The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-09

h"Ppy hhack OF hoping" Were she
only fld OF the lite Barnacle family who
have tenacionsly fastened UPON portions of
her water power, she believes she would at
once bid farewell to all badges Of mourning.
| At present, however, her most noteworthy
/ feature is the Franklin School for boys, which
| Is under the charge oil Mr.. Warren johnson,
one of the few teachers who understanI the
course OF intellectual development and adopt
natural methods of instruction.
There is less of dapidation upon the
Brunswick side, but hardly business enough
to give human aspect to her wide-wayed,
wind-sweps main street, whose flying sands it
is not quite safe for stranger to attempt to
cross without guide. Certainly here is a
chance Tor useful, local contraction, whatever
may be thought OF contracting the national
currency. In Brunswick some Two hundred
shipmasters have found quiet haven whore
tney ENJOY their Neptunic laurels and their
money. Here is also the home of our most
acceptable Governor, also of Hon. G.. ]. Gil
man who formerly represented his district in
| Con yrcss and is now warmly interested in all
that concerns the welfare of his town and
State Bowdoin College likewise gives an air
of classical dignity and not little of classical
renown to the place; but of laie years Bow
| doin has been falling behind the times. She
should take for her future faith all progress
sive tenets and go bravelv, earnestly to work
leaving behind whatever has had its day. She
| indeed, begins to arouse herself, and is laying
| aside some OF her venerable Rip Van Winkle
habits. She has now liberal stock OF youth
| full energy and has modified her course Iof
study the better 10 adapt it to the wants of
the age But does she not rely too much up
on her own sons for instructors? and has she
brought her curriculum up to the full demand
of the times? th
But it is the great and available water
power located here to which Bruins wick and
Topsham have reasonably looked ana stil
look for large and permanent increase of bust
ness, population and wealth. Years ago the
Lawrences endeavored to purchase this wa
ter-power; and but for one man who held out
for ten thousand dollars more than the large
sum which was offered him for his small in
| terest, we should now behold here, instead OF
the present thriftless, dilapidated village, a
stirring city, perhaps larger than Lawrence,
which would specially benefit every farmer
within ten or fifteen miles, while advantage
| would come to the State at large. Consider
the reverse: even the property for which an
| extortiOnate price was demanded cannot to-
day be sold for more than was offered years
ago. No one has been profted by this pig
1 daI Hpi1
injured. And to-day the same wicked selfish
ness, manifested by two or three men owning
small Interests, keeps other capitalists, who
will not submit to extortion, from purchasing
and developing this water-power. So the wa
ter which should turn six or eight hundred
thousand spindles and give support to thirty
thousand people, now runs idly TO the sea.
Shall this always be? Shall one man stay
the prosperity OF whole community One
| man can do this in Maine, and has repeatedly
| done it. Shall this always be? Then Maine,
whose future, IL anything to come is certain,
belongs to manufactures and, to commerce,
must slowly hobble towards the great career
| for which she is admirably designed by ma
ture. She can never compete with the world
in agriculture; her rugged soil and the sever
| ity of her climate forbid; but give her farmers
| an ample home market for the products of
| the garden, the orchard and the field. and
| they viii thrive as they deserve to thrive
Already the photographic Survey intimates
that the water-power of Maine, if duly i'm
proved, would give us population OF four or
| five millions. What home market our farm
ers would then have! This looks, and indeed
| is, far in the future, but the time may be has
Jeneu grrarry ny uIJabf.-f--.-l~4i4.,a-by leois
lation which will enable men of capital, who
mean immediate business, to take possession
| OF land ct cetera for manufacturing purposes,
| asmen are now enabled to expedite the con
places the extortioner in the hands of disin-
terested parties. The manufacturing pros
perity OF the State, upon which depends SO
largely the prosperity of everything else es-
pecially agriculture, demands such legsla-
| ton. -, ,..as ..5..... d.
On the 18th and 14th of Oct. 1885, Col. Lo-
ammi Baldwin made a survey OF this water
| power for the Brunswick Manufacturing Com
pany. From his report dated Nov. IL, of the
same year, and addressed to William Willis,
Esq, of Portland, we gather these facts The
whole fall is 40.S3 feet, divided by three dams.
At the upper dam there is a fall of II 80 feet,
| at the middle dam 14.04 feet, at the lower
dam 1549 feet. By raising the upper dam the
report says an additional fall of several feet
could be secured. We may put the available
water descent at As feet. From the first dam
to the second is 1890 feet, ON the Brunswick
side; from the second to the third is 700 feet.
COL Baldwin estimates the minimum amount
of water passing over the falls at 240,0O0 Gu
bic feet per minute. This much can be relied
| upon for a constant supply. ..
| As the volume of water here is considerably
larger than the volume at Lewiston, the pow
er must be about the same, though the fall is
several feet less. At Lewiston $4,000 cubic
feet of water per minute are now used, driv-
ing 100000 spindles, 16 setts of wooden ma
chinery, one bleachery, with several minor es-
tablishments. This amounts to 5000 horse
powers. The present available capacity at
Lewiston is $500 horsepowers, capable of be-
ing increased to 10000 by proper use of the
| luO square miles OF lake reoerNOrs. LoWeH mas
1900 horsepowers. We may, then say that
the Androscoggin at this point has possible
capacity Of 10000 horsepowers, capable Of
turning 100000 spindles. The annual labor
payroll, according to current wages would
amount to $4,000 900; for the labor payroll OF
the different manufacturing establishments in
Lewiston amounted to $1,500,O00 last year,
instead of 81, 100000 as the printer made me
say in my former letter
The waterpower at this point can be readily
brought into service. Suitable dams could be
constructed for tride. Without any great
cost dam could be built some three miles up
the river where there is a fall-also available
for manufacturing purposes and thus create
water reserve against minor emergencies,
of which the principal is this: At low stages
of the river not drop of water can pass over
or through the Lewiston dam. So, when the
mills shut down at night, there results a
drought in the river below, which reaches
Brunswick the next day. Again, there are
various natural mill sites on either side OF the
liver, the better ones in Topsham. These,
however, will mot permit the erection of mills
enough 10 consume the water. fthe water
is to be all brought into service, a canal must