Identifier: newfoundlandatbe00harv (find matches)
Title: Railway Bridge at Fishel's River on the line of the Newfoundland Railway - Newfoundland at the beginning of the 20th century : a treatise of history and development
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Harvey, M. (Moses), 1820-1901
Subjects: George V, King of Great Britain, 1865-1936
Publisher: New York : The South Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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This route was found to be much more favorable than that already surveyed to the north. It passed through the best lands in the island along the Exploits and Humber Valleys, to the Bay of Islands, and then turning south opened St. Georges Bay, the Codroy Valley and found a terminus at Port-aux-Basques, a fine harbor only ninety-three miles distant from North Sydney, Cape Breton. It was speedily and wisely decided to adopt this new route and to carry the northern line no further than Exploits,thence westward across the island and on to the southwestern extremity of the island at Port-aux-Basques, with the view of I70 NEWFOUNDLAND. connecting the colony with the continent by a swift steamer to North Sydney. A new contract was signed on this basis on May 16, 1893.The total distance from St. Johns to Port-aux-Basques was found to be 548 miles. It was completed in 1898. The terms of the contract were highly favorable to the colony. For constructing and operating the line payment was to be at the rate
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Newfoundland Railway Bridge. of $15,600 per mile in debentures of the Government of Newfoundland, bearing interest at three and a half per cent. per annum. Under the operating contract there was to be a grant in fee-simple to the contractor of 5,000 acres of land for each mile to be operated. Should the line be 500 miles in length NEWFOUNDLAND. 171 the land grant would be 2,500,000 acres. These grants were to be taken in alternate sections on each side of the railway,the colony retaining the same quantity of land given to the contractor, also in alternate sections, so as to prevent anything having the appearance of a monopoly. The grant being wilderness, land can only be turned to profitable account by the con-tractor by promoting settlement and the utilization of whatever resources they may contain, thus securing an increase of the population and wealth of the country, and swelling the revenue.It is the interest of the contractor to turn these lands to the best account, and in doing so he w

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