The Portland daily press., 1868-05-30

Lumber Business Urban and Rural Groaoth-
Congressional affairs - Enlargement and
Renogation of The De Vat House Organizd
ton Of a Grant and Collar Club.
LEWISTON, May %, 1868.
To the Editor of the Press:
Our lumbermen have been in jeopardy
about ten days; but with the subsistence of the
river they are n ow well out of that unpleasant
place. The Lewiston Steam Mill Company
have their logs nearly all in; the drive" of s..
r.. Bearce & Co., will not be along for several
days. There has been too much water for sat
islactory driving When the river is high,
the logs pass over the banks in many places;
then, the water subsiding, they must be got
into the river again at considerable cost.
Only about six hundred logs, making one
hundred thousand feet, perhaps, have gone
over the dam. These will all be secured along
the river and be sold at a partial loss.
Our lumber manufacturers are quite briskly
at work; for, aside from supplying the local
market which is now pretty active, they are
selling very considerable quantities of lumber
at different points ON the railroad between
Portland and Boston, especially in the neigh
borhood of the latter city.
This indicates continued urban growth;
but we will hope it is not so largely at the ex-
pense of the country as the same growth has
been during the last ten or fifteen years. Very
few purely or mainly rural towns in New Eng
land have gained in population the last ten
years, while many have lost. Surely the re-
turns from Intelligent agriculture are quite
ample though there none of the great glitter
ing prizes, and they are almost absolutely GER
tain.
The District Union Republican Convention
to nominate candidate for Congress and one
Presid ential Elector will be held in Auburn
Hall, Auburn, on Thursday the 25th of june
There are numerous Congregational aspirants
in the neId; but in this portion of the District
the interest all centers about Hon. William
p. Frye and Hon. Nelson Dingley, jr., both of
Lewiston. The friends of each are actively at
work, and both parties profess themselves san
guine of success, though there not few who
think this local contest will result in throwing
the nomination out of the county. Auburn
entitled to twelve delegates, will hold her eau
Gus Tomorrow; and as it is thought by each
party That much depends upon the result in
Auburn, there win doubtless be a very large
v ote thrown.
1 hear it intimated that DR.. Alonzo Garce-
lon, of this city, will be the Democratic candi-
date for Congress.
Repairs upon the De Witt House are being
apidly pushed forward; it will be in readi-
ness again for the public by the first of August,
perhaps a little earlier. BY the remodeling of
the attic the house has been made five full
stories high. An additional wing is being
erected for q cooking and washing depart
ment, ct cetera, and for the accommodation of
steam boiler. The building is to be heated
throughout by steam, With the enlargement
there VIII be nearly one hundred sleeping
rooms. Much ofthe house will be replastered !;
it will be papered and painted throughout
The dining hall is to be done in fresco. The
outside will be painted nearly drab color; !;
caps of windows and trimmings generally in
imitation of free stone. Upon the side front
ing the Park will be three balconies, fifty feet
long, for the service of the second, third and
| fourth stories, On the west side balcony.
| for the use Of the second story, will run the
the whole length of the building. The house
will be refdrnished throughout; but aside from
that large item the expenditure for repairs
and additions will amount to some twenty
thousand dollars. When the enlargement and
renovation are complete, the De Witt will be
an elegant hotel, while its fine situation will
add greatly to its attractveness.
Last evening Grant and Coliax Club was
organized in Auburn. President. Col. e. T.
Luce; Vice Presidents, /. B. Kinball and ia
cob p. Roak; Secretary, Geo. s. Woodman;
with the usual officers in addition.
You did the sensible thing for the Portland
and Ogdensburg While the road will spec
tally help your city, we feel that it will greatly
help us this way too. BARLOW.