Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1801-04-06

TO TEE HOS. SENATE, AND HOUSE OF REPRE-
sEhTATIyFs OF TIE COMMONwEALIH oF MAS
sAchUsETT5, ~ GENERAL CoUkF AssEABL ~
N1Ethe lubftri5ers, petitioners inhsph"n'S % ei'e
Wv towns Of falmouth and Windnanli hu"'pY
new.-That your petitioners have been at great ex-
Dcnfe in building dams and erecting mills al the low
er falls on PrcGumicot river 70 called, ConSn' oaCc@
ranpa Hortebetf and the Great Falls, 70 called, AZ
which there are annually fawed from one hundred ana
lhirty TO hundred and fifty hundred thouland ieet
or boards which fhpptd to foreign
thofe that are fold the mills for ready money or LOT
the ufe Of the adjacent country) And from the iaIe
of this lumber, there are, on moderate cscua'ion'
one hundred thouanJ dollars brought into ;heie to"ns
Thofe mills employ from one bundled and eighty 10
two hundred men tor eight months IN year. nc
people thatve Prcfumfcot river and the large oe-
bago and long ponds for ninety or an hundred miles,
find profitable employment fer the winter months ~
ha'ling their lurplus of timber into thcie ponds ana
river for the ule of theie mills which would be other
wife denroyed in clearing their land for cultivation
Your petitioners do not remember OF having Teen any
hfh called fhad or alewives above Preumieot lower
falls ever before thele dams were built That icme Of
your petitioners have feen the flh called iamon pats
over thefe dams although there has been iuce way
open at the bottom Of the DAM but there has never
been but few falron feen in Preiumicot river, and
but very few caught in it as your petitioners remem-
Der. Some fay IL becaue there IS fuch va quAntiy
of logs drove this river at time when the iai-
on pats up the cafern rivers. If thefe dams were an
obRruction to the falmon going up they would be
found in great plenty below the lower dam, whereas
there has been but very few fecn. BY rejecting on
the preceding fatement, your petitioners feel an al.
urance that your honors will Zee the proprety and
eIpediency Of giving every aid to works OF uch mag
nitude and porance the mills Preiumfcot river
which afford fueh vat quantity Of lumber for the in
habtants ule, and for expectation 70 foreign nations
The Object is very great compared with the advan-
tsees that ariIc from the fmal number of h that 60
up PrelumGcot river Your petitioners have feen an
aa pafed March the frt in the year Of our Lord one
thoufand feven hundred and ninety eight, entitled" An
act for the prefervaton of Oh called famOn, fhad and
alewves in the rivers, dreams and waters within the
counties Of Lincoln and Cumberland, and for repeal
ing all laws made for that Purpcle, 70 far repees
their operation in laid counties" AS committees may
be united in the lufeient Auiceways whereby
your petitioners will be in danger of b-ng Narrated
and embroiled in luts law which your petition
who have been in the habit of peace, void Of the
Ipir Of litigation viii be extremely difagreeabIe and
win have tendency delroy that iprit Of induG-
try 20 nece1ary and advantageous 10 community.
Wherefore your petitioners pray thar your honors
would take their EUatioa uHder ferrous confederation
and repeal aid act 70 far refpects its operation
Preiumico5 river And as in duty bound your petit
TONERS viii ever pray
ANDREW HALL, and 81 others.