The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-22
PRESS.
PORTLAND.
rflday Morning, March %. 1867,

ifiuaY morning, March %. 1867. 80
't1F ii Letter from Anguish. ,-.- 10.
me henne6ec Ddm-the Snroo,e p,,.
chase Radical Suggestion. p,,,,,, y
| Mdteriats-Luther Sererance-, ,fo,,,,,,,a.',
q Of the Great Fire in Portland.
The purchase, now about consummated os
the immense water power and its surrornd
ings at Augusta, by the Messrs Spracue
| (Gov. William and his brother Amasa) Of
Providence, R. l., is a subject not only of To-
cal but of general interest and Importance to
our State. The proposed investments are on
| the largest scale, amounting, to begin with, it
| is said, to no less than eight millions of dol
lars. The purchase embraces the whole of
the Kennebec dam, which crosses the entire
| river at this place, the locks and canals on
both sides, all the saw mills, machine shops,
sash and blind factories, dry houses, storage
buildings, flour and grist mill, the large cotton
factory, warehouses, offices, stores, taverns,
dwelling houses, mechanics shops of various
kinds, and other structures which extend
from the dam, on Water street, to Lambard's
bridge, on the west side of the river; and
from the dam, on the east side down below
the bridge to Lambard's foundry, opposite the
town landing at the foot of Market Square.
The two lines embrace probably mile in dis
tance, most of which is now covered with
buildings. These are all to be demolished, the
grounds made clear as in state of nature,
and canals, running parallel with the river on
both Sides are to be cut for factory sites the
whole distances. According to the Maine
Farmer, whose local editor claims to be well
posted on the subject, the Spragues propose to
erect fl se mills as soon as NAV be, each run
ming one hundred thousand spindles, making
five hundred Thousand, which are several
thousand more than there are in the whole
of Lowell 1t is calculated that each mill
will increase directly and indirectly the popu-
latioI ten thousand. Add these to the pres
ent number of inhabitants, and when all
these mills are in operation Augusta must
have population of sixty thousand But
those five mills win only draw upon little
more than one third of the water power BY
careful survey of the quantity of water fall
ing over the dam. tits estimated that the pow
er is sufficient to run one million, two hun
dred thousand spindles through the year, even
in greatest drought. The Kennebec can new
er dry up. Its fountain head is Moose Head
Lake, embracing an inland water of forty
miles in length by varying widths. A dam at
its outlet win repensh the water from source
to ocean, should occasion ever call for it.
Meanwhile the Kennebec is fed by the Sebas-
ticook, the Sandy and the Dead rivers. with
their numerous and often large tributaries It
is doubtless the largest continuous waterpow
er in New England-for aught we know, the
g,eatest in the United States. 1t is said that
the Spragues have an ambition to become the |
autocrats of the manufacturing interests in |
this country, and they have, therefore, sought |
for the largest power, in order that they may
establish the most extensive works in Ameri- |
ca. This they. can do at Augusta, that is, if |
they have capital enough, and they are said to
be worth from thirty to fifty millions, increas-
ing by two millions every year. .,s n --.,.
These are great calculations, and if fulfilled,
will not only make Augusta great city, but
their success, it is to be hoped, may be the |
means of setting a ball in motion which shall |
roll up large volume of prosperity all over |
the State. We have more water power, ac- |
cessible to navigation in Maine than there is |
in any other State, and this power must and |
will one day be called into requisition. 1t |
needs no spirit Of prophecy to foresee, that
Maine ultimately is to become the greatest
manufacturing State in the Union. Already
the water powers OF Massachusetts, Connecti-
cut. Rhode Island and New Hampshire are
improved. The works in those States cannot
be greatly increased. But our supply is abso-
lutely inexhaustibe.a The streams that seek
the ocean on two or three hundred miles of
seacoast, bringing vessels, steamboats, and 9TH
er water craft almost up to the very gates of
machinery, must attract the attention of 9th
er capitalists, besides the Spragues, to come
hither and improve the ready facilities which
nature has furnished for their use; commerce
and manufacturers, combining with fair av-
erage of agricultural capacities, cannot fail to
secure magnificent future for the Polestar
State. The time is not far distant when farm
ing lands, within convenient reach of the nu-
merous markets which are to spring up, will
command twice the prices for which they sell
lust now. H ajfE f3Aaer q .u1 eu
Hitherto, l., the foregoing, have spokenof
Spragues operations as an assured fact. 1t is
so, no doubt, SO far as bargain is concerned,
albeit the papers are not yet all finally exeeut-
ed. So confident are the citizens of Augusta
of its success, that they have with great un-
animity, and equal hberality, voted to raise
and give two hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars to the Spragues to induce them to make
the purchase, and have agreed to exempt
their works from taxation for ten years.
Should their expectations be realized, no
doubt the city will find it's material interests
promoted>by the measure. The increase of
population and of other taxable property, to
say nothing Of the rise in real estate, must
greatly overbalance the gratuity bestowed for
the benefit. But the future is always uncer-
tain. Ii the citizens of Augusta have erred
anywhere in the trade, l think it is in not re-
quiring from the Spragues legal guaranty
that they will invest according to the verbal
which' have been made, and
~" "0ANo corresponding w Tie INDUCEMENTS /
under which the people have voted to bestow
quarter of a million of dollars. No such
guaranty has been demanded, nor are the
Spragues understood to be inclined to give
any. Ii they purchase here they will pur-
chase just as they would anywhere else, own
ing what they buy, and then doing what they
please with their own according as they may
\ 81 r !. mn i
promise by any binding obligation, to spend so
much money, to erect so many mills, nor say
that they will commence operations forthwith
The most they will say is, that the first mill
they do build shall be in Augusta; and that if
they purchase all that property their interests
will lead them to improve it to the best advan-
tage. This seems to have satisfied our city
council. ~ -
But suppose that from any cause-bad hab-
ts ,scn,l rlofs~ - L,,r., |