RAILROADING IN MAINE.
The  Canadian Pacific  Pushes Across the State.
Early Completion of the Road Expected.
Numerous Railway Schemes Under Contemplation


THE BOSTON HERALD.

Augusta, Me., Feb. 1, 1887. More railroad legislation is being asked of the Maine lawmakers than has been known for many years past. One of the most Important railroad enterprises in progress is that of the Canadian Pacific, which is being pushed across the northern wilderness of the state to a terminus in the lower provinces. Sixteen miles of the road have been already built in Maine in the Moose River region after crossing the western boundary. During the present week, it is expected that contracts will be made for the building of the whole line to Mattawamkeag, and that in one year hence the road will be completed to that point, and connection made with the Maine Central. Two years ago the Canadian Pacific, which was then known as the Megantic or International, after a hard fight in the Legislature, secured the right to bridge Moosehead Lake.

Since then the route across Maine's inland ocean having been found impracticable, permission is now asked of the legislature to change the location to the foot of the lake. This will involve the necessity of crossing the Bangor & Piscataquis at Greenville and buikding a parallel road as far as Brownville within the 10 mile limit prohibited by law, which, it is said will be made an issue by those opposed to a change of location. Within a day or two arrangements have been made between the Bangor & Piscataquis for the transportation of rails and other materials over the Bangor & Piscataquis for the new road. It is the opinion it will be a great benefit to the Bangor & Piscataquis, it being estimated that the first year's receipts in freight from the Canadian Pacific will put at least $30,000 into its treasury. In this connection it may be well enough to state that the directing boards of the Canadian Pacific and Maine Central have ratified a contract; by which the Canadian Pacific will use the European & North American division of the Maine Central between Mattawamkeag and Vinceboro, in order to connect with the New Brunswick system.

During the coming summer extensive improvements are to be made on the entire 55 miles between these points, which will be borne equally by both companies. The abandonment of the bridge project at Moosehead Lake leaves only two bridges of any size for the Canadian Pacific to build, one being a structure of 600 feet in length across the Kennebec, and the other a still longer one across the Penobscot at Mattawamkeag. The building of the Canadian Pacific has started up several projects having in view close connection with this great trunk line to the West, and hoping to be helped by its transcontinental traffic.

Two winters ago, when the fight over the bridging of Moosehead Lake was in progress, a charter was secured to extend the little narrow gauge Monson railroad from Monson village to Greenville, at the foot of Moosehead Lake, to connect with the Canadian Pacific. Authority was also granted to extend the Monson from Monson Junction in a southerly direction to Skowhegan, where connection could be made with the Maine Central. The bill as it passed, it is said, caught the Bangor friends of the Bangor & Piscataquis, napping. Be that as it may, as soon as they realized that the extension to Greenville would seriously affect the Moosebead Lake travel over the Bangor & Piscataquis, they wanted this provision of the charter repealed. No action was, however, taken, other than to have the subject referred to the present Legislature, and a hearing will be given next week.

The mayor of Bangor has now petitioned that the law authorizing the Monson to extend its road to the lake be repealed, and represents that it was given a passage by the Legislature, of two years ago without a proper hearing. Since the Monson folks secured their charter, the Sebasticook & Moosehead Railroad has been built from Pittsfield, on the line of the Maine Central, to Hartland. It is the design of its projectors to run northwest, to tap the Canadian Pacific with a view of drawing a portion of its traffic to the seaboard at Belfast by means of the Belfast branch of the Maine Central, which connects at Burnham, the next station to Pittsfield. After leaving Hartland the proposed route ot the Sebasticook road is through Wellington and Abbott, where it crosses the Bangor & Piscataquis, and thence over the line of the Monson road and on to Greenville.

During the coming spring the road will be built to Wellington. The friends of the Monson say they do not now intend availing themselves of all their charter privileges, but propose to connect with the Sebasticook road at Wellington, and that point will constitute their southern extension from Monson Junction. If the plans of the projectors of the new route, as outlined, are carried out, it will shorten up the distance between Boston and Moosehead Lake by rail some 80 miles, as passengers, instead of going to Bangor and there taking the Bangor & Piscataquis to the lake, will leave the Maine Central at Pittsfield and go through to the lake over the Sebasticook and the Monson lines. There is no reason to doubt that the road will be built in the near future. New Brunswick capitalists are interested in the Sebasticook scheme, chief among them Thomas Temple of Fredencton, who Is Presldent of the road. He is a member of the Dominion Parliament and connected with the Canadian Pacific management.

The Maine Central is also interested in the enterprise, having taken stock in that portion of the road already constructed from Pittsfield to Hartland, a distance of eight miles, to the amount ot $1,000 for every mile. The citizens of Monson have already loaned the credit of that town to the fullest extent permitted by law and other towns are lending their subscriptions of 5 per cent, of their valuation in and of, the enterprise which is also receiving liberal private subscriptions. Some ot the Bangor people have a scheme to make connections with the Canadian Pacific independent of the Bangor & Piscataquis by asking for extension of the time for the construction of the Penobscot Central Railroad the charter of which expires next December, and to have its location changed so that after leaving Bangor, the route shall be through the towns of Hermon and Levant, or Glenburn, Kenduskeag, Corinth and Charleston, Atkinson and Orneville to a junction with the Bangor & Piscataquis at Miio; or, after reaching Charleston, pass through Garland and Atkinson to a junction with the Bangor & Piscataquis at East Dover, or some point between East Dover and Union Bridge, using in either instance the Bangor & Piscataquis to Greenville.

In connection with this scheme, a charter is wanted for a railroad from Bangor to Castine, a distance of 34 miles, with the view of making that ancient and historic lown with the advantage its harbor possesses, a seaboard outlet of the Canadian Pacific. The proposed route passes through neatly all of the towns now accommodated by the Maine Central. The Canadian Pacific managers have had their attention called to this scheme by its leading projectors, who claim that it would be the shortest and most direct route from the West to Liverpool. The ground is also taken that it wouid make Bangor a billing point for eastern Maine.

Another project is talked of in connection with this scheme to reach the Canadian Pacific, and that is to give permission to the Katahdin Iron Works Railway, which now runs from Milo to the Katahdin Iron Works, to continue their road to Bangor through Charleston, Corinth and the Kenduskeag Valley.  A charter is asked for the Somerset & Waldo Railroad. The projectors of this scheme desire to start from Burnham, where they propose to connect with the Belfast branch of the Maine Central, and from that point build their road through Canaan, Cornville, Athens, Solon, Bingham, and striking the Canadian Pacific at the forks of the Kennebec. It is estimated that the road will cost aboutt $800,000.

It is claimed that it will not conflict with the Sebasticook road, as it will pass through a chain of towns farther west, and reaching territory at the opposite side of Moosehead Lake. The Somerset Railroad Company want their charter amended so as to extend their road to New Portland, Kinsfield to Eustis and then up the north branch of the Dead River to a connection with the Canadian Pacific. This is a scheme that the Franklin and Megantic have in mind. An official survey of the route will be commenced this spring. William Atkinson of Embden is here trying to work up an interest in the Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad, whose charter authorizes the building of a road from Wlscasset to the boundary line of the state, to connect with the Point Levis & Kennebec Railroad. Wiscasset, on account of its excellent harbor, is ambitious to be the winterport of the Canadian Pacific.

A charter is asked by over 1,300 petitioners ln Aroostook County for the Northern Maine Railroad, the promoters of which want a road to be built from Presque Isle to Houlton and Mattawamkeag, and from Presque Isle to Fort Kent, and thence to some point on the St. John, near Van Buren, with connection with the Maine Central system. A hearing will be given tomorrow. A charter is wanted for the St. Croix River Railroad, a line to run from Calais through the towns of Robinson and Perry to Eastport. The corporators of the Rumford Falls and over Rangeley Lakes Railway Company ask for authority to enter into a contract with, or lease their road to, the Grand Trunk.

A charter is asked for the Mattawamkeag,, Medway & Mt. Katahdin Railroad Company, the proposed road to connect with the Maine Central at Mattawamkeag and to run to Medway thence through the interior plantations to Patten. Authority is also asked for the building of a branch road from the Maine line between Patten and Medway, and running to the summit of Mt. Katahdin.

Those  Interested  in the scheme  desire to make Katahdin, which is the highest point in Maine, another Mt. Washington for summer tourists.  A charter is asked for a railroad from Sebago  Lake,  through  the  towns  of Windham, Raymond, Casco, Poland and Minot, to Mechanic Falls. The scheme is said to be an extension of the Rumford Falls & Buckfield Railroad, with a view of making connection with the Portland & Ogdensburg road, instead ot being entirely dependent upon the Grand Trunk, as that road has been an outlet for several years of Oxford county traffic. A charter is granted for a railroad from Skowhegan to Norridgewock, a distance or five miles. It is said that the proposed road is one of the links in a scheme to divert the proposed route from Quebec to the sea at Wiscasset by a more direct line, which, after leaving Skowhegan, over the Maine Central, will pass through the towns of Winslow, Vasselboro, China, Windsor and Alna to Wiscasset.

The Portland and Rochester Railroad asks for authority to change the location of its connection of the Grand Trunk in Portland so as to extend the road around the marginal way to the extremity of that city and over the old Kennebec & Portland roadbed to connect with the Maine Central near Congress Street. The design of this movement is for the improvement of the Portland & Rochester facilities so that it can enter the great Union passenger depot which is proposed to be erected in the near future and for which a corporation charter is asked of the Legislature.

Tlie consolidation bill of the Boston & Maine and the Eastern Railroad is threatened with opposition, under the apprehension that the Maine Central is affected by its provisions. Those in a position to know declare that the bill does not include the Maine Central, and that its framers did not intend to include it when it was drawn. It is understood today that the Maine Central management are opnosed to the bill, so far as including their road, and at their instance it will be amended so as to specialty exempt their road from its provisions.