The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-16
ssTbo Hope Of Rfaine.o

ty-fve cents that will buy the pamphlet of the
publishers, Messrs. Hoyt & Fogg of this city.
The f1llowing extracts will be found OF great
interest, but presented here in fragmentary
way will give but an imperfect idea of the
scope and value of the discourse:
Dr. Kohl, in his learned work on the early
discovery Of Maine, which is now being print
ed for our historical Society, recognizes tour
great gulfs which the sea has gnawed Out upon
the eastern coast of North America. Inc ntst'
between Cape Florida and Cape da.Itlas .ue
second, between Cape Hatteras ana cape COO;
the third, between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia;
the fourth, the Gulf Of st. Lawreuce. Maine
is located in the third called the Gull OF Maine.
On this sea-line direct, from Quoddy Head to
Kitt.ry Point, of 30 miles, with deep water
carried almost to the shores, aid a mean tide
of ten feet over the whole, making the st.
Croix, Penobscot, and Kennebec navigabe for
large vessels, as high as their lowest falls. The
actual coast, following the curved lines for five
hundred and ninety-three miles, is indented
into unnumbered harbors and inlets. "as favor
able for ships as any in the known world, on
account OF the depth of water, ease o. access,
and completeness OF shelter"
extraordinary, now, as are such facilities, in
their natural effect upon the growth of a peo-
pie, these of ours assume an unwonted, and
almost prophetic significance, by their proyi-
dental relation to the great lines of trade
around the globe. The currents OF the sea
NgHC Tor us, as 10 the stars, pOinLlUg nltEer
first, of convenience, the mariner from British
shores. 1t is for US to weld this northern belt
of America TO The ocean, by new lines of rail-
road, SO to constitute this very barbor link,
in the great chain of international commerce,
which can never be broken. At present our
only direct connection with the West ia by the
Grand Trunk Railway, which, for six n onths
IN the year, makes of Portland governing
point for the European trade receiving the
products OF an arc eight hundred miles distant,
and despatching them by separate lines of
steamers to Liverpool, London and Glasgow.
And yet, it is these Intern tied foreign con
meet ons chiefly, which, since 1874 have aug
mented the imports at Portland from $500 900
to more than Sl6000,000 the last fiscal years
| and have multiplied the taxable valuation of
the city more than six times.
Let such commercial advantages be grasped.
in all their magnitude, by our citizens; let
these precious opportunities be improved ard
multiplied, as by the immediate opening of
lines to Oedensburg and Rutland let there be
a weekly line of steamers to England, from
this portland with what Western city would
you exchange prospects? -
Great as are the advantages accruing to the
State in the way of commerce from the config-
uration OF the coast aud its position ON the
great highway OF international travel, it is the
river system affordng facilities for manufac-
turers that excites in Mr.. Fem the greatest
enthusiasm. He says:
In respect of water power, We are peculiarly
favored, and therefore, owe peculiar gratitude
to God. Remarkable as is our sea front, it is
no way more remarkable than our lake privi-
lege. Norway has almost as numerous and
capaciOus harbors as Maine; the western coast
OF Patagonia is scarcely behind us, has indeed
a conformation which geographical experts
lken to our own. But there are few,,if any,
sections of the earth's surface which approach
Maine, except remotely, in capacity for. manu-
n afT d., hnIt =.
OF territory anywhere, in which is gathered up
and made ready so vast a volume of force, or
where there is so admirable conjunction of
physical characteristics, as it were, expressly
accommodated for the constant employment of
these powers.
You are aware that the three essential ele-
ments which fit a stream for manufactures are
volume. sufficient fall to impart momentum
and constancv of supply. Now we have three
great rivers, and many smaller oues, which.
with their countless tributaries, have volume
sufficient to carry three times all the power
employed, in 1856, Ia Great Britain, in the
manufacture OF cotton, wool, silk, flax and
worsted.
There are, of course, some rivers elsewhere,
which alone equal all of ours together in vol
ume, but which are useless for want of the 9th
err qualifications. The Amazon and the GAN
ges, for example, which fall from the prodig-
ions altitude of the Andes and Himal5yas,
near these mountains have a torrents velocity,
Va
sluggish and So wide spread, as to be almost
unit for manufacturing. Whereas, the pre-
eminent adaptation of our streams for work is
discovered precisely in the more evenly dis
trlbuted fall and uniform supply. This is ow
ing to the physical CONFORMATION and geologi-
cal structure of the State. Beginning with
the White Mountain chain, and stretching off
more than two hundred miles northeast, aero
the Umbagog Lakes to the great Moosehead
Lake. you have, as it were, u great back or
ridge of land descending, it is true, several
hundred feet from the White Mountain level;
but even at that remove, quite HOO feet above
Inc sea. From this ridge the whole State
slopes away toward the south and southeast, so
gradually and so decidedly as to diffuse water
tails at all points, from the crest even to the
lip OF the sea. Says Mr.. Walter Wells, in his
valuable hydrograi-hin renari, to which am
head of the Mississippi River, is bnt very few
feet higher above tide level than RangeIy
Lake" aud yet, remember, the waters of Itasca
run 200 miles before they reach the sea; while
Rangely Lake cannot be, by the river. 100 miles
from our coast. Lake Superior, 1900 miles
from the sea, by the course of the river, is ele-
waited only two thirds as much as our Nj oose-
head Lake" and yet Moosehead Lake is more
than ten times nearer the ocean. "Our rivers,
therefore, fall from height which, in consider
alton OF The proximity OF the ocean, is quite re.
markable." p.
Not the steep descents alone, however. nor
the abrupt rapids, constitute the chief value
Vi our water privilege. 1t Is the relative fuDc
ton which our lakes have Ion been known by
engineers 20 bear 10 our riyerS, which adds, TO
other distinguished features the GROWING
| character of the whole. These lakes, w6ich
| overspread the State to an unusual number
| and extent, ars the natural head waters of the
| rivers. and springs of supply. As basins, thew
are exhaustless in their resources. because fed
| from the high lands about them through deep
boys and forests which will never b. titled, the
land being good for nothing but lumber Now
of fay, faa<,,r L
| these lakes, would guarantee to us constant
use OF at least one million horse-powers through
the entire year, and with little waste. The
banks within which these rivers flow, are Pc
| culiarly water tight, owing to the ledginess of
their channels, and the hardness of the rocks
which compose the adjacent strata
Granite, for dams und underpinning, is east
~ obtained almost in the immediate vicinity
of our, streams. Mills can thus be planted
upon the solid rock, and ON each of these riy-
ers there could be constructed an unbroAen
series of water powers from mountain to foun-
tain head; each dam ponding the wa,er back
to the privilege next above, and so on, until
ne. rlv all the descent is turned to use."
Such magnificent fund of industry and
wealth, laid at our feet by the Oliver of every
good and perfect gift, is ON this our annual
Jubilee. enough, of itself, to excite with CRATE
full pride the heart of every patriot Son of
Maine.
In January, 1897. our railroad system con-
sisted of eleven miles. To-day there are ST. q
miles in operation.
In ls37 the amount of capital invested in
manufactures was $560,OO0
Capital Invested. Value of Products.
In 185 Sl4599 152 In $780, 1914 81 O50
1860, 22,044 020 " 1860. 38193 234
1863, 100000 1.6S, 81 ,2S7 G95
The population of the State in 1880 was $780,.
995; in 1860, 62S,2:9; and estimated, perhaps
somewhat excessively, in 1868, t73,177.
The valuation of Portland in 1874 was 81
100000; in 1868, 100000.
The real and personal property of Maine in
1850 was $100000,0OO in 1860, $165 900 ,OOO.-
about 1892 TO each inhabitant; in 1868, S344.-
9o0ooO,-on gold basis, about $500 to each in
TThe imports at Portland, for the last fiscal
year, OF commodities consumed and paw
ing duty in the United States. were.,. S3 2ef 773
The imports, In transit for British Prov
% inees' were. 12,725,aOO
The Exeuaf AT