reports here
All of the mail fer Skowhegan, Athens
Cornville and a large part of that for
Cahaan and Madison arrives and de
parts through the Skowhegan office as
we'll as some part OF the mail for Nor
ridgewock, the northern part of Fair
field and the southern part of Solon.
At present there are three arrivals
and three departures daily a mixed
train arrives at S a. m, a passenger
train at Ills and another passenger
train at 5.45 p. m. A passenger train
leaves Skowhegan at 8 o'clock each
morning, another passenger train
goes at II as a. m and a mixed train
leaves at one O'Clock p. m.
In suggesting changes for the modi-
tication of the service, it should be
stated that nothing would stand a
show of being adopted that called for
any material increase in expenditure
on the part of the railway admins
tration In these strenuous times,
we must get along with what we have
or with some change which would
not involve greater outlay.
There are seven r. F. D. mail
routes running out of Skowhegan,
these covering about 175 miles of
country area and supplying not far
from 700 families The drivers on
six of these routes leave in the morn
ing as soon as possible after the ar
rival of the o'clock train. One of
their patrons. on receipt of letter,
say, from Boston, cannot, OF course,
answer it and despatch it by the
driver who leaves it at his door He
can answer his missive during the al
ternoon or evening, and it will be
picked up by the X, F. ID. man the fol
lowing day The driver will get
it back to Skowhegan during the af
ternoon, but not before the time of
departure of the one o'clock train,
which is the last for the day 1t
goes on the eight o'clock train, the
following morning and arrives in
Boston the next day. To get the
thing clearly in mind we will speak
of a letter arriving here from Bos-
ton, being delivered on the II. F. d.
route on Monday, answered and re
turned to the SkoWhegan postoffice
on Tuesday, leaving by the first train
Wednesday morning. and being deliy
cred in Boston on Thursday morning.
Thus you Will see Boston COM
mission house writing to a Skowhe
t
ply for four days Likewise a
Skowhegan farmer writing to Il Bos
ton merchant, cannot expect any re-
ply to his message for the same length
of time If we could change any of
our midday trains to leave at
o'clock in the afternoon or later, this
would all be changed The r. f. d.
patron could receive his letter on
Monday. could answer it so that it
would leave Skowhegan on Tuesday
afternoon. and the reply would reach
Boston the 3rd instead of the 4th day.
Boston is the important commercial
center for this section, and is spoken
of because so large a share of our
business is done with that city. More
over. the same reasoning as to mail
facilities would apply to all points
west of Portland as far as Philadel-
phia A train leaving at five o'clock
or after would really put our r. f.
-. pau pl9 - lOhiS HNdtti i'ootOh'
So far as village patrons of the Of
fee are concerned, the same reason
ing does not exactly apply. A viii
laee dweller can receive a letter on
the II o'clock a. m. train from his
Boston friend, reply by 11.45 a. m or
by p m train, and it will be de
liyered in Boston the next day It
would be, OF course, great con
venicnce, however. even for village
people, to have the opportunity for
swering and forwarding a letter at
the close OF. or after business hours
The mail consideration is an import
ant one in view of the large area and
number Of people served.
AS to passenger service, at present
unless we can leave at one O'clock
we must stay in Skowhegan until the
following day. People on the line at
Fairfield and below have access to
many other trains, and an especially
valuable Boston connection by the
Pullman leaving Waterville at l00S
p. m. The change mentioned above
as to mail service would give US a
connection with this train on
course, il it had that purely in mind,