Year: 1867

Our correspondent whose letter fovorno
the Saco river railroad was published vester-
day, has fallen into one error which sbon,d bo
corrected He makes the distance from san-
bornton on the Boston, Concord and Mon
treal railroad, or Franklin on the Northern
New Hampshire, to Boston only 7Smiles, and
the distance from the same points to Portland,
by the proposed Alton Bay and Rochester
route, 81 miles. The actual distance from
Portland is so miles to Sanborn and 81 miles
to Franklin; from Boston by the shortest
route via Lawrence, 80 miles to Sanbornton
and 81 miles to Franklin. The difference in
distance is in favor of Portland If with that
slight advantage we can offer as good terms
as Boston, we can count on the trade of
Northern New Hampshire and Vermont; il
Boston can underbid us we shall not deserve
it. That part of the argument against the
Rochester route as compared with the Saco
Valley route must therefore be abandoned.


While we cannot afford to neglect the trade
of Vermont or New Hampshire, that is not
the only or the most important interest which
Portland has in improving her railway con-
nections to the westward. We need compet-
ing routes with the Grand Trunk, and the
more the better. We can furnish and we
ought to furnish an outlet at this point for
the produce of the Western States. 1t is for
this reason that the connection with Ogdens-
burg through Montpelier is especially desira-
BILE. Admitting that the Saco. Valley route
will bring us within la miles of Montpelier,
there will be as our correspondent says over
100 miles to build By the Rochester route
A miles of new road will give us a connec-
tion with Ogdensburg, which will bring that
port 10 miles nearer to Portland than 10 New
York, and nearly so miles nearer than Bufia-
10 is to New York. Oswego indeed is about
80 miles nearer to New York than Portland
will be TO Ogdensburg, but it must be remem-
bered that Portland is 225 miles nearer Eu-
rope than New York. satisfactory through
route improving all the advantages of water
transportation can be secured therefore with
least expense aud least delay-a very impor-
tant considerafion-byt the Rochester route.
! This connection is only available while the
Lakes are open. If we had only the Saco
Valley road to depend upon, we should have
no through route in winter. If one looks at
the line Of the New York Central road how
ever, he will observe that it bends downward
this side of Rome to Albany and Boston. The
main line OF the road, if prolonged, would
reach the seacoast near Portsmouth. But by
building the 20miles from Alton Bay to Frank
lin we open a route TO White River junction,
where we shall be met beyond doubt by the
Rutland and Woodstock road, which puts us
in direct communication through the New
York Central with the West, in summer and
winter. Allowing that the Montpelier and
Wells river road is built, we shall enjoy then
through the Rochester road the advantages of
two routes to Montpelier and three to the
West, competing with each other and in part
with the Erie canal, and one of them employ
ing water transportation as far as il can be
be made available.


If the Saco Valley route depended solely
upon its relative advantages as compared to
the Rochester road, its prospects would not
be SO good as we hope and believe they are.
1t can afford to stand ON its own merits. A
reconnaissance for this road was made, as
many of our citizens remember, in 1S49, by
Mr.. William H. Noble. Mr.. Noble reported
the distance from Hollis or Buxton on the
Saco to Fryeburg about SO miles, and found
no grade Of more than 40 feet to the mile and
no curve of less than 1900 feet radius Nate
rials for superstructure and masonry are abun.
dant on the line. Some rock and clay are
found, but the greater part of the road would
run over sand and gravel plains needing no
surfacins. But little bridging would be nee
esary. There can be no reasonable doubt
that road may easily and cheaply be built in
this direction and that the local business of
such road would justify its construction.
Seventeen years ago it was believed that the
population and business OF that region would
make the road a paying institution. How
much stronger are the same arguments now.
If it should appear to be the first duty of
Portland to assist in the completion of the
Rochester railroad, we have very little doubt
that the Saco Valley enterprise will occupy
the next place in order