The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-04

- BATH, req. ), 1908.
10the Editor OF the Press:
Our business men, for year or two past
have seen more clearly than ever before, the fol-
ly of investing the entire capital of large town
or city in one branch of business and its de-
Tendencies. A few years ago ship building was
the best paying business in the country. Men
of but little skill or experience in the use of
the broad axe were offered three and three and
q half dollars a day Hundreds of men sold,
their farms and removed to ship building
places and invested what they had in dwell
ing house with the expectation that they
would have constant employment and make
more money than they could from their farms.
The result has been that when ship building
became Improbable many were obliged to seek
employment elsewhere. Bath, although not
favored with extensive water power has ex-
celent facilities for manufacturing by steam
power, it being the head of winter navigation
for ships of the largest size. If portion of
the capital that has heretofore been employed
in building ships could be emplo yed in estab-
fishing manufactures and wholesale stores,
there would not be so general staguation of
business as is now experienced.
BRASS FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP.
Messrs. Geo. NJ. Patten & Co., seeing de-
mand for an establishment where iron aud
brass castings could be obtained, and ship,
railroad and machine work could be done, put
in operation, on Commercial street in this city,
such an establishment, about six years ago.
They commenced on rather a small scale at
first, but have extended their facilities until it
is now one of the best appointed machine
shops in the State. Two years ago they did
all the iron and brass work for a steamer OF
HOO tons, including engine, boiler, sc. This
steamer is now running as mail steamer be-
tween San Francisco and the Sandwich Is
lands. They have built the engines for several
smaller steamers, tug boats, &c. Since the de-
mand for ship and steamboat work has been
quite limited they have given their attention
to the manufacture OF family knitting ma
chimes, moving machines, SIC. Mr.. Patten,
who gives his entire time and attention to ma
chinery, has made some important improve
nents in the knitting machine, which when
perfected, will place it within the reach OF
nearly every family. When in full operation
they can give employment to from fifty to one
hundred men. ~ g .aH
CoRDAGE MANUFACToRY.
The extensive Hemp and Manila Cordage
establishment of Messls. G. & j. I. Donnell
| which has been in constant operation for neal
| ly twenty-five years, during portion of which
| time it has turned out 400 tons of cordage a
year, is now comparatively doing nothing
| starting up the engine only when an order is
received for a kind of cordage they do not hap
| pen to have on hand. The price OF the materi.
1 ~. fAl
| kinds of rope has been increased to such an ex.
tent as to drive shipbuilders to the use of wire
| for standing rigging, but when the price Of
hemp and manila shall come down to rea.
| sonabe point, as they must very soon, this
| firm will DE able to resume aud prosecute Their
business as heretofore. They have walk 1905
| feet long with steam engine and all the mod.
ern machinery for carrying on the business
which with the experience they have had and
the reputation n promptness and fidelity the )
have SO long maintained, cannot fail to secure
| for them liberal share of patronage. ID
| FIRE DEPARTMENT.
| There is no city, larger or smaller than this
in the State, where there is more interest and
| emulation in the fire department than in Bath
| There are three first-class hand engines. re-
ceived last lall, which are in the keeping of as
| good companies as ever ran with machine
There is also steam engine well manned and
always ready, with the hope, all the time, that
it will not be wanted. The city authorities
with just appreciation of the Importance Of
an efficient fire department, have caused to be
erected the test and most commodious engine
house know of in the State, for the accommo-
dation of the engines and as an attractive place
fo- the meetings of the companies. l asked a
friend, u few days since, why some old rat
traps, that were numbering the ground, were
not burnt down; he replied that the engine
boys were too quick to allow it.
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION.
The facilities for travel and transportation
to and from Bath have greatly increased with
in the last five wears. In addition to regular
line OF steamers, running now through the en-
tire year. to and from Boston, trains leave
Bath for Portland and Boston at O'Clock I'M.
AMI IL 20 Pm. and for Brunswick and the east
at 8 o'clock and about 80 PM. Stages also
leave every morning for Rockland and Ban
gor. The work of grading the track for a rail.
road from Bath to Rockland will undoubtedly
commence in the spring. The p. & K Rail-
road Company have recently erected a very
neat and well arranged depot in this city
where it was mu ,h needed. C.