Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-09

quence as natural-and almost as !,
necessary-as the alphabet.
Is 1t to be or not to be-this pro-
posed highway, officially known as
Highway r. a section OF the State
Highway system laid out by the
ago? Will this old route, recognized
and used between the two cities
many long years ago by picturesque
stage coaches, be moderniZed into a
real highway of improved construc-
ton, properly drained and ballasted,
and so give to every home owner
in the % square miles of territory
it will serve, now untouched by any
other improved highway or trans
portation system, better marketing
opportunity, a chance at better liv-
ing conditions and enhanced prop
erty values?
| Is 1t to be or not to be? 1t Is the
aim of the recently organized Au-
gusta Belfast Highway Club to elm
mate the mote to be" and centre its
forces toward proving to the next
Maine Legislature that "it SHOULD
| be-"
Last May, George r. Weber of
| Augusta, now secretary and treasur-
er of the Augusta Belfast Highway
! Club, presented before the State
! Highway Commission an eloquent
plea backed by petition OF 5000 slS-
ma lures for an improved highway
between Augusta and Belfast, TO be
started this year. He learned that
. the last legislature had, in sense.
! roped and hog-tied the Highway
! Commission, for by the action OF
some of the legislative members the
highway bond issue was held up in
an attempt to enact other legislation
Result. no money. Roads cannot lie
/ built without the elusive STUFF, no
matter how worthy the inclination
to do so.
Thus the Augusta Belfast High
way Club was formed. with an ac-
| tive organization in In cities, NAM
ing II. c. Eu=:ell of Belfast as presl-
dent, George r. Weber OF Augusta
as secretary and treasurer and Jas.
Dinsmore of Palermo, Hon. o. r:
Frost OF Belfast, A. w. Brooks OF
Augusta, A. J. Skidmore of Liberty
and John X. Gray of Belmont as d.
rectors These officials ieSognized the
need of unity of purpose a spirit Oh
get together. so that by such con
centration they might carry to the
next Legislature the need of such
road to the territory served by 1t
and the material Dement'S accrulhs
therefrom.
The organization Is not sleepy
ono Already II representatives to
the next session of Legislature have
given their pledges to support
Highway bond issue at the January
term The Highway Commission, 70
a man. Is in accord and Is on record
as saying that when the state Legls-
lature makes It possible for the COM
mission to build this road the latter
shall be among the first to be given
consideration.
The proposed Augusta Belfast
highway winds through hilly farm
ing and wooded country. the route
from Augusta touching South China,
Palermo. Liberty. North Searsmont,
Belmont and so to Belfast.
This section of the country. Y
square miles Of 1t. which would be
benefited by such a road. Is un-
touched by any railroad except the
narrow guage Of the Wiscasset, Wa
terville & Pennington Railway
which cuts the road at right angles
at South China, coming nowhere
near either Augusta or Belfast there
fore not opening either of these cities
as a market to this territory. In
, winter the dirt road, extremely mar
row in places and easily clogged with
availability Of these centres as mar
kets. In the spring. thaws make of
them the texture and "soupiness"
Of children's mud pies. Except for
a few weeks in the summer the
road Is absolutely impossible to au-
tomobile traffic.
This highway-if It were perma-
nently improved-would be a focal
point from q large territory west OF
Augusta for Belfast, Bangor and Bar
Harbor tourist travel. A line drawn
from Poland Springs. Auburn. Lew
iston through Augusta to Belfast
would be almost as straight as the
crow flies. It would. act as q trunk
line from Lewiston and Auburn and
all points west to the seashore GEN.
tres Of the central Maine coastline.
Via the Atlantic Highway. taking
Brunswick as . starting point.
through Bath, Wiscasset, Rockland
and Camden. the distance IL 81
miles. Via the International Trail
from Brunswick to Augusta IL 81
miles and from Augusta over the
proposed highway to Belfast 46
miles more. totalling q distance of
70 miles, a slightly shorter route
gested traffic conditions at the Bath
woolwich ferry. conditions which
have caused more than one per.
fectly good tourist to look at his
watch and then at the Indifferent
"Ferdinando Gorges" and say
"sl!!ss."
Not only serving the needs Of q
large farming community. the high
way would also open up an extern
sive summer resort area now en-
joyed by q comparative few. China
n ~
It's beauty, Three-mile Pond, Sheep.
scots Great Pond. st. George Pond.
True's Pond and Quantacook Pond.
all are Of easy access as inland lake
resorts. Each OF these would have