The Portland daily press., 1864-03-02

The "katahdin from w orks.'
On Pleasant river, branch Of the Piscata-
quis, twelve miles from Brownville and fifty
two miles from Bangor, are situated the SKA
tahdin Iron Works, AN establishment which
was chartered by the legislature in 1916, and
which since that time has enjoyed diversity
of fortune, and turned out iron of an excel
lent quality The Works and the landed
property attached became the property
of the late Daniel Pingree, Esq, of Salem,
who made large additions to the facilities
for manufacturing iron, and succeeded in
putting into the market at the rate OF
1900 or 5000 tons per annum.
In consequence Of Mr.. Pingree's death the
operations were discontinued, but company
has recently purchased the property of Mr..
Pingree's executors, and now propose to re-
commence business upon more extended
scale than ever. They own $4,000 acres of
land, the most of 1t heavily wooded, and this
growth is required for the supply of charcoal
used In running the furnaces. About 81 800
is required to put the works in order for op-
tIdtlOu, anu lHiS Idil NC uOHC III etAL1 ucNs.
The present capacity of the Works is from
fifty to fifty-six tons aweek, and with an out
lay OF $4,000 for additional furnaces, it is
claimed that the amount of productsmay be
easily doubled. 1t costs five or six dollars a
ton for present transportation to Bangor-all
the way by teams - which expense will be
greatly reduced should railroad facilities be
opened to the Brownville Slate quarries,
which are only twelve miles from the Works.
The slate is superior to that obtained from
the quarries in Wales, aad is attracting great
attention. The quarries being inexhaustible
and the demand constantly increasing, it is
believed they are destined to afford employ
ment and support for large population in
that region, and that railroad will be opened
from some point ON the Maine Central to their
rich deposits at no distant day. When this is
done the iron from the Katahdin Works may
be transported TO market for one-half its pres
ent cost. As it nowis, with filty-two miles of
transportation by horse teams before reaching
the rails, it is said the iron may be delivered
in Boston for s25per ton,while the same quail
ty of iron is now worth in that market $50
per ton.
The iron ore = of q superior quality - is
found on Pleasant Mountain, one mile from
the smelling works, in apparently inexhausti-
BILE quantities. 1t is of the bog variety, lies
upon the surface, about an average of four
feet thick, and is easily blasted and broken in
to coarse Jumps. The ore, upon analysis by
competent biologists and chemists, is found
to contain about fifty per cent. of iron 10 its
raw state, and about seventy per cent after
roasting, degree of richness rarely equaled
by any other mines in the country. DR.. jack
son says the iron from these works is of ex-
cellent quality for foundry uses, and is partic-
ularly adapted to the making of sharpaeli
and shells, aud is also used for making rails
for horse-railroads, ndmakes excellent stove
plates and other castings.
The motive power at the Works is water,
and the supply is never falling. The bound
less forests viii furnish an uniaiing supply of
charcoal, and the demand for charcoal iron is
constantly on the increase. We have before
us a voluminous amount of testimony going
to show the richness Of the mines, the good
quality of the iron, the salubrity of the elm
ate, the fertility of the soil, and the oheapness
with which the iron can be put into the mar
ket, bnt We forbear to enlarge on this head.
The necessary buildings for the accommoda-
ton Of operatives are in good order and owned
by the Company, with a saw-mll, foundry,
dwelling houses, barns, stables, stores, offices,
hotel, chapel, dc. The leading officers of the
Company are. Edward G. Tileston of Boston,
President; Wales X. Stockbridge of Boston,
Treasurer, with a competent Board Of Direct
ors, agents, DC. The capital stock of the
Company is hxed at 100000, in 5000 shares
of 500 each. Over two-thirds of the stock,
we are informed, has been taken up as an in
restment, and the company are anxious to get
the balance taken up-in this city or State if
possible, and ii in this city, they propose to
give the control to board of Portland Di-
rectors, and to make this city the depot for
all the products of the Works. Our business
men and capitalists are competent to look the
thing full in the face, and to be their own
judges Of the feasibility of entering into the
enterprise. This is matter in which we are
incompetent to advise our province is to
spread the facts before our readers-that we
have done above.