The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-06-03
SOMERSET MILLS

Il dam across the river with ten feet head. They
are stocked with the finest and most improved ma
chnery of every description. Wing & Bates pro-
duce annually millions principally long lumber
+. & T. Lawrence, about millions. Dow Il Co,
at their furniture factory, employ hands and use
100000 of lumber yearly.
All the lumber that is made at these mills and at
kcnlalls Mills goes by ears to Portland, at cost OF
$500 per thousand The past year Totman & Co
alone have sent fifty carloads. Their sugar, moas-
scs and goods of all description from Portland
Let it be remembered that by the terms of the lease
all descriptions of freight to be carried at the
same rate per mile to Belfast to other points. 1t
is so miles to Portland and IS to Belfast.
THE REAR GUARD COME Up.
Messrs Sibley and Fuller who had remained at
home until Thursday morning, joined lis here.
OUR TRAIN ARRIVES.
About one O'Clock the special train arrived from
Augusta bringing Hon. r. d. Rice, President of the
kennebec road, EN-(iov. Coburn and Col. Darius
Alden, Directors. and l.. l.. Lincoln Esq Supernten-
dent. Col. Wildes. Engineer, came from Skowhe-
gan, and we were joined by Mr.. Totman, of Ken
dalrs Mills. We speedily set off over the road
northward, remarking the excellent quality Of the
soil, the thrifty air of the farms and buildings, and
generally prosperous appearance of the country.
The road winds along the western bank of the riv-
en- which Is constantly in view, now swollen by the
spring food and bearing Oh its bosom thousands of
pine logs brought from Mooschead Lake and its
tributaries. The reader will remember that the Ken
nebec is the outlet, and the only one of the lake
striving to reach. and that by this route
pursuing the course that the Creator directed the
water to run. A few minutes more the whistle
sounded, we saw the spires of large town ahead,
the train shot across the river. between the banks
of which and beneath us the river roared and foam
ed,-pu1ed up at the station, and we We're in
sKOWnEGAN.
The telegraph had told our coming, carriages
were in readiness to take the party to the hotel
where dinner was in readiness. We were driven
to the Brewster House, kept by S. c. Breswer, ESQ.,
an elegant hotel, containing over 100 rooms, and
suppliedwith all modern conveniences and comforts.
To the excellent landlord and his attentive clerk f.
B. Mayberry Esq, the party are much indebted.
Having dined we sailed out tour of inspection,
under the guidance of EX-Goy. Coburn and Col.
Wides The new block containing the public hall.
first engaged our attention. The hall is g. by 100
feet with stage, galleries, ante-rooms, &c. The
ceiling and wall elegantly fescoed and the stage
furnished with handsomely painted drop curtain.
to the Masonic fraternity, whose lodge room is fit
ted up with surprising elegance. We observed up
on the walls portraits of our fellow townsmen the
Messrs. Chase father and son, who have been sue
cessiyely Grand Masters. The public offices of the
town are in this bock-asO large social library.
Underneath are five elegant stores. The block,
which is owned by an association, was built at a
cost of $50 900, and pays well on the investment.
THE MANUFACTURERS
We next proceeded on a tour of inspection of the
water power. and the way in which il is made use
ful. The river at this point is divided by an island,
of rocky formation, around the sides of which the
river foamS in quick descent. Dams at this point
make its force available and the sides of the island
lined with factories. The following gives an i'm
perfect idea Of the most noteworthy
Burrcll & Co, Corn and -four ml--grinding gen
orally by the cargo.
Gould and Wiley, Foundry and Machine shop.
S. t. Gould & Co. Plough Manufacturers.
VIC. Houghton & Co, woodworkers, turner's Sc.
make large quantities of croquette sets for the
western markets, packed in boxes.
O. A. Bartlett & Co, manufacture horse rakes and
velocipedes!
Chas. NJ. Bailey, employs 70 hands in the manu-
acturc of oil floor cloths. mineral in the neigh
borhood is Tuarried and ground for the purpose of
giving body to the paint. They grind of this 1000
tons yearly. Formerly it came from New York.
White & Dane are building new sash and blind
fa aFHe 1"M he or ra f axe M 1000
dozen annually.
Stewart. Williams & Co, axe makers, run nine
trip-hammers, and make 5000 dozen axes annually.
They sent all the country, especially to the
west. Some of their patterns are very curious, be-
ing doube-bladed, with the socket in the middle Of
the handle.
c. A. Williams & Co, at their celebrated skate
factory turn out $4,000 pairs yearly, of every style,
some being of most elegant patterns, with rosewood
stocks and silver-plaed buckles, for ladies use All
the work is done by machinery even to the turning
Of the woods, and the boring and mortising-the
machines being the invention of mechanics en-
poyed in the establishment.
W. F. Bacon makes Johnson's force-punps, of
which several handsome samples were exhibited.
II. NJ. Foster has an axe factory, which has Just
gone into operation.
| r. A. Lyon & Co, have excellent paper mill,
famous among printers for the quality of its produc-
TONS which turns out 1900 pounds of paper per day
| THE BUSINESS OF THE RAILROAD.
| We next visited the depots of the Railroad, to
learn something of the business done. The passen-
| ger rooms very handsome and convenient. The
freight buildings capacious, they must needs
| be. to accommodate the business. The company
soon after Judge Rice assumed the management
| found their accommodations insufficient, and made
large purchases Of real estate, moving the buildings
| Off and erecting new ones Their freight houses
We're crammed with goods of all descriptions for
up country, and products going west. such as hoop
stuff. shingles and small lumber. The potato bust
ness here is immense. A building for storing them
rost-proof above and below ground, has been built
with platforms for delivering and receiving, scales
for weighing, &c.
The books of the freight department show that
there were shipped of potatoes, as follows: From
Sept. LIST, 1866 to July 23d, 1867, 500 cars From
Sept. LIST, 1867 to July 23d, 1868, 467 ears. From
Sept. LIST, 1868 to May Sd, 1869, 40 cars, Large
quantities are now lying back awaiting better
market. The whole number to be sent this season
will be not far from 600 cars. A car load is 36C
bushels. Besides this article of produce, or car
loads of hoops per week are sent to Portland anC
Boston, with quantities of hard wood lumber ship
timber, and small lumber There is an average OF
one ear per day of miscellaneous freight to PORTLAND
and Boston. The average tonnage per month a
this station from Portland is 30. During the month
of May Al hogsheads of molasses were brough
from Portland and 6 from Boston via Gardiner